UJobe 14
1 Umuntu, ozelwe ngowesifazana ulensuku ezimfitshane, ezigcwele inhlupheko.
Life is short and full of trouble,
2 Uyavela njengeluba, abune, abaleke njengesithunzi, akemi.
like a flower that blooms and withers, like a passing shadow that soon disappears.
3 Kambe onjalo umvulela amehlo akho, ungingenise ekwahlulelweni kanye lawe.
Do you even notice me, God, and why do you have to drag me to court?
4 Ngubani ongaveza okuhlambulukileyo kokungcolileyo? Kakho loyedwa.
Who can bring something clean of what is unclean? No one.
5 Lokhu insuku zakhe zimisiwe, inani lenyanga zakhe likuwe, ummisele imingcele yakhe angeyedlule;
You have determined how long we shall live—the number of months, a time limit on our lives.
6 ungamkhangeli, ukuze aphumule, aze athokoze ngosuku lwakhe njengesiqatshwa.
So leave us alone and give us some peace—so like a laborer we could enjoy a few hours of rest at the end of the day.
7 Ngoba kukhona ithemba esihlahleni uba siganyulwa ukuthi sizabuya sihlume, lokuthi ihlumela laso kaliyikuphela.
Even a tree that's cut down has the hope of sprouting again, of sending up shoots and continuing to live.
8 Lanxa impande yaso isiba ndala emhlabeni, lesiphunzi saso sifele emhlabathini,
Even though its roots grow old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,
9 ngephunga lamanzi sizahluma, senze ingatsha njengesithombo.
just a trickle of water will make it bud and grow branches like a young plant.
10 Kodwa umuntu uyafa alaliswe phansi, yebo, umuntu uyaphela, ungaphi-ke?
But human beings die, their strength dwindles away; they perish, and where are they then?
11 Amanzi ayemuka elwandle, lomfula uyoma utshe,
Like water evaporating from a lake and a river that dries up and disappears,
12 ngokunjalo umuntu uyalala phansi angavuki; kuze kuthi amazulu angabikho, bangavuki, kumbe bangaphatshanyiswa ebuthongweni babo.
so human beings lie down and don't get up again. Until the heavens cease to exist they will not awake from their sleep.
13 Kungathi ungangifihla engcwabeni, ungithukuze, ize iphenduke intukuthelo yakho, ungimisele isikhathi esimisiweyo, ungikhumbule! (Sheol h7585)
I wish you would hide me in Sheol; conceal me there until your anger is gone. Set a definite time for me there, and remember me! (Sheol h7585)
14 Uba umuntu esifa, uzabuya aphile yini? Zonke insuku zemfazo yami ngizalinda, kuze kufike ukukhululwa kwami.
Will the dead live again? Then I would have hope through all my time of trouble until my release comes.
15 Uzabiza, mina-ke ngizasabela, uzalangatha umsebenzi wezandla zakho.
You would call and I would answer you; you would long for me, the being that you made.
16 Kanti khathesi uyazibala izinyathelo zami; kawuyikuqaphelisa ngesono sami yini?
Then you would look after me and wouldn't be watching me to see if I sinned.
17 Isiphambeko sami sinanyekwe esikhwameni, wasusibekela isono sami.
My sins would be sealed up in a bag and you would cover my guilt.
18 Isibili-ke intaba ewayo iyabhidlika, ledwala liyasuswa endaweni yalo.
But just as the mountains crumble and fall, and the rocks tumble down;
19 Amanzi ayaguguda amatshe, impophoma zawo ziyakhukhula ubhuqu lomhlaba. Uyachitha-ke ithemba lomuntu.
as water wears away the stones, as floods wash away the soil, so you destroy the hope people have.
20 Uyamehlula phakade, adlule; uyaguqula ubuso bakhe, umxotshe.
You continually overpower them and they pass away; you distort their faces in death and send them away.
21 Amadodana akhe ayadunyiswa, kodwa engakwazi; kumbe ayehliselwa phansi, kodwa angakunanzeleli.
Their children may become important or fall from their positions, but they don't know or see any of this.
22 Kodwa inyama yakhe kuye isebuhlungwini, lomphefumulo wakhe kuye uyalila.
As people die they only know their own pain and are sad for themselves.”
