UJobe 15
1 Wasephendula uElifazi umThemani wathi:
And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 Ohlakaniphileyo angaphendula yini ulwazi olungumoya, agcwalise isisu sakhe ngomoya wempumalanga?
Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind,
3 Aphikise ngamazwi angasizi lutho, langenkulumo ezingelanzuzo yini?
Reasoning with unprofitable talk, and with speeches which do no good?
4 Yebo, wena uyachitha ukwesaba, uvimbela umkhuleko phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
Yea, thou makest piety of none effect, and restrainest meditation before God.
5 Ngoba umlomo wakho ufundisa ububi bakho, ukhethe ulimi lwamaqili.
For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou hast chosen the tongue of the crafty.
6 Umlomo wakho uyakulahla, kayisimi; yebo, indebe zakho ziyafakaza ngawe.
Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; and thy lips testify against thee.
7 Ungumuntu wokuqala owazalwayo yini? Kumbe wazalwa mandulo kwamaqaqa yini?
Art thou the first man that was born? and wast thou brought forth before the hills?
8 Uzwile yini icebo langasese likaNkulunkulu? Kumbe uzigodlele inhlakanipho yini?
Hast thou listened in the secret council of God? And hast thou absorbed wisdom for thyself?
9 Kuyini okwaziyo esingakwaziyo? Kuyini okuqedisisayo okungekho kithi?
What knowest thou that we know not? [what] understandest thou which is not in us?
10 Kukhona phakathi kwethu lempunga lekhehla, omdala ngensuku kuloyihlo.
Both the greyheaded and the aged are with us, older than thy father.
11 Zincinyane yini kuwe induduzo zikaNkulunkulu, lelizwi elikhulunywa kuhle lawe?
Are the consolations of God too small for thee? and the word gently spoken to thee?
12 Kungani inhliziyo yakho ikumukisa? Njalo kungani amehlo akho ephayiza,
Why doth thy heart carry thee away? and why do thine eyes wink?
13 ukuthi uphendule umoya wakho umelane loNkulunkulu, ukhuphe amazwi anje emlonyeni wakho?
That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest words go out of thy mouth?
14 Umuntu uyini ukuthi abe ngohlambulukileyo, lozelwe ngowesifazana ukuthi abe ngolungileyo?
What is man, that he should be pure? and he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 Khangela, kathembeli kwabangcwele bakhe, lamazulu kawahlambulukanga emehlweni akhe.
Behold, he putteth no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight:
16 Kukangakanani umuntu onengekayo lowonakeleyo, onatha ububi njengamanzi!
How much less the abominable and corrupt, — man, that drinketh unrighteousness like water!
17 Ngizakutshengisa, ungilalele, lengikubonileyo ngizakulandisa,
I will shew thee, listen to me; and what I have seen I will declare;
18 lokho izihlakaniphi ezikukhulumileyo kusukela kuboyise, njalo kazikufihlanga,
Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hidden;
19 okwanikwa kuzo zodwa ilizwe, lokungadlulanga izihambi phakathi kwazo.
Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.
20 Insuku zonke zokhohlakeleyo uzizwisa ubuhlungu, lenani leminyaka ebekelelwe umcindezeli.
All his days the wicked man is tormented, and numbered years are allotted to the violent.
21 Umsindo wezethuso usendlebeni zakhe; empumelelweni umchithi uzamfikela.
The sound of terrors is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer cometh upon him.
22 Kakholwa ukuthi uzaphenduka emnyameni, kodwa ukuthi ulindelwe yinkemba.
He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is singled out for the sword.
23 Uzulela ukudla. Kungaphi? Uyazi ukuthi usuku lobumnyama lulungisiwe esandleni sakhe.
He wandereth abroad for bread, — where may it be? He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Uhlupho losizi kuyamethusa, kumehlule njengenkosi elungele impi.
Distress and anguish make him afraid; they prevail against him, as a king ready for the battle.
25 Ngoba welule isandla sakhe emelene loNkulunkulu, wenza ngamandla ukumelana loSomandla.
For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and strengthened himself against the Almighty:
26 Wagijima emelene laye ngentamo, ngohlonzi lwamaqhubu ezihlangu zakhe.
He runneth against him, with [outstretched] neck, with the thick bosses of his bucklers;
27 Ngoba wambomboza ubuso bakhe ngamafutha akhe, wenza ukhalo lwakhukhumala ngamafutha.
For he hath covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat upon [his] flanks.
28 Uhlala emizini echithekileyo, izindlu abangahlali kuzo, ezilungele ukuba zinqumbi.
And he dwelleth in desolate cities, in houses that no man inhabiteth, which are destined to become heaps.
29 Kayikunotha, lenotho yakhe kayiyikuma, lenzuzo yakhe kayiyikusabalala emhlabeni.
He shall not become rich, neither shall his substance continue, and their possessions shall not extend upon the earth.
30 Kayikusuka emnyameni; ilangabi lizakomisa ihlumela lakhe, njalo uzasuka ngokuphefumula komoya wakhe.
He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches; and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.
31 Oduhisiweyo kangathembeli ezenini, ngoba ize lizakuba ngumvuzo wakhe.
Let him not trust in vanity: he is deceived, for vanity shall be his recompense;
32 Kuzafezwa kungakabi lusuku lwakhe, logatsha lwakhe aluyikuba luhlaza.
It shall be complete before his day, and his branch shall not be green.
33 Uzawohloza izithelo zakhe ezingavuthwanga njengevini, athintithe impoko zakhe njengesihlahla somhlwathi.
He shall shake off his unripe grapes as a vine, and shall cast his flower as an olive.
34 Ngoba inhlangano yabazenzisi izakuba ngengelazithelo, lomlilo uzaqothula amathente ezivalamlomo.
For the family of the ungodly shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
35 Bamitha uhlupho, bazale isono, lesizalo sabo silungisa inkohliso.
They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
