UJobe 29
1 UJobe waqhubeka ngenkulumo yakhe wathi:
And Job continued and said in his parable,
2 “Ngiyaziloyisa lezozinyanga esezadlulayo, lezinsuku uNkulunkulu esangilinda,
Oh that I were as in months past, wherein God preserved me!
3 lapho isibane sakhe sisakhanyisa phezu kwekhanda lami ngihamba ngokukhanya kwakhe emnyameni!
As when his lamp shone over my head; when by his light I walked through darkness.
4 Oh, lezinsuku ngisazizwa ukuthi ngiyimi, lapho ubudlelwano obukhulu loNkulunkulu busesendlini yami,
[As] when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.
5 lapho uSomandla eseselami labantwabami besaphila lami,
When I was very fruitful, and my children were about me;
6 lapho indlela yami ifafazwe ngolaza ledwala lingithululela impophoma zamafutha e-oliva.
when my ways were moistened with butter, and the mountains flowed for me with milk.
7 Ekuyeni kwami emasangweni edolobho ngafika ngahlala enkundleni,
When I went forth early in the city, and the seat was placed for me in the streets.
8 amajaha angibona agudluka ema eceleni, abadala baphakama bema ngezinyawo;
The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and all the old men stood up.
9 amadoda ayizikhulu athula akaze akhuluma avala imilomo yawo ngezandla zawo;
And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.
10 amazwi ezikhulu ehliselwa phansi, inlimi zazo zanamathela olwangeni lwazo.
And they that heard [me] blessed me, and their tongue clave to their throat.
11 Loba ngubani owangizwayo wakhuluma kuhle ngami, kwathi labo abangibonayo bangibuka,
For the ear heard, and blessed me; and the eye saw me, and turned aside.
12 ngoba ngalamulela abayanga abacela uncedo, lezintandane ezazingelamsizi.
For I saved the poor out of the hand of the oppressor, and helped the fatherless who had no helper.
13 Indoda eyayisifa yangibusisa; ngenza inhliziyo yomfelokazi yahlabelela.
Let the blessing of the perishing one come upon me; yes, the mouth of the widow has blessed me.
14 Ngavunula ukulunga njengezigqoko zami; ukwahlulela ngokulunga kwaba yisembatho sami lengwane yami.
Also I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgement like a mantle.
15 Ngangingamehlo kwabayiziphofu lezinyawo kwabaqhulayo.
I was the eye of the blind, and the foot of the lame.
16 Nganginguyise kwabaswelayo; ngayimela indaba yesihambi.
I was the father of the helpless; and I searched out the cause which I knew not.
17 Ngawephula amazinyo ababi ngahluthuna labo ababebabambile ngamazinyo abo.
And I broke the jaw teeth of the unrighteous; I plucked the spoil out of the midst of their teeth.
18 Ngakhumbula ngathi, ‘Ngizafela endlini yami, insuku zami zinengi njengezinhlamvu zetshebetshebe.
And I said, My age shall continue as the stem of a palm tree; I shall live a long while.
19 Impande zami zizafinyelela emanzini, amazolo azalala emagatsheni ubusuku bonke.
[My] root was spread out by the water, and the dew would lodge on my crop.
20 Udumo lwami luzahlala lulutsha kimi, idandili lami lilitsha esandleni sami.’
My glory was fresh in me, and by bow prospered in his hand.
21 Abantu babengilalela belethemba, belindele ukwelulekwa bethule zwi.
[Men] heard me, and gave heed, and they were silent at my counsel.
22 Nxa sekukhulume mina, kungakhulumi omunye njalo; amazwi ami ayengena kamnandi ezindlebeni zabo.
At my word they spoke not again, and they were very gland whenever I spoke to them.
23 Babengilindela njengokulindela izulu, bawanathe amazwi ami njengezulu lentwasa.
As the thirsty earth expecting the rain, so they [waited for] my speech.
24 Ngangisithi ngingababobothekela, bathabe bangakholwa; ukukhanya kobuso bami kwakuligugu kubo.
Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe [it]; and the light of my face has not failed.
25 Yimi engangibakhethela ukuthi benzeni ngoba ngisanduna kubo; ngangihlala njengenkosi phakathi kwamabutho ayo; ngangifana lomduduzi wabalilayo.”
I chose out their way, and sat chief, and lived as a king in the midst of warriors, as one comforting mourners.
