UJobe 9
1 Wasephendula uJobe wathi:
And Job answered and said,
2 “Ngeqiniso ngiyazi ukuthi lokhu kuliqiniso. Kodwa umuntu wenyama angalunga yini kuNkulunkulu?
Of a truth I know it is so; but how can man be just with God?
3 Loba umuntu ubengafisa ukuphikisana laye ngeke amphendule lakanye emibuzweni eyinkulungwane.
If he shall choose to strive with him, he cannot answer him one thing of a thousand.
4 Ukuhlakanipha kwakhe kujulile, amandla akhe makhulu. Ngubani kambe oke wamelana laye wasinda?
He is wise in heart and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and had peace?
5 Uyazidudula izintaba zona zingazi lutho, azigenqule nxa esezondile.
Who removeth mountains, and they know it not, when he overturneth them in his anger;
6 Uyawunyikinya umhlaba endaweni yawo, axukuxe izinsika zawo.
Who shaketh the earth out of its place, and the pillars thereof tremble;
7 Uyalitshela ilanga ukuba lingakhanyi; asibekele ukukhanya kwezinkanyezi.
Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, and he sealeth up the stars;
8 Nguye kuphela owelula amazulu, ohamba phezu kwamagagasi olwandle.
Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the high waves of the sea;
9 UnguMenzi wezinkanyezi iNgulube leZinja, iSilimela lomthala waseningizimu.
Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south;
10 Wenza imimangaliso engafinyelelekiyo, izimanga ezingelakubalwa.
Who doeth great things past finding out, and wonders without number.
11 Uthi nxa esedlula kimi, ngingamboni; ahambe khonapho ngingezwa lutho.
Lo, he goeth by me, and I see [him] not; and he passeth along, and I perceive him not.
12 Nxa ehluthuna, ngubani ongamalela? Ngubani ongathi kuye, ‘Wenzani wena?’
Behold, he taketh away: who will hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou?
13 UNkulunkulu kalunqandi ulaka lwakhe; labasekeli bakaRahabi besaba bawela ezinyaweni zakhe.
God withdraweth not his anger; the proud helpers stoop under him:
14 Pho mina ngingaphikisana laye njani? Ngingawathatha ngaphi amazwi okujijana laye?
How much less shall I answer him, choose out my words [to strive] with him?
15 Laloba ngingelamlandu, ngeke ngimphendule; ngingancenga uMahluleli wami kuphela ukuthi angihawukele.
Whom, though I were righteous, [yet] would I not answer; I would make supplication to my judge.
16 Lanxa bengingambiza asabele, angikholwa ukuthi ubengangilalela.
If I had called, and he had answered me, I would not believe that he hearkened to my voice, —
17 Ubengangicobodisa ngesiphepho andise amanxeba ami kungelasizatho.
He, who crusheth me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.
18 Ubengasoze angiphe ithuba lokukhokha umoya kodwa ubezahle angincindezele ngosizi.
He suffereth me not to take my breath, for he filleth me with bitternesses.
19 Nxa kungokwamandla, alamandla amakhulu! Nxa kungokokwahlulela ngokulunga, ngubani ongamthonisisa?
Be it a question of strength, lo, [he is] strong; and be it of judgment, who will set me a time?
20 Loba ngingabe ngimsulwa, umlomo wami ubungangilahla; lanxa ngimsulwa wona ubuzakuthi ngilecala.
If I justified myself, mine own mouth would condemn me; were I perfect, he would prove me perverse.
21 Lanxa ngingelacala, angizihluphi ngami; ngiyayeyisa impilo yami.
Were I perfect, [yet] would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
22 Kuyafanana konke; yikho ngisithi, ‘Ubhubhisa bonke abangelacala lababi.’
It is all one; therefore I said, he destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
23 Nxa isifo esibi sibulala ngokuphangisa, uyabahleka abangelacala ngokulahla kwabo ithemba.
If the scourge kill suddenly, he mocketh at the trial of the innocent.
24 Nxa ilizwe liwela ezandleni zababi, wembesa amehlo abahluleli balo. Nxa kungayisuye, pho ngubani?
The earth is given over into the hand of the wicked [man]; he covereth the faces of its judges. If not, who then is it?
25 Amalanga ami alesiqubu esidlula esesithunywa; ayaphapha anyamalale kungela mthonselanyana wokuthokoza.
And my days are swifter than a runner: they flee away, they see no good.
26 Antweza edlule njengezikepe zelala, njengenkozi zisehla zihwitha ezikudlayo.
They pass by like skiffs of reed; as an eagle that swoops upon the prey.
27 Nxa ngingathi, ‘Ngizakubeka eceleni ukusola kwami, ngicitshe ukunyukubala kwami, ngibobotheke,’
If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my [sad] countenance, and brighten up,
28 ngilokhu ngihemahema ngezinhlupho zami, ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi kawuzukungigeza.
I am afraid of all my sorrows; I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
29 Njengoba ngivele sengibekwe icala, ngizazihluphelani ngokulwela ize na?
Be it that I am wicked, why then do I labour in vain?
30 Loba ngingaze ngigeze ngesepa lezandla zami ngesoda yokuhlambulula,
If I washed myself with snow-water, and cleansed my hands in purity,
31 uzavele ungiphosele emgodini olodaka ngize ngenyanywe yizigqoko zami.
Then wouldest thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes would abhor me.
32 Akasumuntu njengami ukuthi ngingamphendula, ukuthi singamisana emthethwandaba.
For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him; that we should come together in judgment.
33 Aluba ubengabakhona osilamulayo, abeke isandla sakhe phezu kwethu sobabili,
There is not an umpire between us, who should lay his hand upon us both.
34 omunye nje ongasusa uswazi lukaNkulunkulu kimi, ukuze ngingatshukunyiswa yikwesaba lokhu.
Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his terror make me afraid,
35 Lapho-ke bengizakhuluma ngingesabi yena, kodwa okwakhathesi kunje, ngeke.”
[Then] I will speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.
