UJakhobe 5
1 Minani-ke lina abanothileyo, khalani lilile ngenxa yenhlupheko zenu ezilehlelayo.
Come now, you rich, howl as you weep over your distresses that are coming upon you!
2 Inotho yenu ibolile, lezembatho zenu zidliwe yinundu;
Your wealth has decayed and your clothes have become moth-eaten.
3 igolide lenu lesiliva kuthombile, lokuthomba kwakho kuzakuba yibufakazi kini, njalo kuzakudla inyama yenu njengomlilo. Lizibekela inotho ensukwini zokuphela.
Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire—you stored it up for the last days.
4 Khangela, umvuzo wezisebenzi ezigunde amasimu enu, ogodlwe yini ngokuqilibezela, uyakhala; lokukhala kwabavuni kungene endlebeni zeNkosi yamabandla.
Look, the wages of the workers who cut your fields, that were unjustly held back by you, cry out, and the loud cries of the reapers have entered the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
5 Libusile ngokuzithokozisa emhlabeni, latamasa; linonise inhliziyo zenu njengosukwini lokuhlatshwa,
You have lived on the earth in self-indulgence and luxury, you fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.
6 lilahlile, labulala olungileyo; kamelananga lani.
You condemned, you murdered the righteous—he offers you no resistance.
7 Ngakho bekezelani, bazalwane, kuze kube sekufikeni kweNkosi. Khangela, umlimi uyalindela isithelo somhlabathi esiligugu, asibekezelele, size sizuze izulu elokuqala lelokucina.
Therefore, brothers, be patient until the coming of the Lord. Consider, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it receives the early and late rain.
8 Lani bekezelani, liqinise inhliziyo zenu, ngoba ukufika kweNkosi kuyasondela.
You also be patient. Keep your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord has approached.
9 Lingasolani, bazalwane, ukuze lingalahlwa; khangela, uMahluleli umi emnyango.
Do not groan against one another, brothers, lest you be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at your doors!
10 Thathani isibonelo sokuhlupheka, bazalwane bami, lesokubekezela, abaprofethi abakhuluma ebizweni leNkosi.
Brothers, take as an example the patient bearing of hardship and the steadfastness of the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 Khangela, sithi babusisiwe ababekezelayo; lizwile ukubekezela kukaJobe, laselibona ukucina kweNkosi, ukuthi iNkosi ilesihawu esikhulu lobubele.
Indeed we count as blessed those who endure—you have heard of the perseverance of Job and have seen the final outcome given by the Lord, that He is very compassionate and merciful.
12 Kodwa phambi kwakho konke, bazalwane bami, lingafungi, loba ngezulu, loba ngomhlaba, loba ngasiphi esinye isifungo; kodwa kakuthi uyebo wenu abe nguyebo, lohatshi nguhatshi; ukuze lingaweli ekulahlweni.
But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or any other oath. Let your “Yes” be “Yes”, and your “No”, “No”, lest you fall into pretense.
13 Kukhona ohluphekayo yini phakathi kwenu? Kakhuleke. Kukhona othokozayo yini? Kahlabele indumiso.
Is anyone among you suffering hardship? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
14 Kukhona ogulayo phakathi kwenu yini? Kabizele kuye abadala bebandla, babesebekhuleka phezu kwakhe, bamgcobe ngamafutha ebizweni leNkosi;
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the congregation, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 lomkhuleko wokholo uzamsindisa ogulayo, leNkosi izamlulamisa; uba-ke enzile izono, uzazithethelelwa.
And the prayer of faith will deliver the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sin, it will be forgiven him.
16 Vumani iziphambeko omunye komunye, likhulekelane, ukuze lisiliswe. Umkhuleko oqinileyo wolungileyo ulamandla kakhulu.
Confess your transgressions to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous one, being operative, is very powerful.
17 UElija wayengumuntu olemizwa efanana leyethu, wasekhuleka lokukhuleka ukuthi lingani; njalo kalinanga emhlabeni okweminyaka emithathu lenyanga eziyisithupha;
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18 wasebuya ekhuleka, lezulu lanika izulu, lomhlaba wathela isithelo sawo.
And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.
19 Bazalwane, uba omunye kini ephambuka eqinisweni, lomunye angambuyisa,
Brothers, if anyone among you should wander away from the truth, and someone should turn him back,
20 yazi ukuthi obuyise isoni ekuduheni kwendlela yaso uzasindisa umphefumulo ekufeni, asibekele inkithinkithi yezono.
let him know that the one who turns a sinner back from the error of his way will deliver a soul from death and will remove from sight a multitude of sins.
