UJobe 34
1 U-Elihu waqhubeka esithi:
And Elihu made answer and said,
2 “Zwanini amazwi ami, lina madoda ahlakaniphileyo; lalelani kimi, lina madoda ayizifundiswa.
Give ear, you wise, to my words; and you who have knowledge, give attention to me;
3 Phela indlebe iyawahlola amazwi njengolimi lunambitha ukudla.
For words are tested by the ear, as food is tasted by the mouth.
4 Asizihluzeleni thina okulungileyo; kasifundeni ndawonye okuhle.
Let us make the decision for ourselves as to what is right; let us have the knowledge among ourselves of what is good.
5 UJobe uthi, ‘Kangilacala, kodwa uNkulunkulu kangahluleli ngokulunga.
For Job has said, I am upright, and it is God who has taken away my right;
6 Loba mina ngiqondile, kuthiwa ngilamanga; loba ngingelacala, umtshoko wakhe ungihlaba isilonda esingelaphekiyo.’
Though I am right, still I am in pain; my wound may not be made well, though I have done no wrong.
7 UJobe kanti ungumuntu bani, onatha ukuklolodela njengamanzi?
What man is like Job, a man who freely makes sport of God,
8 Uzwanana labantu abenza ububi; uhambisana labantu ababi.
And goes in the company of evil-doers, walking in the way of sinners?
9 Ngoba uthi, ‘Umuntu kakumsizi ngalutho ukuzama ukuthokozisa uNkulunkulu.’
For he has said, It is no profit to a man to take delight in God.
10 Ngakho lalelani kimi lina madoda azwisisayo. Kakube khatshana laye uNkulunkulu ukwenza ububi, khatshana kukaSomandla ukona.
Now then, you wise, take note; you men of knowledge, give ear to me. Let it be far from God to do evil, and from the Ruler of all to do wrong.
11 Uyamphindisela umuntu ngalokho akwenzileyo; umehlisela lokho okufanele ukuziphatha kwakhe.
For he gives to every man the reward of his work, and sees that he gets the fruit of his ways.
12 Kakungeni engqondweni ukuthi uNkulunkulu angenza ububi, ukuthi uSomandla angakutshila ukwahlulela ngokulunga.
Truly, God does not do evil, and the Ruler of all is not a false judge.
13 Ngubani owambekayo phezu komhlaba na? Ngubani owathi kalawule umhlaba wonke na?
Who put the earth into his care, or made him responsible for the world?
14 Aluba wayengathanda asuse umoya wakhe lokuphefumula,
If he made his spirit come back to him, taking his breath into himself again,
15 bonke abantu babengatshabalala kanyekanye, umuntu wayezabuyela othulini.
All flesh would come to an end together, and man would go back to the dust.
16 Nxa lilokuzwisisa, zwanini lokhu; lalelani lokhu engikutshoyo.
If you are wise, take note of this; give ear to the voice of my words.
17 Kambe lowo ozonda ukwahlulela ngokulunga angabusa na? Liyamlahla yini Yena oqotho njalo olamandla?
How may a hater of right be a ruler? and will you say that the upright Ruler of all is evil?
18 Kayisuye yini othi emakhosini, ‘Kalisizi lutho,’ athi kwabayizikhulu, ‘Libabi,’
He who says to a king, You are an evil-doer; and to rulers, You are sinners;
19 ongatshengisi ukwazisa amakhosana kulabanye loba athande abanothileyo kulabayanga, ngoba bonke bangumsebenzi wezandla zakhe?
Who has no respect for rulers, and who gives no more attention to those who have wealth than to the poor, for they are all the work of his hands.
20 Bayafa nje masinyane, loba phakathi kobusuku; abantu bayanyikinywa bedlule; abalamandla bayasuswa kungelasandla somuntu.
Suddenly they come to an end, even in the middle of the night: the blow comes on the men of wealth, and they are gone, and the strong are taken away without the hand of man.
21 Amehlo akhe aphezu kwezindlela zabantu; ubona zonke izinyathelo zabo.
For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.
22 Akulandawo emnyama loba ithunzi elisithileyo, lapho abenzi bobubi abangacatsha khona.
There is no dark place, and no thick cloud, in which the workers of evil may take cover.
23 UNkulunkulu kasweli ukuthi aphinde abahlolisise abantu, ukuze abalethe ekwahlulelweni phambi kwakhe.
For he does not give man a fixed time to come before him to be judged.
24 Engaqalanga wahlola uyabaphahlaza abalamandla abeke abanye endaweni yabo.
He sends the strong to destruction without searching out their cause, and puts others in their place.
25 Ngoba ezinanzelela izenzo zabo, uyabagenqula ebusuku bahlifizeke.
For he has knowledge of their works, overturning them in the night, so that they are crushed.
26 Uyabajezisa ngenxa yobubi babo kube segcekeni emuntwini wonke,
The evil-doers are broken by his wrath, he puts his hand on them with force before the eyes of all onlookers.
27 ngoba baphambuka ekumlandeleni abaze banaka layiphi indlela yakhe.
Because they did not go after him, and took no note of his ways,
28 Benza ukukhala kwabayanga kweza phambi kwakhe, laye wakuzwa ukukhala kwabasweleyo.
So that the cry of the poor might come up to him, and the prayer of those in need come to his ears.
29 Kodwa nxa elokhu ezithulele, ngubani ongamsola na? Angafihla ubuso bakhe ngubani ongambona na? Kanti uphezu komuntu lesizwe ngokufanayo,
30 ukwalela ongamesabiyo uNkulunkulu ukuthi abuse, ukuze angafakeli abantu izifu.
31 Akesithi umuntu athi kuNkulunkulu, ‘Ngilecala kodwa kangisayikona njalo.
32 Ngifundisa lokho engingakuboniyo; nxa ngenze okubi, kangisayikuphinda ngikwenze.’
33 Pho uNkulunkulu akuvuze ngokwentando yakho na, wena usala ukuphenduka? Kumele ukhethe wena, hatshi mina; ngakho ngitshela lokho okwaziyo.
34 Amadoda alokuqedisisa azakutsho, amadoda ahlakaniphileyo abangizwayo ngisithi kini,
Men of knowledge, and all wise men, hearing me, will say,
35 ‘UJobe ukhuluma engelalwazi; amazwi akhe kawalambono.’
Job's words do not come from knowledge; they are not the fruit of wisdom.
36 Oh, uJobe angasake alingwe ngokweqileyo ngoba uphendule njengomuntu omubi!
May Job be tested to the end, because his answers have been like those of evil men.
37 Phezu kwesono sakhe wengeza ukuhlamuka; uyakloloda ngokuqakeza izandla zakhe phakathi kwethu andise amazwi akhe aphikisa uNkulunkulu.”
For in addition to his sin, he is uncontrolled in heart; before our eyes he makes sport of God, increasing his words against him.
