UJobe 15
1 Wasephendula uElifazi umThemani wathi:
And Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said,
2 Ohlakaniphileyo angaphendula yini ulwazi olungumoya, agcwalise isisu sakhe ngomoya wempumalanga?
Will a wise man make answer with knowledge of no value, or will he give birth to the east wind?
3 Aphikise ngamazwi angasizi lutho, langenkulumo ezingelanzuzo yini?
Will he make arguments with words in which is no profit, and with sayings which have no value?
4 Yebo, wena uyachitha ukwesaba, uvimbela umkhuleko phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
Truly, you make the fear of God without effect, so that the time of quiet worship before God is made less by your outcry.
5 Ngoba umlomo wakho ufundisa ububi bakho, ukhethe ulimi lwamaqili.
For your mouth is guided by your sin, and you have taken the tongue of the false for yourself.
6 Umlomo wakho uyakulahla, kayisimi; yebo, indebe zakho ziyafakaza ngawe.
It is by your mouth, even yours, that you are judged to be in the wrong, and not by me; and your lips give witness against you.
7 Ungumuntu wokuqala owazalwayo yini? Kumbe wazalwa mandulo kwamaqaqa yini?
Were you the first man to come into the world? or did you come into being before the hills?
8 Uzwile yini icebo langasese likaNkulunkulu? Kumbe uzigodlele inhlakanipho yini?
Were you present at the secret meeting of God? and have you taken all wisdom for yourself?
9 Kuyini okwaziyo esingakwaziyo? Kuyini okuqedisisayo okungekho kithi?
What knowledge have you which we have not? is there anything in your mind which is not in ours?
10 Kukhona phakathi kwethu lempunga lekhehla, omdala ngensuku kuloyihlo.
With us are men who are grey-haired and full of years, much older than your father.
11 Zincinyane yini kuwe induduzo zikaNkulunkulu, lelizwi elikhulunywa kuhle lawe?
Are the comforts of God not enough for you, and the gentle word which was said to you?
12 Kungani inhliziyo yakho ikumukisa? Njalo kungani amehlo akho ephayiza,
Why is your heart uncontrolled, and why are your eyes lifted up;
13 ukuthi uphendule umoya wakho umelane loNkulunkulu, ukhuphe amazwi anje emlonyeni wakho?
So that you are turning your spirit against God, and letting such words go out of your mouth?
14 Umuntu uyini ukuthi abe ngohlambulukileyo, lozelwe ngowesifazana ukuthi abe ngolungileyo?
What is man, that he may be clean? and how may the son of woman be upright?
15 Khangela, kathembeli kwabangcwele bakhe, lamazulu kawahlambulukanga emehlweni akhe.
Truly, he puts no faith in his holy ones, and the heavens are not clean in his eyes;
16 Kukangakanani umuntu onengekayo lowonakeleyo, onatha ububi njengamanzi!
How much less one who is disgusting and unclean, a man who takes in evil like water!
17 Ngizakutshengisa, ungilalele, lengikubonileyo ngizakulandisa,
Take note and give ear to my words; and I will say what I have seen:
18 lokho izihlakaniphi ezikukhulumileyo kusukela kuboyise, njalo kazikufihlanga,
(The things which wise men have got from their fathers, and have not kept secret from us;
19 okwanikwa kuzo zodwa ilizwe, lokungadlulanga izihambi phakathi kwazo.
For only to them was the land given, and no strange people were among them: )
20 Insuku zonke zokhohlakeleyo uzizwisa ubuhlungu, lenani leminyaka ebekelelwe umcindezeli.
The evil man is in pain all his days, and the number of the years stored up for the cruel is small.
21 Umsindo wezethuso usendlebeni zakhe; empumelelweni umchithi uzamfikela.
A sound of fear is in his ears; in time of peace destruction will come on him:
22 Kakholwa ukuthi uzaphenduka emnyameni, kodwa ukuthi ulindelwe yinkemba.
He has no hope of coming safe out of the dark, and his fate will be the sword;
23 Uzulela ukudla. Kungaphi? Uyazi ukuthi usuku lobumnyama lulungisiwe esandleni sakhe.
He is wandering about in search of bread, saying, Where is it? and he is certain that the day of trouble is ready for him:
24 Uhlupho losizi kuyamethusa, kumehlule njengenkosi elungele impi.
He is greatly in fear of the dark day, trouble and pain overcome him:
25 Ngoba welule isandla sakhe emelene loNkulunkulu, wenza ngamandla ukumelana loSomandla.
Because his hand is stretched out against God, and his heart is lifted up against the Ruler of all,
26 Wagijima emelene laye ngentamo, ngohlonzi lwamaqhubu ezihlangu zakhe.
Running against him like a man of war, covered by his thick breastplate; even like a king ready for the fight,
27 Ngoba wambomboza ubuso bakhe ngamafutha akhe, wenza ukhalo lwakhukhumala ngamafutha.
Because his face is covered with fat, and his body has become thick;
28 Uhlala emizini echithekileyo, izindlu abangahlali kuzo, ezilungele ukuba zinqumbi.
And he has made his resting-place in the towns which have been pulled down, in houses where no man had a right to be, whose fate was to become masses of broken walls.
29 Kayikunotha, lenotho yakhe kayiyikuma, lenzuzo yakhe kayiyikusabalala emhlabeni.
He does not get wealth for himself, and is unable to keep what he has got; the heads of his grain are not bent down to the earth.
30 Kayikusuka emnyameni; ilangabi lizakomisa ihlumela lakhe, njalo uzasuka ngokuphefumula komoya wakhe.
He does not come out of the dark; his branches are burned by the flame, and the wind takes away his bud.
31 Oduhisiweyo kangathembeli ezenini, ngoba ize lizakuba ngumvuzo wakhe.
Let him not put his hope in what is false, falling into error: for he will get deceit as his reward.
32 Kuzafezwa kungakabi lusuku lwakhe, logatsha lwakhe aluyikuba luhlaza.
His branch is cut off before its time, and his leaf is no longer green.
33 Uzawohloza izithelo zakhe ezingavuthwanga njengevini, athintithe impoko zakhe njengesihlahla somhlwathi.
He is like a vine whose grapes do not come to full growth, or an olive-tree dropping its flowers.
34 Ngoba inhlangano yabazenzisi izakuba ngengelazithelo, lomlilo uzaqothula amathente ezivalamlomo.
For the band of the evil-doers gives no fruit, and the tents of those who give wrong decisions for reward are burned with fire.
35 Bamitha uhlupho, bazale isono, lesizalo sabo silungisa inkohliso.
Evil has made them with child, and they give birth to trouble; and the fruit of their body is shame for themselves.
