UJobe 15
1 Wasephendula uElifazi umThemani wathi:
And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
2 Ohlakaniphileyo angaphendula yini ulwazi olungumoya, agcwalise isisu sakhe ngomoya wempumalanga?
Doth a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill [with] an east wind his belly?
3 Aphikise ngamazwi angasizi lutho, langenkulumo ezingelanzuzo yini?
To reason with a word not useful? And speeches — no profit in them?
4 Yebo, wena uyachitha ukwesaba, uvimbela umkhuleko phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
Yea, thou dost make reverence void, And dost diminish meditation before God.
5 Ngoba umlomo wakho ufundisa ububi bakho, ukhethe ulimi lwamaqili.
For thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity, And thou chooseth the tongue of the subtile.
6 Umlomo wakho uyakulahla, kayisimi; yebo, indebe zakho ziyafakaza ngawe.
Thy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee.
7 Ungumuntu wokuqala owazalwayo yini? Kumbe wazalwa mandulo kwamaqaqa yini?
The first man art thou born? And before the heights wast thou formed?
8 Uzwile yini icebo langasese likaNkulunkulu? Kumbe uzigodlele inhlakanipho yini?
Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom?
9 Kuyini okwaziyo esingakwaziyo? Kuyini okuqedisisayo okungekho kithi?
What hast thou known, and we know not? Understandest thou — and it is not with us?
10 Kukhona phakathi kwethu lempunga lekhehla, omdala ngensuku kuloyihlo.
Both the gray-headed And the very aged [are] among us — Greater than thy father [in] days.
11 Zincinyane yini kuwe induduzo zikaNkulunkulu, lelizwi elikhulunywa kuhle lawe?
Too few for thee are the comforts of God? And a gentle word [is] with thee,
12 Kungani inhliziyo yakho ikumukisa? Njalo kungani amehlo akho ephayiza,
What — doth thine heart take thee away? And what — are thine eyes high?
13 ukuthi uphendule umoya wakho umelane loNkulunkulu, ukhuphe amazwi anje emlonyeni wakho?
For thou turnest against God thy spirit? And hast brought out words from thy mouth:
14 Umuntu uyini ukuthi abe ngohlambulukileyo, lozelwe ngowesifazana ukuthi abe ngolungileyo?
What [is] man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?
15 Khangela, kathembeli kwabangcwele bakhe, lamazulu kawahlambulukanga emehlweni akhe.
Lo, in His holy ones He putteth no credence, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.
16 Kukangakanani umuntu onengekayo lowonakeleyo, onatha ububi njengamanzi!
Also — surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking as water perverseness.
17 Ngizakutshengisa, ungilalele, lengikubonileyo ngizakulandisa,
I shew thee — hearken to me — And this I have seen and declare:
18 lokho izihlakaniphi ezikukhulumileyo kusukela kuboyise, njalo kazikufihlanga,
Which the wise declare — And have not hid — from their fathers.
19 okwanikwa kuzo zodwa ilizwe, lokungadlulanga izihambi phakathi kwazo.
To them alone was the land given, And a stranger passed not over into their midst:
20 Insuku zonke zokhohlakeleyo uzizwisa ubuhlungu, lenani leminyaka ebekelelwe umcindezeli.
'All days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.
21 Umsindo wezethuso usendlebeni zakhe; empumelelweni umchithi uzamfikela.
A fearful voice [is] in his ears, In peace doth a destroyer come to him.
22 Kakholwa ukuthi uzaphenduka emnyameni, kodwa ukuthi ulindelwe yinkemba.
He believeth not to return from darkness, And watched [is] he for the sword.
23 Uzulela ukudla. Kungaphi? Uyazi ukuthi usuku lobumnyama lulungisiwe esandleni sakhe.
He is wandering for bread — 'Where [is] it?' He hath known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.
24 Uhlupho losizi kuyamethusa, kumehlule njengenkosi elungele impi.
Terrify him do adversity and distress, They prevail over him As a king ready for a boaster.
25 Ngoba welule isandla sakhe emelene loNkulunkulu, wenza ngamandla ukumelana loSomandla.
For he stretched out against God his hand, And against the Mighty he maketh himself mighty.
26 Wagijima emelene laye ngentamo, ngohlonzi lwamaqhubu ezihlangu zakhe.
He runneth unto Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.
27 Ngoba wambomboza ubuso bakhe ngamafutha akhe, wenza ukhalo lwakhukhumala ngamafutha.
For he hath covered his face with his fat, And maketh vigour over [his] confidence.
28 Uhlala emizini echithekileyo, izindlu abangahlali kuzo, ezilungele ukuba zinqumbi.
And he inhabiteth cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.
29 Kayikunotha, lenotho yakhe kayiyikuma, lenzuzo yakhe kayiyikusabalala emhlabeni.
He is not rich, nor doth his wealth rise, Nor doth he stretch out on earth their continuance.
30 Kayikusuka emnyameni; ilangabi lizakomisa ihlumela lakhe, njalo uzasuka ngokuphefumula komoya wakhe.
He turneth not aside from darkness, His tender branch doth a flame dry up, And he turneth aside at the breath of His mouth!
31 Oduhisiweyo kangathembeli ezenini, ngoba ize lizakuba ngumvuzo wakhe.
Let him not put credence in vanity, He hath been deceived, For vanity is his recompence.
32 Kuzafezwa kungakabi lusuku lwakhe, logatsha lwakhe aluyikuba luhlaza.
Not in his day is it completed, And his bending branch is not green.
33 Uzawohloza izithelo zakhe ezingavuthwanga njengevini, athintithe impoko zakhe njengesihlahla somhlwathi.
He shaketh off as a vine his unripe fruit, And casteth off as an olive his blossom.
34 Ngoba inhlangano yabazenzisi izakuba ngengelazithelo, lomlilo uzaqothula amathente ezivalamlomo.
For the company of the profane [is] gloomy, And fire hath consumed tents of bribery.
35 Bamitha uhlupho, bazale isono, lesizalo sabo silungisa inkohliso.
To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart doth prepare deceit.
