UJobe 31

1 “Ngasenza isivumelwano lamehlo ami ukuthi angakhangeli intombi ayihawukele.

I vowed to myself never to look with desire at young women.

2 Siyini isabelo somuntu asabelwe nguNkulunkulu ophezulu na, ilifa lakhe elivela kuSomandla phezulu?

What should people expect to receive from God? What reward should the Almighty on high give them?

3 Akusikubhujiswa kwababi lokutshabalaliswa kwalabo abenza okubi na?

Isn't it disaster for the wicked and destruction for those who do wrong?

4 Kanti kaziboni yini izindlela zami abale zonke izinyathelo zami?

Doesn't God see everything I do—even count every step I take?

5 Nxa ngike ngahamba ngokwamanga loba unyawo lwami lwakhuthalela inkohliso

Have I lived a deceitful life? Have I been eager to tell lies?

6 uNkulunkulu akangikale esikalini sakhe esiqotho ukuze abone ukuthi angilasici,

No! Let God weigh me on the scales of his justice and let him discover my integrity.

7 nxa izinyathelo zami zike zaphambuka endleleni, nxa inhliziyo yami ikhokhelwe ngamehlo ami, noma kumbe izandla zami zike zangcoliswa,

If I have wandered from God's way, if I have let what I see become my desires, if there's any stain of sin on my hands,

8 lapho-ke abanye kabazidlele lokho engikuhlanyeleyo, njalo amabele ami kawasitshunwe.

then let someone else eat what I have sown, and all that I have grown be uprooted.

9 Nxa inhliziyo yami ike yakhangwa ngowesifazane, kumbe nxa ngike ngacathama ngasemnyango kamakhelwane,

If a woman has seduced me, or if I have looked for an opportunity to sleep with my neighbor's wife,

10 lapho-ke owami umfazi kacholele enye indoda, njalo amanye amadoda kawalale laye.

then let my wife serve another, let other men sleep with her.

11 Ngoba lokho bekuzakuba lihlazo, isono esifanele ukwahlulelwa.

For that would be wicked, a sin deserving punishment,

12 Kungumlilo otshisayo onguMaqothula; ngabe kwasiphuna isivuno sami.

for this sin is like a fire that leads to destruction, destroying everything I have.

13 Nxa ngingaphathanga kuhle izisebenzi zami, esesilisa lesesifazane nxa kukhona abakusolayo kimi,

If I had refused to listen to my menservants or maidservants when they brought their complaints to me,

14 ngizakuthini lapho uNkulunkulu esengibuza ngakho na? Ngizaphendula ngithini nxa sekumele ngichaze na?

what would I do when God came to judge me? How would I reply if he investigated me?

15 Yena lowo owangenzayo esibelethweni kabenzanga labo na? Kasuye yini yena kanye owasenzayo sonke phakathi kwezisu zabomama na?

Didn't the same God make all of us?

16 Nxa ngilahlele eceleni izifiso zabayanga loba ngayekela amehlo omfelokazi edinwa yizinyembezi,

Have I refused to give the poor what they needed, or caused widows to despair?

17 nxa ngizidlele ngedwa isinkwa sami, ngingasabelani lezintandane,

Have I even eaten just a piece of bread by myself? Haven't I always shared my food with orphans?

18 kodwa ebutsheni bami ngabondla njengaboyise, njalo kusukela ekuzalweni kwami ngamkhokhela umfelokazi,

From when I was young I was a father to orphans and took care of widows.

19 nxa ngike ngabona umuntu esifa ngokuswela izigqoko, loba umuntu oswelayo engelasivunulo,

If ever I saw someone needing clothes, the poor without anything to wear,

20 njalo inhliziyo yakhe ayingibusisanga ngokumfudumeza ngoboya bezimvu zami,

they always thanked me for the wool clothing that kept them warm.

