UJobe 15
1 Wasephendula u-Elifazi umThemani wathi:
And Eliphaz the Themanite, answered, and said:
2 “Kambe indoda ehlakaniphileyo ingaphendula ngeze nje loba igcwalise isisu sayo ngomoya otshisayo wempumalanga na?
Will a wise man answer as if he were speaking in the wind, and fill his stomach with burning heat?
3 Ingadaza inkani ngamazwi angatsho lutho, ngezinkulumo ezingelasisindo na?
Thou reprovest him by words, who is not equal to thee, and thou speakest that which is not good for thee.
4 Wena uze weyise ukulunga njalo uphazame lokukhonza uNkulunkulu.
As much as is in thee, thou hast made void fear, and hast taken away prayers from before God.
5 Isono sakho sikhuthaza umlomo wakho; usuthethe ulimi lwamaqili.
For thy iniquity hath taught thy mouth, and thou imitatest the tongue of blasphemers.
6 Umlomo wakho yiwo okulahlayo, hatshi owami; izindebe zakho zifakaza ububi bakho.
Thy own mouth shall condemn thee, and not I: and thy own lips shall answer thee.
7 Nguwe yini umuntu wokuqala ukuzalwa? Wabakhona kuqala kulezintaba na?
Art thou the first man that was born, or wast thou made before the hills?
8 Uyake ulalele yini enkundleni kaNkulunkulu? Nguwe wedwa yini ololwazi?
Hast thou heard God’s counsel, and shall his wisdom be inferior to thee?
9 Kuyini okwaziyo wena thina esingakwaziyo? Ulemibono bani wena thina esingelayo?
What knowest thou that we are ignorant of? what dost thou understand that we know not?
10 Asebezimpunga lamakhehla bavumelana lathi, amadoda amadala kuloyihlo.
There are with us also aged and ancient men, much elder than thy fathers.
11 Induduzo zikaNkulunkulu kazikwanelisi yini, amazwi akhulunywa kamnandi kuwe?
Is it a great matter that God should comfort thee? but thy wicked words hinder this.
12 Kungani uvumela ukufuqwa yinhliziyo na, kungani amehlo akho eqwayiza,
Why doth thy heart elevate thee, and why dost thou stare with thy eyes, as if they were thinking great things?
13 uze ubhodlise ulaka lwakho kuNkulunkulu ukhihlize amazwi anjalo ngomlomo wakho?
Why doth thy spirit swell against God, to utter such words out of thy mouth?
14 Umuntu uyini ukuthi abe ngohlanzekileyo na, lozelwe ngowesifazane ongaba ngcwele?
What is man that he should be without spot, and he that is born of a woman that he should appear just?
15 Nxa uNkulunkulu engazethembi izingilosi zakhe, njalo lamazulu engathembekanga kuye,
Behold among his saints none is unchangeable, and the heavens are not pure in his sight.
16 pho umuntu ongcolileyo ke, oxhwalileyo, onatha ububi njengamanzi!
How much more is man abominable, and unprofitable, who drinketh iniquity like water?
17 Lalela kimi ngikuchazele; wothi ngikutshele esengakubonayo,
I will shew thee, hear me: and I will tell thee what I have seen.
18 lokho osekwafakazwa yizihlakaniphi, bengafihli lutho abaluthatha kubokhokho babo
Wise men confess and hide not their fathers.
19 (abayibo kuphela abaphiwa ilizwe njalo akwaze kwedlula muntu wezizweni phakathi kwabo):
To whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger hath passed among them.
20 Ngezinsuku zakhe zonke umuntu omubi uhlutshwa yizinhlungu, kube yisihluku seminyaka yonke ayibekelweyo.
The wicked man is proud all his days, and the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain.
21 Imisindo eyesabisayo iyagcwala ezindlebeni zakhe; nxa kusithi kuyalunga, izikliwi zimhlasele.
The sound of dread is always in his ears: and when there is peace, he always suspecteth treason.
22 Ulahlekelwa lithemba lokuwuphepha umnyama; umiselwe inkemba.
He believeth not that he may return from darkness to light, looking round about for the sword on every side.
23 Uyantula nje abe yikudla kwamanqe; uyazi ukuthi usuku lobumnyama selusondele.
When he moveth himself to seek bread, he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Usizi lobuhlungu emoyeni bumlethela uvalo; inhlupho ziyamgabhela, njengenkosi isilungele ukuhlasela,
Tribulation shall terrify him, and distress shall surround him, as a king that is prepared for the battle.
25 ngoba efumbathele uNkulunkulu inqindi, ezimisela ukulwa loSomandla,
For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and hath strengthened himself against the Almighty.
26 aqholoze amhlasele ngesihlangu esiqinileyo, esilohlonzi.
He hath run against him with his neck raised up, and is armed with a fat neck.
27 Lanxa ezimuke ubuso bungaka, umkhaba ulenga ngedanga,
Fatness hath covered his face, and the fat hangeth down on his sides.
28 uzahlala emadolobheni angamanxiwa lezindlini ezingahlali muntu, izindlu eziwohlokayo zibe yinqumbi.
He hath dwelt in desolate cities, and in desert houses that are reduced into heaps.
29 Kasayikunotha futhi lenotho yakhe kayiyikuma, lezifuyo zakhe kazisayikugcwala ilizwe lonke.
He shall not be enriched, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he push his root in the earth.
30 Kayikuphepha emnyameni; ilangabi lizabunisa amahlumela akhe lomoya wokuphefumula komlomo kaNkulunkulu uzamthwalela kude.
He shall not depart out of darkness: the flame shall dry up his branches, and he shall be taken away by the breath of his own month.
31 Makangazikhohlisi ngokuthemba okuyize, ngoba akazukuzuza lutho ngakho.
He shall not believe, being vainly deceived by error, that he may be redeemed with any price.
32 Singakapheli isikhathi sakhe uzajeziswa, lezingatsha zakhe kaziyikuhluma.
Before his days be full he shall perish: and his hands shall wither away.
33 Uzaba njengevini eliphundlwe izithelo zalo zingakavuthwa, njengesihlahla se-oliva sikhithiza impoko zaso.
He shall be blasted as a vine when its grapes are in the first flower, and as an olive tree that casteth its flower.
34 Ngoba ixuku labangamesabiyo uNkulunkulu kalizukuba lezithelo, lomlilo uzawahangula amathente alabo abathanda isivalamlomo.
For the congregation of the hypocrite is barren, and fire shall devour their tabernacles, who love to take bribes.
35 Bazithwala uhlupho babelethe ububi; isibeletho sabo sibumba inkohliso.”
He hath conceived sorrow, and hath brought forth iniquity, and his womb prepareth deceits.
