UJobe 19
1 Wasephendula uJobe wathi:
And Job made answer and said,
2 “Koze kube nini lilokhu lingichukuluza, lingicobodisa ngamazwi na?
How long will you make my life bitter, crushing me with words?
3 Selingithethise amahlandla alitshumi manje; lingihlasela lingelanhloni.
Ten times now you have made sport of me; it gives you no sense of shame to do me wrong.
4 Nxa kuliqiniso ukuthi ngiphambukile, isiphambeko sami ngumlandu wami ngedwa.
And, truly, if I have been in error, the effect of my error is only on myself.
5 Nxa isibili liziphakamisa ngaphezulu kwami, lingincindezele ngokuyangeka kwami,
If you make yourselves great against me, using my punishment as an argument against me,
6 yazini ukuthi uNkulunkulu ungonile wangithandela ngomambule wakhe.
Be certain that it is God who has done me wrong, and has taken me in his net.
7 Loba ngingaze ngikhale ngithi, ‘Ngiyahlukuluzwa bo!’ angitholi mpendulo; loba ngicela uncedo, kangahlulelwa ngokulunga.
Truly, I make an outcry against the violent man, but there is no answer: I give a cry for help, but no one takes up my cause.
8 Uyivalile indlela yami akudluleki; izindlela zami uzembese ngomnyama.
My way is walled up by him so that I may not go by: he has made my roads dark.
9 Usengiphucile konke ukuhlonitshwa wangethula umqhele ekhanda lami.
He has put off my glory from me, and taken the crown from my head.
10 Ungidabula inxa zonke ngize ngiphele du; usiphuna ithemba lami njengesihlahla.
I am broken down by him on every side, and I am gone; my hope is uprooted like a tree.
11 Ulaka lwakhe luyavutha kimi; ungibalela phakathi kwezitha zakhe.
His wrath is burning against me, and I am to him as one of his haters.
12 Amabutho akhe eza ngamandla; angakhela isihonqo sokungivimbezela amise egqagqele ithente lami.
His armies come on together, they make their road high against me, and put up their tents round mine.
13 Usenze abafowethu bangihlamuka; abangane bami sebemelana lami.
He has taken my brothers far away from me; they have seen my fate and have become strange to me.
14 Izihlobo zami sezihambile; abangane bami sebekhohliwe ngami.
My relations and my near friends have given me up, and those living in my house have put me out of their minds.
15 Izethekeli zami lezincekukazi zami zithi ngingowemzini; zingikhangela njengowezizweni.
I am strange to my women-servants, and seem to them as one from another country.
16 Ngithi nxa ngibiza isisebenzi sami singasabeli, lokuba ngisincenga ngomlomo wami.
At my cry my servant gives me no answer, and I have to make a prayer to him.
17 Ukuphefumula kwami kuyamnukela umkami; ngiyenyanyeka kubafowethu.
My breath is strange to my wife, and I am disgusting to the offspring of my mother's body.
18 Labafanyana bayangiklolodela; ngithi nxa ngiqhamuka bangihoze.
Even young children have no respect for me; when I get up their backs are turned on me.
19 Bonke abangane bami abasekhwapheni bayanengeka ngami; labo engibathandayo sebengifulathele.
All the men of my circle keep away from me; and those dear to me are turned against me.
20 Angiselalutho ngaphandle kwesikhumba lamathambo kuphela; ngiphephe manayinayi.
My bones are joined to my skin, and I have got away with my flesh in my teeth.
21 Ngizwelani usizi, bangane bami, wobani losizi, ngoba isandla sikaNkulunkulu singitshayile.
Have pity on me, have pity on me, O my friends! for the hand of God is on me.
22 Lingilandelelani njengoNkulunkulu na? Lizakufa lasutha ngenyama yami na?
Why are you cruel to me, like God, for ever saying evil against me?
23 Oh, uthi ngabe amazwi ami ayalotshwa, ngabe abhaliwe emqulwini,
If only my words might be recorded! if they might be put in writing in a book!
24 ngabe athwetshulwe ngensimbi phezu komnuso, loba agujwe edwaleni lanininini!
And with an iron pen and lead be cut into the rock for ever!
25 Ngiyazi ukuthi uMhlengi wami uyaphila, lokuthi ekupheleni uzakuma emhlabeni.
But I am certain that he who will take up my cause is living, and that in time to come he will take his place on the dust;
26 Kuzakuthi nxa isikhumba sami sesibhujisiwe, kodwa ngikuyo inyama yami ngizambona uNkulunkulu;
And ... without my flesh I will see God;
27 mina ngokwami ngizambona ngawami amehlo, mina hatshi omunye. Inhliziyo yami iyagubhazela ngokulangatha!
Whom I will see on my side, and not as one strange to me. My heart is broken with desire.
28 Lingaze lithi, ‘Sizamzingela qho ngoba nguye ozilethele ukuhlupheka,’
If you say, How cruel we will be to him! because the root of sin is clearly in him:
29 yini okumele liyesabe inkemba; ngoba intukuthelo izaletha isijeziso ngenkemba, lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi kulokwahlulela.”
Be in fear of the sword, for the sword is the punishment for such things, so that you may be certain that there is a judge.
