UJobe 9
1 Wasephendula uJobe wathi:
Then answered Job, and said,
2 “Ngeqiniso ngiyazi ukuthi lokhu kuliqiniso. Kodwa umuntu wenyama angalunga yini kuNkulunkulu?
Truly I know that it is so: and how could a mortal be righteous before God?
3 Loba umuntu ubengafisa ukuphikisana laye ngeke amphendule lakanye emibuzweni eyinkulungwane.
If he were desirous to enter into a contest with him, he could not give him one answer out of a thousand.
4 Ukuhlakanipha kwakhe kujulile, amandla akhe makhulu. Ngubani kambe oke wamelana laye wasinda?
He is wise of heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and escaped unscathed?
5 Uyazidudula izintaba zona zingazi lutho, azigenqule nxa esezondile.
[He it is] who removeth mountains, and they know it not, yea, when he overturneth them in his anger;
6 Uyawunyikinya umhlaba endaweni yawo, axukuxe izinsika zawo.
Who shaketh the earth loose out of her place, that her pillars tremble;
7 Uyalitshela ilanga ukuba lingakhanyi; asibekele ukukhanya kwezinkanyezi.
Who speaketh to the sun, and he shineth not, and around the stars he placeth a seal;
8 Nguye kuphela owelula amazulu, ohamba phezu kwamagagasi olwandle.
Who spread out the heavens by himself alone, and treadeth upon the hillocks of the sea;
9 UnguMenzi wezinkanyezi iNgulube leZinja, iSilimela lomthala waseningizimu.
Who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers the south;
10 Wenza imimangaliso engafinyelelekiyo, izimanga ezingelakubalwa.
Who doth great things which are quite unsearchable, and wonders which are quite without number.
11 Uthi nxa esedlula kimi, ngingamboni; ahambe khonapho ngingezwa lutho.
Lo, were he to go past by me, I should not see him; and were he to pass along, I should not perceive him.
12 Nxa ehluthuna, ngubani ongamalela? Ngubani ongathi kuye, ‘Wenzani wena?’
Behold, were he to snatch aught away, who could hold him back? who would say unto him, What dost thou?
13 UNkulunkulu kalunqandi ulaka lwakhe; labasekeli bakaRahabi besaba bawela ezinyaweni zakhe.
God will not withdraw his anger: beneath him sink down the helpers of the proud.
14 Pho mina ngingaphikisana laye njani? Ngingawathatha ngaphi amazwi okujijana laye?
How much less then could I answer him, and select my words [to contend] with him?
15 Laloba ngingelamlandu, ngeke ngimphendule; ngingancenga uMahluleli wami kuphela ukuthi angihawukele.
Whom, were I even righteous, I could not answer? to him that condemneth me I could [only] make supplication.
16 Lanxa bengingambiza asabele, angikholwa ukuthi ubengangilalela.
Or were I to call, and he would answer me, I could yet not believe that he would give ear unto my voice—
17 Ubengangicobodisa ngesiphepho andise amanxeba ami kungelasizatho.
He that bruiseth me with [his] tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without a cause.
18 Ubengasoze angiphe ithuba lokukhokha umoya kodwa ubezahle angincindezele ngosizi.
He suffereth me not to recover my breath; but feedeth me overmuch with bitter things.
19 Nxa kungokwamandla, alamandla amakhulu! Nxa kungokokwahlulela ngokulunga, ngubani ongamthonisisa?
If it regard strength, lo, he is the powerful; and if justice, who will cite him for me to appear?
20 Loba ngingabe ngimsulwa, umlomo wami ubungangilahla; lanxa ngimsulwa wona ubuzakuthi ngilecala.
If I were righteous even, my own mouth would condemn me: were I innocent, it would still prove me perverse.
21 Lanxa ngingelacala, angizihluphi ngami; ngiyayeyisa impilo yami.
I am innocent; I will not have regard for myself: I will despise my life.
22 Kuyafanana konke; yikho ngisithi, ‘Ubhubhisa bonke abangelacala lababi.’
One thing is [certain], therefore have I said it, The innocent and the wicked he bringeth to their end.
23 Nxa isifo esibi sibulala ngokuphangisa, uyabahleka abangelacala ngokulahla kwabo ithemba.
If a scourge should slay suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the guiltless.
24 Nxa ilizwe liwela ezandleni zababi, wembesa amehlo abahluleli balo. Nxa kungayisuye, pho ngubani?
Is a land given up into the hand of the wicked? he covereth the faces of its judges: if this be not the truth, who is it then?
25 Amalanga ami alesiqubu esidlula esesithunywa; ayaphapha anyamalale kungela mthonselanyana wokuthokoza.
And my days pass swifter than a runner: they flee away, they see no happiness,
26 Antweza edlule njengezikepe zelala, njengenkozi zisehla zihwitha ezikudlayo.
They hasten along like pirate ships: like the eagle that stoopeth down upon his food.
27 Nxa ngingathi, ‘Ngizakubeka eceleni ukusola kwami, ngicitshe ukunyukubala kwami, ngibobotheke,’
If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sorrowful countenance, and recover my cheerfulness:
28 ngilokhu ngihemahema ngezinhlupho zami, ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi kawuzukungigeza.
O then would I be in dread of all my pains; I know that thou wilt not declare me innocent.
29 Njengoba ngivele sengibekwe icala, ngizazihluphelani ngokulwela ize na?
I must ever be guilty: why then should I fatigue myself for nought?
30 Loba ngingaze ngigeze ngesepa lezandla zami ngesoda yokuhlambulula,
If I were to wash myself in snow-water, to cleanse myself in the purity of my hands:
31 uzavele ungiphosele emgodini olodaka ngize ngenyanywe yizigqoko zami.
Even then wouldst thou plunge me in the ditch, that my own clothes would render me abhorred.
32 Akasumuntu njengami ukuthi ngingamphendula, ukuthi singamisana emthethwandaba.
For he is not a man, like me, that I could answer him, that we should enter together into a contest.
33 Aluba ubengabakhona osilamulayo, abeke isandla sakhe phezu kwethu sobabili,
There is no one who can decide between us, who could lay his hand upon us both.
34 omunye nje ongasusa uswazi lukaNkulunkulu kimi, ukuze ngingatshukunyiswa yikwesaba lokhu.
Let him but remove from me his rod, and let not his dread terrify me:
35 Lapho-ke bengizakhuluma ngingesabi yena, kodwa okwakhathesi kunje, ngeke.”
Then would I speak, and not fear him; for the like I feel not within me.
