UJobe 38
1 UThixo wasekhuluma loJobe ephakathi kwesiphepho. Wathi:
And the Lord made answer to Job out of the storm-wind, and said,
2 “Ngubani na lowo odunga amacebo ami ngamazwi okungazi?
Who is this who makes the purpose of God dark by words without knowledge?
3 Qina njengendoda; ngizakubuza, lawe uzangiphendula.
Get your strength together like a man of war; I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.
4 Wawungaphi lapho ngibeka izisekelo zomhlaba na? Ngitshela nxa uqedisisa.
Where were you when I put the earth on its base? Say, if you have knowledge.
5 Ngubani owamisa izilinganiso zawo na? Phela angithi uyazi! Ngubani owayidonsayo intambo yokulinganisa kuwo na?
By whom were its measures fixed? Say, if you have wisdom; or by whom was the line stretched out over it?
6 Izinsika zawo zamiswa phezu kwani na, loba ngubani owamisa ilitshe lawo lekhoneni na
On what were its pillars based, or who put down its angle-stone,
7 lapho izinkanyezi zokusa zazihlabelela kanyekanye lezingilosi zonke zamemeza ngentokozo?
When the morning stars made songs together, and all the sons of the gods gave cries of joy?
8 Ngubani owavalela ulwandle ngemva kwezivalo lapho selufohla esiswini na,
Or where were you when the sea came to birth, pushing out from its secret place;
9 lapho ngisenza amayezi aba yisembatho salo na ngalugoqela ngomnyama omkhulu,
When I made the cloud its robe, and put thick clouds as bands round it,
10 lapho ngalubekela imikhawulo ngamisa iminyango yalo lemigoqo endaweni yayo,
Ordering a fixed limit for it, with locks and doors;
11 lapho engathi, ‘Ungeza uze ufike lapha kodwa ungedluli; kulapha amagagasi akho azigqajayo aphelela khona?’
And said, So far you may come, and no farther; and here the pride of your waves will be stopped?
12 Sewake wabekela ikuseni umthetho na, loba watshengisa ukusa indawo yakho
Have you, from your earliest days, given orders to the morning, or made the dawn conscious of its place;
13 ukuba kuphakamise umhlaba ngemiphetho kuthintithe ababi abakuwo?
So that it might take a grip of the skirts of the earth, shaking all the evil-doers out of it?
14 Umhlaba ubumbeka isimo njengebumba ufakwe uphawu; imibala yawo ikhanye ithi bha njengelembu.
It is changed like wet earth under a stamp, and is coloured like a robe;
15 Ababi bayacitshelwa ukukhanya, lengalo yabo ephakanyisiweyo iyephulwa.
And from the evil-doers their light is kept back, and the arm of pride is broken.
16 Sewake wahamba emithonjeni yolwandle na loba wahamba ezingoxweni zenziki yalo na?
Have you come into the springs of the sea, walking in the secret places of the deep?
17 Amasango okufa aseke abonakaliswa kuwe na? Usuke wawabona amasango ethunzi lokufa na?
Have the doors of death been open to you, or have the door-keepers of the dark ever seen you?
18 Ubuqedisisile na ubukhulu bobubanzi bomhlaba? Ngitshela nxa ukwazi konke lokhu.
Have you taken note of the wide limits of the earth? Say, if you have knowledge of it all.
19 Yiphi indlela eya ekhaya elihlala ukukhanya na? Ubumnyama bona buhlala ngaphi?
Which is the way to the resting-place of the light, and where is the store-house of the dark;
20 Ungakusa ezindaweni zakho na? Uyazazi izindlela eziya emizini yazo na?
So that you might take it to its limit, guiding it to its house?
21 Ye uyakwazi, ngoba wawuvele usuzelwe! Usuphile iminyaka yonke le!
No doubt you have knowledge of it, for then you had come to birth, and the number of your days is great.
22 Sewake wangena eziphaleni zikangqwaqwane loba wabona iziphala zesiqhotho na,
Have you come into the secret place of snow, or have you seen the store-houses of the ice-drops,
23 engizilindisele izikhathi zohlupho, insuku zempi lokuhlasela na?
Which I have kept for the time of trouble, for the day of war and fighting?
24 Ingaphi indlela eya esigodlweni sokwaba umbane, loba indawo yokuhlakaza umoya wempumalanga phezu komhlaba na?
Which is the way to the place where the wind is measured out, and the east wind sent out over the earth?
25 Ngubani ogubhe intshukuntshu yezihlambo zezulu, lendlela yomdumo wesiphepho;
By whom has the way been cut for the flowing of the rain, and the flaming of the thunder;
26 ukuthelezela ilizwe elingahlali muntu, inkangala okungelamuntu kuyo,
Causing rain to come on a land where no man is living, on the waste land which has no people;
27 ukusuthisa ilizwe elilugwadule kulenze lihlume utshani na?
To give water to the land where there is waste and destruction, and to make the dry land green with young grass?
28 Izulu elinayo liloyise na? Ngubani onguyise wamathonsi amazolo na?
Has the rain a father? or who gave birth to the drops of night mist?
29 Ngesikabani isisu esizala iliqhwa na? Ngubani ozala umtshazo ovela phezulu na
Out of whose body came the ice? and who gave birth to the cold mist of heaven?
30 lapho amanzi abalukhuni njengelitshe, lapho iphezulu yolwandle ijiyile?
The waters are joined together, hard as a stone, and the face of the deep is covered.
31 Ungasibopha na isiLimela lesi esihle? Ungazithukulula yini izintambo zeziNja?
Are the bands of the Pleiades fixed by you, or are the cords of Orion made loose?
32 Ungawuletha na uMthala ngesikhathi sawo loba ukhuphe inkanyezi ethiwa yiNgulube lemidlwane yayo?
Do you make Mazzaroth come out in its right time, or are the Bear and its children guided by you?
33 Uyayazi imithetho yasezulwini na? Ungawakha yini umbuso kaNkulunkulu emhlabeni?
Have you knowledge of the laws of the heavens? did you give them rule over the earth?
34 Ungawamemeza yini amayezi uthi akunethise ngesihlambo samanzi?
Is your voice sent up to the cloud, so that you may be covered by the weight of waters?
35 Uyakuthuma yini ukuphazima kombane? Uyabika kuwe yini uthi, ‘Ngilapha’?
Do you send out the thunder-flames, so that they may go, and say to you, Here we are?
36 Ngubani owapha inhliziyo ukuhlakanipha kumbe owapha ingqondo ukuzwisisa na?
Who has put wisdom in the high clouds, or given knowledge to the lights of the north?
37 Ngubani ololwazi lokubala amayezi na? Ngubani ongagenqula amaqhaga asezulwini na
By whose wisdom are the clouds numbered, or the water-skins of the heavens turned to the earth,
38 nxa uthuli seluqina lamagade omhlabathi esebumbene?
When the earth becomes hard as metal, and is joined together in masses?
39 Uyasizingelela na isilwanekazi ukudla kwaso, uyiqede indlala yezilwane
Do you go after food for the she-lion, or get meat so that the young lions may have enough,
40 lapho zilele ezikhundleni zazo kumbe zicwathile ezixukwini?
When they are stretched out in their holes, and are waiting in the brushwood?
41 Ngubani opha iwabayi ukudla lapho amatsiyane alo ekhala kuNkulunkulu ezulazula ehayila ngendlala na?”
Who gives in the evening the meat he is searching for, when his young ones are crying to God; when the young lions with loud noise go wandering after their food?
