UJobe 15
1 Wasephendula u-Elifazi umThemani wathi:
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
2 “Kambe indoda ehlakaniphileyo ingaphendula ngeze nje loba igcwalise isisu sayo ngomoya otshisayo wempumalanga na?
Should a wise man make answer with vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
3 Ingadaza inkani ngamazwi angatsho lutho, ngezinkulumo ezingelasisindo na?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
4 Wena uze weyise ukulunga njalo uphazame lokukhonza uNkulunkulu.
Yea, thou doest away with fear, and restrainest devotion before God.
5 Isono sakho sikhuthaza umlomo wakho; usuthethe ulimi lwamaqili.
For thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
6 Umlomo wakho yiwo okulahlayo, hatshi owami; izindebe zakho zifakaza ububi bakho.
Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; yea, thine own lips testify against thee.
7 Nguwe yini umuntu wokuqala ukuzalwa? Wabakhona kuqala kulezintaba na?
Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou brought forth before the hills?
8 Uyake ulalele yini enkundleni kaNkulunkulu? Nguwe wedwa yini ololwazi?
Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
9 Kuyini okwaziyo wena thina esingakwaziyo? Ulemibono bani wena thina esingelayo?
What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?
10 Asebezimpunga lamakhehla bavumelana lathi, amadoda amadala kuloyihlo.
With us are both the grayheaded and the very aged men, much elder than thy father.
11 Induduzo zikaNkulunkulu kazikwanelisi yini, amazwi akhulunywa kamnandi kuwe?
Are the consolations of God too small for thee, and the word [that dealeth] gently with thee?
12 Kungani uvumela ukufuqwa yinhliziyo na, kungani amehlo akho eqwayiza,
Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and why do thine eyes wink?
13 uze ubhodlise ulaka lwakho kuNkulunkulu ukhihlize amazwi anjalo ngomlomo wakho?
That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest [such] words go out of thy mouth.
14 Umuntu uyini ukuthi abe ngohlanzekileyo na, lozelwe ngowesifazane ongaba ngcwele?
What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 Nxa uNkulunkulu engazethembi izingilosi zakhe, njalo lamazulu engathembekanga kuye,
Behold, he putteth no trust in his holy ones; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
16 pho umuntu ongcolileyo ke, oxhwalileyo, onatha ububi njengamanzi!
How much less one that is abominable and corrupt, a man that drinketh iniquity like water!
17 Lalela kimi ngikuchazele; wothi ngikutshele esengakubonayo,
I will shew thee, hear thou me; and that which I have seen I will declare:
18 lokho osekwafakazwa yizihlakaniphi, bengafihli lutho abaluthatha kubokhokho babo
(Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it;
19 (abayibo kuphela abaphiwa ilizwe njalo akwaze kwedlula muntu wezizweni phakathi kwabo):
Unto whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them: )
20 Ngezinsuku zakhe zonke umuntu omubi uhlutshwa yizinhlungu, kube yisihluku seminyaka yonke ayibekelweyo.
The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
21 Imisindo eyesabisayo iyagcwala ezindlebeni zakhe; nxa kusithi kuyalunga, izikliwi zimhlasele.
A sound of terrors is in his ears; in prosperity the spoiler shall come upon him:
22 Ulahlekelwa lithemba lokuwuphepha umnyama; umiselwe inkemba.
He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of 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 the day of darkness is ready at his hand:
24 Usizi lobuhlungu emoyeni bumlethela uvalo; inhlupho ziyamgabhela, njengenkosi isilungele ukuhlasela,
Distress and anguish make him afraid; they prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle:
25 ngoba efumbathele uNkulunkulu inqindi, ezimisela ukulwa loSomandla,
Because he hath stretched out his hand against God, and behaveth himself proudly against the Almighty;
26 aqholoze amhlasele ngesihlangu esiqinileyo, esilohlonzi.
He runneth upon him with a [stiff] neck, with the thick bosses of his bucklers:
27 Lanxa ezimuke ubuso bungaka, umkhaba ulenga ngedanga,
Because he hath covered his face with his fatness, and made collops of fat on his flanks;
28 uzahlala emadolobheni angamanxiwa lezindlini ezingahlali muntu, izindlu eziwohlokayo zibe yinqumbi.
And he hath dwelt in desolate cities, in houses which no man inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.
29 Kasayikunotha futhi lenotho yakhe kayiyikuma, lezifuyo zakhe kazisayikugcwala ilizwe lonke.
He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall their produce bend to 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 by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.
31 Makangazikhohlisi ngokuthemba okuyize, ngoba akazukuzuza lutho ngakho.
Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself: for vanity shall be his recompence.
32 Singakapheli isikhathi sakhe uzajeziswa, lezingatsha zakhe kaziyikuhluma.
It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
33 Uzaba njengevini eliphundlwe izithelo zalo zingakavuthwa, njengesihlahla se-oliva sikhithiza impoko zaso.
He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
34 Ngoba ixuku labangamesabiyo uNkulunkulu kalizukuba lezithelo, lomlilo uzawahangula amathente alabo abathanda isivalamlomo.
For the company of the godless shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
35 Bazithwala uhlupho babelethe ububi; isibeletho sabo sibumba inkohliso.”
They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
