UJobe 15
1 Wasephendula uElifazi umThemani wathi:
Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,
2 Ohlakaniphileyo angaphendula yini ulwazi olungumoya, agcwalise isisu sakhe ngomoya wempumalanga?
Should a wise man utter windy knowledge, and fill his inward parts with the east wind?
3 Aphikise ngamazwi angasizi lutho, langenkulumo ezingelanzuzo yini?
Should he reason with a speech which availeth nothing? and with words in which there is no profit?
4 Yebo, wena uyachitha ukwesaba, uvimbela umkhuleko phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
Yea, thou truly makest void the fear [of God], and diminishest devotion before God.
5 Ngoba umlomo wakho ufundisa ububi bakho, ukhethe ulimi lwamaqili.
For thy iniquity teacheth thy mouth, so that thou choosest the language of the crafty.
6 Umlomo wakho uyakulahla, kayisimi; yebo, indebe zakho ziyafakaza ngawe.
Thy own mouth must condemn thee, but not I: yea, thy own lips will testify against thee.
7 Ungumuntu wokuqala owazalwayo yini? Kumbe wazalwa mandulo kwamaqaqa yini?
Wast thou born as the first man? or wast thou brought forth before the hills?
8 Uzwile yini icebo langasese likaNkulunkulu? Kumbe uzigodlele inhlakanipho yini?
Hast thou listened to the secret counsel of God? and is wisdom therefore of little esteem with thee?
9 Kuyini okwaziyo esingakwaziyo? Kuyini okuqedisisayo okungekho kithi?
What knowest thou, that we do not know? what understandest thou, which is not with us?
10 Kukhona phakathi kwethu lempunga lekhehla, omdala ngensuku kuloyihlo.
Both the grayheaded and the very aged are among us, — richer than thy father in days.
11 Zincinyane yini kuwe induduzo zikaNkulunkulu, lelizwi elikhulunywa kuhle lawe?
Are the divine consolations too little for thee? and the word that was so mild with thee?
12 Kungani inhliziyo yakho ikumukisa? Njalo kungani amehlo akho ephayiza,
Whither doth thy heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes gaze at?
13 ukuthi uphendule umoya wakho umelane loNkulunkulu, ukhuphe amazwi anje emlonyeni wakho?
That thou shouldst turn against God thy spirit, and utter [such] words out of thy mouth?
14 Umuntu uyini ukuthi abe ngohlambulukileyo, lozelwe ngowesifazana ukuthi abe ngolungileyo?
What is man, that he should be pure? and that he who is born of woman should be declared righteous?
15 Khangela, kathembeli kwabangcwele bakhe, lamazulu kawahlambulukanga emehlweni akhe.
Behold, in his holy ones he putteth no trust; and the heavens are not pure in his eyes:
16 Kukangakanani umuntu onengekayo lowonakeleyo, onatha ububi njengamanzi!
How much more then the abominable and corrupt, the man who drinketh like water wrong-doing?
17 Ngizakutshengisa, ungilalele, lengikubonileyo ngizakulandisa,
I will instruct thee, hear me; and what I have seen will I relate;
18 lokho izihlakaniphi ezikukhulumileyo kusukela kuboyise, njalo kazikufihlanga,
Which wise men have ever told, and have not concealed, as they obtained it from their fathers;
19 okwanikwa kuzo zodwa ilizwe, lokungadlulanga izihambi phakathi kwazo.
Unto whom alone the earth was given, and into whose midst no stranger ever entered.
20 Insuku zonke zokhohlakeleyo uzizwisa ubuhlungu, lenani leminyaka ebekelelwe umcindezeli.
All his days is the wicked plagued with pain, and the number of years which are laid by for the tyrant.
21 Umsindo wezethuso usendlebeni zakhe; empumelelweni umchithi uzamfikela.
A sound of terrors is in his ears: during peace will the waster come over him.
22 Kakholwa ukuthi uzaphenduka emnyameni, kodwa ukuthi ulindelwe yinkemba.
He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is looked for by the sword.
23 Uzulela ukudla. Kungaphi? Uyazi ukuthi usuku lobumnyama lulungisiwe esandleni sakhe.
He wandereth abroad for bread, [saying, ] Where is it? he knoweth that there is ready at his hand the day of darkness.
24 Uhlupho losizi kuyamethusa, kumehlule njengenkosi elungele impi.
Distress and anguish terrify him: they assail him with might, as a king prepared for the battle.
25 Ngoba welule isandla sakhe emelene loNkulunkulu, wenza ngamandla ukumelana loSomandla.
Because he had stretched out against God his hand, and strengthened himself against the Almighty;
26 Wagijima emelene laye ngentamo, ngohlonzi lwamaqhubu ezihlangu zakhe.
[And] he had run against him, with an [extended] neck, with the thick roundings of his bucklers;
27 Ngoba wambomboza ubuso bakhe ngamafutha akhe, wenza ukhalo lwakhukhumala ngamafutha.
Because he had covered his face with his fat, and had made thick folds of fat on his flanks;
28 Uhlala emizini echithekileyo, izindlu abangahlali kuzo, ezilungele ukuba zinqumbi.
And he dwelt in abandoned cities, in houses which none inhabited, which were destined to be ruinous heaps.
29 Kayikunotha, lenotho yakhe kayiyikuma, lenzuzo yakhe kayiyikusabalala emhlabeni.
[Yet] will he not remain rich, neither will his wealth endure, nor will he attain their perfection on earth.
30 Kayikusuka emnyameni; ilangabi lizakomisa ihlumela lakhe, njalo uzasuka ngokuphefumula komoya wakhe.
He will never depart out of darkness: the flame shall dry up his shoots, and he will depart by the breath of God's mouth.
31 Oduhisiweyo kangathembeli ezenini, ngoba ize lizakuba ngumvuzo wakhe.
Let him that goeth astray not trust in vanity; for vanity will be what he obtaineth thereby.
32 Kuzafezwa kungakabi lusuku lwakhe, logatsha lwakhe aluyikuba luhlaza.
Even before his time will it be overfull, and his branches will not be green.
33 Uzawohloza izithelo zakhe ezingavuthwanga njengevini, athintithe impoko zakhe njengesihlahla somhlwathi.
He will shake off like the vine his unripe grapes, and cast off like the olive his blossoms.
34 Ngoba inhlangano yabazenzisi izakuba ngengelazithelo, lomlilo uzaqothula amathente ezivalamlomo.
For the assembly of hypocrites will remain desolate, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
35 Bamitha uhlupho, bazale isono, lesizalo sabo silungisa inkohliso.
They conceive trouble, and bring forth wrong-doing, and their body prepareth deceit.
