UJobe 15
1 Wasephendula u-Elifazi umThemani wathi:
Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,
2 “Kambe indoda ehlakaniphileyo ingaphendula ngeze nje loba igcwalise isisu sayo ngomoya otshisayo wempumalanga na?
Should a wise man utter windy knowledge, and fill his inward parts with the east wind?
3 Ingadaza inkani ngamazwi angatsho lutho, ngezinkulumo ezingelasisindo na?
Should he reason with a speech which availeth nothing? and with words in which there is no profit?
4 Wena uze weyise ukulunga njalo uphazame lokukhonza uNkulunkulu.
Yea, thou truly makest void the fear [of God], and diminishest devotion before God.
5 Isono sakho sikhuthaza umlomo wakho; usuthethe ulimi lwamaqili.
For thy iniquity teacheth thy mouth, so that thou choosest the language of the crafty.
6 Umlomo wakho yiwo okulahlayo, hatshi owami; izindebe zakho zifakaza ububi bakho.
Thy own mouth must condemn thee, but not I: yea, thy own lips will testify against thee.
7 Nguwe yini umuntu wokuqala ukuzalwa? Wabakhona kuqala kulezintaba na?
Wast thou born as the first man? or wast thou brought forth before the hills?
8 Uyake ulalele yini enkundleni kaNkulunkulu? Nguwe wedwa yini ololwazi?
Hast thou listened to the secret counsel of God? and is wisdom therefore of little esteem with thee?
9 Kuyini okwaziyo wena thina esingakwaziyo? Ulemibono bani wena thina esingelayo?
What knowest thou, that we do not know? what understandest thou, which is not with us?
10 Asebezimpunga lamakhehla bavumelana lathi, amadoda amadala kuloyihlo.
Both the grayheaded and the very aged are among us, — richer than thy father in days.
11 Induduzo zikaNkulunkulu kazikwanelisi yini, amazwi akhulunywa kamnandi kuwe?
Are the divine consolations too little for thee? and the word that was so mild with thee?
12 Kungani uvumela ukufuqwa yinhliziyo na, kungani amehlo akho eqwayiza,
Whither doth thy heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes gaze at?
13 uze ubhodlise ulaka lwakho kuNkulunkulu ukhihlize amazwi anjalo ngomlomo wakho?
That thou shouldst turn against God thy spirit, and 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 pure? and that he who is born of woman should be declared righteous?
15 Nxa uNkulunkulu engazethembi izingilosi zakhe, njalo lamazulu engathembekanga kuye,
Behold, in his holy ones he putteth no trust; and the heavens are not pure in his eyes:
16 pho umuntu ongcolileyo ke, oxhwalileyo, onatha ububi njengamanzi!
How much more then the abominable and corrupt, the man who drinketh like water wrong-doing?
17 Lalela kimi ngikuchazele; wothi ngikutshele esengakubonayo,
I will instruct thee, hear me; and what I have seen will I relate;
18 lokho osekwafakazwa yizihlakaniphi, bengafihli lutho abaluthatha kubokhokho babo
Which wise men have ever told, and have not concealed, as they obtained it from their fathers;
19 (abayibo kuphela abaphiwa ilizwe njalo akwaze kwedlula muntu wezizweni phakathi kwabo):
Unto whom alone the earth was given, and into whose midst no stranger ever entered.
20 Ngezinsuku zakhe zonke umuntu omubi uhlutshwa yizinhlungu, kube yisihluku seminyaka yonke ayibekelweyo.
All his days is the wicked plagued with pain, and the number of years which are laid by for the tyrant.
21 Imisindo eyesabisayo iyagcwala ezindlebeni zakhe; nxa kusithi kuyalunga, izikliwi zimhlasele.
A sound of terrors is in his ears: during peace will the waster come over him.
22 Ulahlekelwa lithemba lokuwuphepha umnyama; umiselwe inkemba.
He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is looked for by the sword.
23 Uyantula nje abe yikudla kwamanqe; uyazi ukuthi usuku lobumnyama selusondele.
He wandereth abroad for bread, [saying, ] Where is it? he knoweth that there is ready at his hand the day of darkness.
24 Usizi lobuhlungu emoyeni bumlethela uvalo; inhlupho ziyamgabhela, njengenkosi isilungele ukuhlasela,
Distress and anguish terrify him: they assail him with might, as a king prepared for the battle.
25 ngoba efumbathele uNkulunkulu inqindi, ezimisela ukulwa loSomandla,
Because he had stretched out against God his hand, and strengthened himself against the Almighty;
26 aqholoze amhlasele ngesihlangu esiqinileyo, esilohlonzi.
[And] he had run against him, with an [extended] neck, with the thick roundings of his bucklers;
27 Lanxa ezimuke ubuso bungaka, umkhaba ulenga ngedanga,
Because he had covered his face with his fat, and had made thick folds of fat on his flanks;
28 uzahlala emadolobheni angamanxiwa lezindlini ezingahlali muntu, izindlu eziwohlokayo zibe yinqumbi.
And he dwelt in abandoned cities, in houses which none inhabited, which were destined to be ruinous heaps.
29 Kasayikunotha futhi lenotho yakhe kayiyikuma, lezifuyo zakhe kazisayikugcwala ilizwe lonke.
[Yet] will he not remain rich, neither will his wealth endure, nor will he attain their perfection on earth.
30 Kayikuphepha emnyameni; ilangabi lizabunisa amahlumela akhe lomoya wokuphefumula komlomo kaNkulunkulu uzamthwalela kude.
He will never depart out of darkness: the flame shall dry up his shoots, and he will depart by the breath of God's mouth.
31 Makangazikhohlisi ngokuthemba okuyize, ngoba akazukuzuza lutho ngakho.
Let him that goeth astray not trust in vanity; for vanity will be what he obtaineth thereby.
32 Singakapheli isikhathi sakhe uzajeziswa, lezingatsha zakhe kaziyikuhluma.
Even before his time will it be overfull, and his branches will not be green.
33 Uzaba njengevini eliphundlwe izithelo zalo zingakavuthwa, njengesihlahla se-oliva sikhithiza impoko zaso.
He will shake off like the vine his unripe grapes, and cast off like the olive his blossoms.
34 Ngoba ixuku labangamesabiyo uNkulunkulu kalizukuba lezithelo, lomlilo uzawahangula amathente alabo abathanda isivalamlomo.
For the assembly of hypocrites will remain desolate, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
35 Bazithwala uhlupho babelethe ububi; isibeletho sabo sibumba inkohliso.”
They conceive trouble, and bring forth wrong-doing, and their body prepareth deceit.
