UJobe 34
1 U-Elihu waqhubeka esithi:
Moreover, Elihu continued to speak:
2 “Zwanini amazwi ami, lina madoda ahlakaniphileyo; lalelani kimi, lina madoda ayizifundiswa.
“Listen to my words, you wise men; hear me, you who have knowledge.
3 Phela indlebe iyawahlola amazwi njengolimi lunambitha ukudla.
For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food.
4 Asizihluzeleni thina okulungileyo; kasifundeni ndawonye okuhle.
Let us choose for ourselves what is just: let us discover among ourselves what is good.
5 UJobe uthi, ‘Kangilacala, kodwa uNkulunkulu kangahluleli ngokulunga.
For Job has said, 'I am righteous, but God has taken away my rights.
6 Loba mina ngiqondile, kuthiwa ngilamanga; loba ngingelacala, umtshoko wakhe ungihlaba isilonda esingelaphekiyo.’
Regardless of my rights, I am considered to be a liar. My wound is incurable, although I am without sin.'
7 UJobe kanti ungumuntu bani, onatha ukuklolodela njengamanzi?
What man is like Job, who drinks up mockery like water,
8 Uzwanana labantu abenza ububi; uhambisana labantu ababi.
who goes around in the company of those who do evil, and who walks with wicked men?
9 Ngoba uthi, ‘Umuntu kakumsizi ngalutho ukuzama ukuthokozisa uNkulunkulu.’
For he has said, 'It is no use to a person to take pleasure in doing what God wants.'
10 Ngakho lalelani kimi lina madoda azwisisayo. Kakube khatshana laye uNkulunkulu ukwenza ububi, khatshana kukaSomandla ukona.
So listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness; far be it from the Almighty that he should commit sin.
11 Uyamphindisela umuntu ngalokho akwenzileyo; umehlisela lokho okufanele ukuziphatha kwakhe.
For he pays back a person's work; he makes every man come upon the reward of his own ways.
12 Kakungeni engqondweni ukuthi uNkulunkulu angenza ububi, ukuthi uSomandla angakutshila ukwahlulela ngokulunga.
Indeed, God does nothing wicked, nor does the Almighty ever pervert justice.
13 Ngubani owambekayo phezu komhlaba na? Ngubani owathi kalawule umhlaba wonke na?
Who put him in charge over the earth? Who put the whole world under him?
14 Aluba wayengathanda asuse umoya wakhe lokuphefumula,
If he ever set his intentions only on himself, and if he ever gathered back to himself his spirit and his breath,
15 bonke abantu babengatshabalala kanyekanye, umuntu wayezabuyela othulini.
then all flesh would perish together; mankind would return to dust again.
16 Nxa lilokuzwisisa, zwanini lokhu; lalelani lokhu engikutshoyo.
If now you have understanding, listen to this; listen to the sound of my words.
17 Kambe lowo ozonda ukwahlulela ngokulunga angabusa na? Liyamlahla yini Yena oqotho njalo olamandla?
Can one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn God, who is righteous and mighty?
18 Kayisuye yini othi emakhosini, ‘Kalisizi lutho,’ athi kwabayizikhulu, ‘Libabi,’
God, who says to a king, 'You are vile,' or says to nobles, 'You are wicked'?
19 ongatshengisi ukwazisa amakhosana kulabanye loba athande abanothileyo kulabayanga, ngoba bonke bangumsebenzi wezandla zakhe?
God, who does not show favoritism to leaders and does not acknowledge rich people more than poor, for they all are the work of his hands.
20 Bayafa nje masinyane, loba phakathi kobusuku; abantu bayanyikinywa bedlule; abalamandla bayasuswa kungelasandla somuntu.
In a moment they will die; at midnight people will be shaken and will pass away; mighty people will be taken away, but not by human hands.
21 Amehlo akhe aphezu kwezindlela zabantu; ubona zonke izinyathelo zabo.
For God's eyes are upon a person's ways; he sees all his steps.
22 Akulandawo emnyama loba ithunzi elisithileyo, lapho abenzi bobubi abangacatsha khona.
There is no darkness, no thick gloom where the doers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 UNkulunkulu kasweli ukuthi aphinde abahlolisise abantu, ukuze abalethe ekwahlulelweni phambi kwakhe.
For God does not need to examine a person further; there is no need for any person to go before him in judgment.
24 Engaqalanga wahlola uyabaphahlaza abalamandla abeke abanye endaweni yabo.
He breaks mighty men into pieces for their ways that need no further investigation; he puts others in their places.
25 Ngoba ezinanzelela izenzo zabo, uyabagenqula ebusuku bahlifizeke.
In this way he has knowledge of their deeds; he overthrows these people in the night; they are destroyed.
26 Uyabajezisa ngenxa yobubi babo kube segcekeni emuntwini wonke,
In the open sight of others, he kills them for their wicked deeds like criminals
27 ngoba baphambuka ekumlandeleni abaze banaka layiphi indlela yakhe.
because they turned away from following him and refused to acknowledge any of his ways.
28 Benza ukukhala kwabayanga kweza phambi kwakhe, laye wakuzwa ukukhala kwabasweleyo.
In this way, they made the cry of poor people come to him; he heard the cry of afflicted people.
29 Kodwa nxa elokhu ezithulele, ngubani ongamsola na? Angafihla ubuso bakhe ngubani ongambona na? Kanti uphezu komuntu lesizwe ngokufanayo,
When he stays silent, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can perceive him? He rules over nation and individual alike,
30 ukwalela ongamesabiyo uNkulunkulu ukuthi abuse, ukuze angafakeli abantu izifu.
so that a godless man may not rule, so that there may be no one to entrap people.
31 Akesithi umuntu athi kuNkulunkulu, ‘Ngilecala kodwa kangisayikona njalo.
Suppose someone says to God, 'I am certainly guilty, but I will not sin any longer;
32 Ngifundisa lokho engingakuboniyo; nxa ngenze okubi, kangisayikuphinda ngikwenze.’
teach me what I cannot see; I have committed sin, but I will do it no longer.'
33 Pho uNkulunkulu akuvuze ngokwentando yakho na, wena usala ukuphenduka? Kumele ukhethe wena, hatshi mina; ngakho ngitshela lokho okwaziyo.
Do you think that God will punish that person's sin, since you dislike what God does? You must choose, not I. So say what it is that you know.
34 Amadoda alokuqedisisa azakutsho, amadoda ahlakaniphileyo abangizwayo ngisithi kini,
Men of understanding will say to me— indeed, every wise man who hears me will say,
35 ‘UJobe ukhuluma engelalwazi; amazwi akhe kawalambono.’
'Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without wisdom.'
36 Oh, uJobe angasake alingwe ngokweqileyo ngoba uphendule njengomuntu omubi!
If only Job were put on trial in the smallest details of his case because of his talking like wicked men.
37 Phezu kwesono sakhe wengeza ukuhlamuka; uyakloloda ngokuqakeza izandla zakhe phakathi kwethu andise amazwi akhe aphikisa uNkulunkulu.”
For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands in mockery in our midst; he piles up words against God.”
