UJobe 9
1 Wasephendula uJobe wathi:
Job replied,
2 “Ngeqiniso ngiyazi ukuthi lokhu kuliqiniso. Kodwa umuntu wenyama angalunga yini kuNkulunkulu?
“Yes, I know all that! But how can anyone be right before God?
3 Loba umuntu ubengafisa ukuphikisana laye ngeke amphendule lakanye emibuzweni eyinkulungwane.
If you wanted to argue with God, God could ask a thousand questions that no-one could answer.
4 Ukuhlakanipha kwakhe kujulile, amandla akhe makhulu. Ngubani kambe oke wamelana laye wasinda?
God is so wise and so powerful that no-one could challenge him and win.
5 Uyazidudula izintaba zona zingazi lutho, azigenqule nxa esezondile.
God moves the mountains suddenly; he overturns them in his anger.
6 Uyawunyikinya umhlaba endaweni yawo, axukuxe izinsika zawo.
He shakes the earth, making its foundations quake.
7 Uyalitshela ilanga ukuba lingakhanyi; asibekele ukukhanya kwezinkanyezi.
He is the one who can command the sun not to rise and the stars not to shine.
8 Nguye kuphela owelula amazulu, ohamba phezu kwamagagasi olwandle.
He alone is the one who stretches out the heavens and walks on the waves of the sea.
9 UnguMenzi wezinkanyezi iNgulube leZinja, iSilimela lomthala waseningizimu.
He made the constellations of the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the stars of the southern sky.
10 Wenza imimangaliso engafinyelelekiyo, izimanga ezingelakubalwa.
He is the one who does incredible things that are beyond our understanding, marvelous things that are uncountable.
11 Uthi nxa esedlula kimi, ngingamboni; ahambe khonapho ngingezwa lutho.
But when he passes by me, I don't see him; when he moves on, he is invisible to me.
12 Nxa ehluthuna, ngubani ongamalela? Ngubani ongathi kuye, ‘Wenzani wena?’
If he takes away, who can prevent him? Who is going to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 UNkulunkulu kalunqandi ulaka lwakhe; labasekeli bakaRahabi besaba bawela ezinyaweni zakhe.
God does not restrain his anger; he crushes Rahab's helpers underfoot.
14 Pho mina ngingaphikisana laye njani? Ngingawathatha ngaphi amazwi okujijana laye?
So how much less could I answer God, or choose my words to argue with him!
15 Laloba ngingelamlandu, ngeke ngimphendule; ngingancenga uMahluleli wami kuphela ukuthi angihawukele.
Even though I'm right, I can't answer him. I must plead for mercy from my judge.
16 Lanxa bengingambiza asabele, angikholwa ukuthi ubengangilalela.
Even if I called him to come and he responded, I don't believe he would listen to me.
17 Ubengangicobodisa ngesiphepho andise amanxeba ami kungelasizatho.
He pounds me with the winds of a storm; he wounds me time and again, without giving a reason.
18 Ubengasoze angiphe ithuba lokukhokha umoya kodwa ubezahle angincindezele ngosizi.
He doesn't give me a chance even to catch my breath; instead he fills my life with bitter suffering.
19 Nxa kungokwamandla, alamandla amakhulu! Nxa kungokokwahlulela ngokulunga, ngubani ongamthonisisa?
If it's a question of strength, then God is the strongest. If it's a question of justice, then who will set a time for my case?
20 Loba ngingabe ngimsulwa, umlomo wami ubungangilahla; lanxa ngimsulwa wona ubuzakuthi ngilecala.
Even though I am right, my own mouth would condemn me; even though I am innocent, he would prove me wrong.
21 Lanxa ngingelacala, angizihluphi ngami; ngiyayeyisa impilo yami.
I am innocent! I don't care what happens to me. I hate my life!
22 Kuyafanana konke; yikho ngisithi, ‘Ubhubhisa bonke abangelacala lababi.’
That's why I say, ‘It makes no difference to God. He destroys both the innocent and the wicked.’
23 Nxa isifo esibi sibulala ngokuphangisa, uyabahleka abangelacala ngokulahla kwabo ithemba.
When disaster strikes suddenly he mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 Nxa ilizwe liwela ezandleni zababi, wembesa amehlo abahluleli balo. Nxa kungayisuye, pho ngubani?
The earth has been handed over to the wicked; he blinds the eyes of the judges—if it's not him who does this, then who is it?
25 Amalanga ami alesiqubu esidlula esesithunywa; ayaphapha anyamalale kungela mthonselanyana wokuthokoza.
The days of my life race by like a runner, rushing past without me seeing any happiness.
26 Antweza edlule njengezikepe zelala, njengenkozi zisehla zihwitha ezikudlayo.
They pass by like fast sailing ships, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 Nxa ngingathi, ‘Ngizakubeka eceleni ukusola kwami, ngicitshe ukunyukubala kwami, ngibobotheke,’
If I said to myself, ‘I will forget my complaints; I will stop crying and be happy,’
28 ngilokhu ngihemahema ngezinhlupho zami, ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi kawuzukungigeza.
I would still be terrified at all my suffering because you, God, will not say I'm innocent.
29 Njengoba ngivele sengibekwe icala, ngizazihluphelani ngokulwela ize na?
Since I'm condemned, what's the point in arguing?
30 Loba ngingaze ngigeze ngesepa lezandla zami ngesoda yokuhlambulula,
Even if I wash myself with pure mountain water and clean my hands with soap,
31 uzavele ungiphosele emgodini olodaka ngize ngenyanywe yizigqoko zami.
you would toss me into a slime pit so that even my own clothes would hate me!
32 Akasumuntu njengami ukuthi ngingamphendula, ukuthi singamisana emthethwandaba.
For God is not a mortal being like me, I can't defend myself or take him to court.
33 Aluba ubengabakhona osilamulayo, abeke isandla sakhe phezu kwethu sobabili,
If only there was an arbitrator who could bring us both together!
34 omunye nje ongasusa uswazi lukaNkulunkulu kimi, ukuze ngingatshukunyiswa yikwesaba lokhu.
I wish God would stop beating me with his rod and terrifying me!
35 Lapho-ke bengizakhuluma ngingesabi yena, kodwa okwakhathesi kunje, ngeke.”
Then I could speak up without being afraid—but since I am, I can't!”
