UJobe 15
1 Wasephendula u-Elifazi umThemani wathi:
And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
2 “Kambe indoda ehlakaniphileyo ingaphendula ngeze nje loba igcwalise isisu sayo ngomoya otshisayo wempumalanga na?
“Does a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill his belly [with] an east wind?
3 Ingadaza inkani ngamazwi angatsho lutho, ngezinkulumo ezingelasisindo na?
To reason with a word not useful? And speeches—no profit in them?
4 Wena uze weyise ukulunga njalo uphazame lokukhonza uNkulunkulu.
Indeed, you make reverence void, and diminish meditation before God.
5 Isono sakho sikhuthaza umlomo wakho; usuthethe ulimi lwamaqili.
For your mouth teaches your iniquity, And you choose the tongue of the cunning.
6 Umlomo wakho yiwo okulahlayo, hatshi owami; izindebe zakho zifakaza ububi bakho.
Your mouth declares you wicked, and not I, And your lips testify against you.
7 Nguwe yini umuntu wokuqala ukuzalwa? Wabakhona kuqala kulezintaba na?
Are you the first man born? And were you formed before the heights?
8 Uyake ulalele yini enkundleni kaNkulunkulu? Nguwe wedwa yini ololwazi?
Do you hear of the secret counsel of God? And withdraw wisdom to you?
9 Kuyini okwaziyo wena thina esingakwaziyo? Ulemibono bani wena thina esingelayo?
What have you known, and we do not know? [What] do you understand, and it is not with us?
10 Asebezimpunga lamakhehla bavumelana lathi, amadoda amadala kuloyihlo.
Both the gray-headed And the very aged [are] among us—Greater than your father [in] days.
11 Induduzo zikaNkulunkulu kazikwanelisi yini, amazwi akhulunywa kamnandi kuwe?
Are the comforts of God too few for you? And a gentle word [is] with you,
12 Kungani uvumela ukufuqwa yinhliziyo na, kungani amehlo akho eqwayiza,
Why does your heart take you away? And why are your eyes high?
13 uze ubhodlise ulaka lwakho kuNkulunkulu ukhihlize amazwi anjalo ngomlomo wakho?
Do you turn your spirit against God? And have brought out words from your mouth:
14 Umuntu uyini ukuthi abe ngohlanzekileyo na, lozelwe ngowesifazane ongaba ngcwele?
What [is] man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?
15 Nxa uNkulunkulu engazethembi izingilosi zakhe, njalo lamazulu engathembekanga kuye,
Behold, He puts no credence in His holy ones, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.
16 pho umuntu ongcolileyo ke, oxhwalileyo, onatha ububi njengamanzi!
Also—surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking perverseness as water.
17 Lalela kimi ngikuchazele; wothi ngikutshele esengakubonayo,
I show you—listen to me—And this I have seen and declare,
18 lokho osekwafakazwa yizihlakaniphi, bengafihli lutho abaluthatha kubokhokho babo
Which the wise declare—And have not hid—from their fathers.
19 (abayibo kuphela abaphiwa ilizwe njalo akwaze kwedlula muntu wezizweni phakathi kwabo):
To them alone was the land given, And a stranger did not pass over into their midst:
20 Ngezinsuku zakhe zonke umuntu omubi uhlutshwa yizinhlungu, kube yisihluku seminyaka yonke ayibekelweyo.
All [the] days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.
21 Imisindo eyesabisayo iyagcwala ezindlebeni zakhe; nxa kusithi kuyalunga, izikliwi zimhlasele.
A fearful voice [is] in his ears, In peace a destroyer comes to him.
22 Ulahlekelwa lithemba lokuwuphepha umnyama; umiselwe inkemba.
He does not believe to return from darkness, And he watches for the sword.
23 Uyantula nje abe yikudla kwamanqe; uyazi ukuthi usuku lobumnyama selusondele.
He is wandering for bread: Where [is] it? He has known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.
24 Usizi lobuhlungu emoyeni bumlethela uvalo; inhlupho ziyamgabhela, njengenkosi isilungele ukuhlasela,
Adversity and distress terrify him, They prevail over him as a king ready for a boaster.
25 ngoba efumbathele uNkulunkulu inqindi, ezimisela ukulwa loSomandla,
For he stretched out his hand against God, And against the Mighty he makes himself mighty.
26 aqholoze amhlasele ngesihlangu esiqinileyo, esilohlonzi.
He runs to Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.
27 Lanxa ezimuke ubuso bungaka, umkhaba ulenga ngedanga,
For he has covered his face with his fat, And makes vigor over [his] confidence.
28 uzahlala emadolobheni angamanxiwa lezindlini ezingahlali muntu, izindlu eziwohlokayo zibe yinqumbi.
And he inhabits cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.
29 Kasayikunotha futhi lenotho yakhe kayiyikuma, lezifuyo zakhe kazisayikugcwala ilizwe lonke.
He is not rich, nor does his wealth rise, Nor does he stretch out their continuance on earth.
30 Kayikuphepha emnyameni; ilangabi lizabunisa amahlumela akhe lomoya wokuphefumula komlomo kaNkulunkulu uzamthwalela kude.
He does not turn aside from darkness, A flame dries up his tender branch, And he turns aside at the breath of His mouth!
31 Makangazikhohlisi ngokuthemba okuyize, ngoba akazukuzuza lutho ngakho.
Do not let him put credence in vanity, He has been deceived, For vanity is his exchange.
32 Singakapheli isikhathi sakhe uzajeziswa, lezingatsha zakhe kaziyikuhluma.
It is not completed in his day, And his bending branch is not green.
33 Uzaba njengevini eliphundlwe izithelo zalo zingakavuthwa, njengesihlahla se-oliva sikhithiza impoko zaso.
He shakes off his unripe fruit as a vine, And casts off his blossom as an olive.
34 Ngoba ixuku labangamesabiyo uNkulunkulu kalizukuba lezithelo, lomlilo uzawahangula amathente alabo abathanda isivalamlomo.
For the company of the profane [is] barren, And fire has consumed tents of bribery.
35 Bazithwala uhlupho babelethe ububi; isibeletho sabo sibumba inkohliso.”
To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart prepares deceit.”