21 nxa ngike ngaphakamisa isandla sami phezu kwentandane, kodwa mina ngikwazi ukuthi bayangilalela emthethwandaba,

If I raised my hand to hit an orphan, confident that if it came to court the judges would be on my side,

22 nxa kunjalo kayikhumuke ingalo yami kusukela ehlombe, kayephulwe endololwaneni.

then let my shoulder be pulled from its joint, my arm wrenched out of its socket.

23 Ngoba ngesaba ukubhubhisa kukaNkulunkulu, kwathi ngokwesaba inkazimulo yakhe, ngayekela ukwenza izinto ezinjalo.

Since I'm terrified of what punishment God may have in store for me, and because of his majesty, I could never do this.

24 Nxa ngifake ithemba lami phezu kwegolide, loba ngathi kulo igolide elicolekileyo, ‘Ulithemba lami,’

Have I put my trust in gold, calling fine gold, ‘My security’?

25 nxa bengithokoziswa yinotho yami enengi, lenzuzo evele ngezandla zami,

Have I delighted in being rich, happy at all my wealth I had gained?

26 nxa ngilikhangele ilanga libenyezela loba inyanga ihamba ngenkazimulo,

Have I looked at the sun shining so brilliantly or the moon moving in majesty across the sky

27 yaze yayengeka inhliziyo yami ngaphakathi nganga isandla sami ukuzikhonza,

and been tempted to secretly worship them by kissing my hand to them in devotion?

28 lezi lazo yizono ebezifanele ukwahlulelwa, ngoba bengizabe ngingathembekanga kuNkulunkulu ophezulu.

This too would be a sin deserving punishment for it would mean I had denied God above.

29 Nxa ngike ngathokoza ngomnyama owehlele isitha sami kumbe ngagqabhaza ngohlupho olumehleleyo,

Have I ever been happy when disaster destroyed those who hated me, or celebrated when evil took them down?

30 kangivumelanga umlomo wami ukuba wenze isono ngokuqalekisa ukuphila kwakhe,

I have never allowed my mouth to sin by putting a curse on someone's life.

31 nxa abantu bendlu yami bengakaze bathi, ‘Ngubani ongazange azitike ngenyama kaJobe na?’

Haven't my family asked, ‘Is there anyone who has not eaten as much as they wanted of his food?’

32 kodwa kakulasihambi esake salala emgwaqweni, ngoba umnyango wami wawuhlala uvulelwe izihambi

I have never let strangers sleep in the street; I have opened my doors to travelers.

33 nxa ngisithukuzile isono sami njengokwenziwa ngabantu, ngokufihla umlandu wami enhliziyweni yami

Have I concealed my sins from others, hiding my wrongdoing deep inside me?

34 ngoba ngisesaba abantu ngithuthunyeliswa yikweyiswa ngabosendo ngazithulela ngaze ngala lokuphumela phandle.

Was I afraid of what everybody else would think, scared of the contempt families would show me, so that I kept quiet and didn't go outside?

35 (Oh, kube ukhona ongizwayo! Sengisayina incwadi yokuzivikela kwami, uSomandla kangiphendule; ongimangalelayo kabhale phansi icala angethesa lona.

Why won't anyone listen to what I'm saying! I'm signing my name to endorse everything I've said. Let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write down what he is charging me with.

36 Leyoncwadi ngingayithwala ehlombe lami, ngingayithwala ekhanda njengomqhele.

I would hold them up high; I would wear them on my head like a crown.

37 Bengingamchazela ngokugcweleyo ngazozonke izinyathelo zami; ngisondele kuye njengenkosana.)

I would explain to him everything I'd done; I would hold my head high before him.

38 Nxa ilizwe lakithi lingiphika lemifolo yalo imanzi ngezinyembezi,

If my land has cried out against me; if her furrows have wept over me;

39 nxa ngike ngadla izithelo zalo angaze ngabhadala loba ngephula imimoya yabanikazi,

if I have taken its crops without payment or if I have caused harm to the farmers;

40 nxa kunjalo kakumile ameva esikhundleni sengqoloyi, lokhula esikhundleni sebhali.” Aphela lapha amazwi kaJobe.

then let thorns grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.