UJobe 15
1 Wasephendula uElifazi umThemani wathi:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 Ohlakaniphileyo angaphendula yini ulwazi olungumoya, agcwalise isisu sakhe ngomoya wempumalanga?
“Should a wise man answer with useless knowledge and fill himself with the east wind?
3 Aphikise ngamazwi angasizi lutho, langenkulumo ezingelanzuzo yini?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk or with speeches with which he can do no good?
4 Yebo, wena uyachitha ukwesaba, uvimbela umkhuleko phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
Indeed, you diminish respect for God; you obstruct devotion to him,
5 Ngoba umlomo wakho ufundisa ububi bakho, ukhethe ulimi lwamaqili.
for your iniquity teaches your mouth; you choose to have the tongue of a crafty man.
6 Umlomo wakho uyakulahla, kayisimi; yebo, indebe zakho ziyafakaza ngawe.
Your own mouth condemns you, not mine; indeed, your own lips testify against you.
7 Ungumuntu wokuqala owazalwayo yini? Kumbe wazalwa mandulo kwamaqaqa yini?
Are you the first man that was born? Were you brought into existence before the hills?
8 Uzwile yini icebo langasese likaNkulunkulu? Kumbe uzigodlele inhlakanipho yini?
Have you heard the secret knowledge of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 Kuyini okwaziyo esingakwaziyo? Kuyini okuqedisisayo okungekho kithi?
What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not also in us?
10 Kukhona phakathi kwethu lempunga lekhehla, omdala ngensuku kuloyihlo.
With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men who are much older than your father.
11 Zincinyane yini kuwe induduzo zikaNkulunkulu, lelizwi elikhulunywa kuhle lawe?
Are the consolations of God too small for you, the words that are gentle toward you?
12 Kungani inhliziyo yakho ikumukisa? Njalo kungani amehlo akho ephayiza,
Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
13 ukuthi uphendule umoya wakho umelane loNkulunkulu, ukhuphe amazwi anje emlonyeni wakho?
so that you turn your spirit against God and bring out such words from your mouth?
14 Umuntu uyini ukuthi abe ngohlambulukileyo, lozelwe ngowesifazana ukuthi abe ngolungileyo?
What is man that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman that he should be righteous?
15 Khangela, kathembeli kwabangcwele bakhe, lamazulu kawahlambulukanga emehlweni akhe.
See, God puts no trust even in his holy ones; indeed, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
16 Kukangakanani umuntu onengekayo lowonakeleyo, onatha ububi njengamanzi!
how much less clean is one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
17 Ngizakutshengisa, ungilalele, lengikubonileyo ngizakulandisa,
I will show you; listen to me; I will announce to you the things I have seen,
18 lokho izihlakaniphi ezikukhulumileyo kusukela kuboyise, njalo kazikufihlanga,
the things that wise men have passed down from their fathers, the things that their ancestors did not hide.
19 okwanikwa kuzo zodwa ilizwe, lokungadlulanga izihambi phakathi kwazo.
These were their ancestors, to whom alone the land was given, and among whom no stranger ever passed.
20 Insuku zonke zokhohlakeleyo uzizwisa ubuhlungu, lenani leminyaka ebekelelwe umcindezeli.
The wicked man twists in pain all his days, the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor to suffer.
21 Umsindo wezethuso usendlebeni zakhe; empumelelweni umchithi uzamfikela.
A sound of terrors is in his ears; while he is in prosperity, the destroyer will come upon him.
22 Kakholwa ukuthi uzaphenduka emnyameni, kodwa ukuthi ulindelwe yinkemba.
He does not think that he will return out of darkness; the sword waits for him.
23 Uzulela ukudla. Kungaphi? Uyazi ukuthi usuku lobumnyama lulungisiwe esandleni sakhe.
He goes to various places for bread, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that the day of darkness is at hand.
24 Uhlupho losizi kuyamethusa, kumehlule njengenkosi elungele impi.
Distress and anguish make him afraid; they prevail against him, as a king ready for battle.
25 Ngoba welule isandla sakhe emelene loNkulunkulu, wenza ngamandla ukumelana loSomandla.
Because he has reached out with his hand against God and has behaved proudly against the Almighty,
26 Wagijima emelene laye ngentamo, ngohlonzi lwamaqhubu ezihlangu zakhe.
this wicked man runs at God with a stiff neck, with a thick shield.
27 Ngoba wambomboza ubuso bakhe ngamafutha akhe, wenza ukhalo lwakhukhumala ngamafutha.
This is true, even though he has covered his face with his fat and gathered fat on his loins,
28 Uhlala emizini echithekileyo, izindlu abangahlali kuzo, ezilungele ukuba zinqumbi.
and has lived in desolate cities; in houses which no man inhabits now and which were ready to become heaps.
29 Kayikunotha, lenotho yakhe kayiyikuma, lenzuzo yakhe kayiyikusabalala emhlabeni.
He will not be rich; his wealth will not last and his possessions will not spread over the land.
30 Kayikusuka emnyameni; ilangabi lizakomisa ihlumela lakhe, njalo uzasuka ngokuphefumula komoya wakhe.
He will not depart out of darkness; a flame will dry up his stalks; at the breath of God's mouth he will go away.
31 Oduhisiweyo kangathembeli ezenini, ngoba ize lizakuba ngumvuzo wakhe.
Let him not trust in useless things, deceiving himself; for uselessness will be his reward.
32 Kuzafezwa kungakabi lusuku lwakhe, logatsha lwakhe aluyikuba luhlaza.
It will happen before his time should come to die; his branch will not be green.
33 Uzawohloza izithelo zakhe ezingavuthwanga njengevini, athintithe impoko zakhe njengesihlahla somhlwathi.
He will drop his unripe grapes like a grapevine; he will cast off his flowers like the olive tree.
34 Ngoba inhlangano yabazenzisi izakuba ngengelazithelo, lomlilo uzaqothula amathente ezivalamlomo.
For the company of godless people will be barren; fire will consume their tents of bribery.
35 Bamitha uhlupho, bazale isono, lesizalo sabo silungisa inkohliso.
They conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity; their womb conceives deceit.”
