< UJobe 3 >

1 Ngemva kwalokho uJobe wavula umlomo wakhe waliqalekisa ilanga azalwa ngalo.
After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.
2 Wathi:
Job answered:
3 “Sengathi ilanga lokuzalwa kwami lingatshabalala, lalobobusuku okwathiwa, ‘Kuzelwe umfana!’
“Let the day perish in which I was born, the night which said, ‘There is a boy conceived.’
4 Lolosuku sengathi lungaphenduka ubumnyama; sengathi uNkulunkulu ophezulu angangalunanzi; lokukhanya kucime ngalo.
Let that day be darkness. Do not let God from above seek for it, neither let the light shine on it.
5 Sengathi ubumnyama lethunzi elikhulu kungaluginya njalo; sengathi iyezi lingalusibekela; sengathi umnyama ungalugubuzela.
Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own. Let a cloud dwell on it. Let all that makes the day black terrify it.
6 Lobobusuku, sengathi ubumnyama bungabuthi jwamu; sengathi bungayekelwa ukubalwa kanye lezinsuku zomnyaka futhi bungangeniswa lakuyiphi inyanga.
As for that night, let thick darkness seize on it. Let it not rejoice among the days of the year. Let it not come into the number of the months.
7 Sengathi lobobusuku bungaba yinyumba; sengathi kungeze kwezwakala umsindo wentokozo ngalo.
Behold, let that night be barren. Let no joyful voice come therein.
8 Sengathi labo abaqalekisa insuku bangaluqalekisa lolosuku, labo abazimisele ukuhlokoza uLeviyathani.
Let them curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up leviathan.
9 Sengathi izinkanyezi zalo zokusa zingafiphala; lulindele imini kube yize lungayiboni imisebe yokuqala yokusa,
Let the stars of its twilight be dark. Let it look for light, but have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the morning,
10 ngoba kaluyivalanga iminyango yesibeletho ngisiza ukufihla uhlupho emehlweni ami.
because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor did it hide trouble from my eyes.
11 Kungani ngingafanga ngizalwa, ngahle ngacitsha ngisaphuma esiswini na?
“Why did not I die from the womb? Why did not I give up the spirit when my mother bore me?
12 Kungani kwaba lamadolo okungemukela lamabele okungimunyisa na?
Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should nurse?
13 Ngoba manje ngabe ngilele ekuthuleni; ngabe ngisebuthongweni ekuphumuleni
For now I should have lain down and been quiet. I should have slept, then I would have been at rest,
14 kanye lamakhosi lababusi bomhlaba, ababezakhele izindawo okwamanje sezingamanxiwa,
with kings and counselors of the earth, who built up waste places for themselves;
15 kanye lamakhosana ayelegolide, egcwalise izindlu zawo ngesiliva.
or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver;
16 Kumbe kungani ngingathukuzwanga emhlabathini njengomphunzo na, njengosane oluvele lungazange lubone ukukhanya kosuku?
or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, as infants who never saw light.
17 Khonale ababi kabasaxokozeli, njalo khonale abakhatheleyo basekuphumuleni.
There the wicked cease from troubling. There the weary are at rest.
18 Abathunjiweyo labo bazuza ukukhululeka; kabasakuzwa ukuhaladwa ngumtshayeli wabathunjiweyo.
There the prisoners are at ease together. They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.
19 Abantukazana lezikhulu bakhonale, lesigqili siyakhululwa enkosini yaso.
The small and the great are there. The servant is free from his master.
20 Kungani ukukhanya kuphiwa labo abasosizini na, lokuphila kulabo abalobuhlungu emphefumulweni,
“Why is light given to him who is in misery, life to the bitter in soul,
21 kulabo abakhalela ukufa okungafikiyo, abakuthungathayo ukwedlula ingcebo efihliweyo,
who long for death, but it does not come; and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
22 abaphuphuma ngenjabulo bathokoza nxa sebefika engcwabeni?
who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?
23 Kungani impilo iphiwa umuntu ondlela yakhe ifihliwe, uNkulunkulu amhonqolozeleyo na?
Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
24 Ngoba ukububula sokuphenduke ukudla kwami kwansukuzonke; ukugomela kwami kuthululeka njengamanzi.
For my sighing comes before I eat. My groanings are poured out like water.
25 Ebengikwesaba sekungehlele, obekungitshayisa ngovalo sekwenzakele kimi.
For the thing which I fear comes on me, that which I am afraid of comes to me.
26 Kangilakho ukuchelesa, kangilakho ukuthula; kangilakuphumula, kodwa ukuhlupheka kuphela.”
I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither do I have rest; but trouble comes.”

< UJobe 3 >