UJobe 21
1 Wasephendula uJobe wathi:
Then Job replied,
2 Zwanini lilalele ilizwi lami, lalokho kube zinduduzo zenu.
“Listen to what I say, all [three] of you; that is the only thing that you can do that will comfort me.
3 Ngibekezelelani, ukuthi mina ngikhulume; lemva kokukhuluma kwami lingakloloda.
Be patient with me, and allow me to speak. Then, after I am finished speaking, you can continue to make fun of me.
4 Mina-ke ukusola kwami kusemuntwini yini? Kodwa uba kunjalo, kungani umoya wami ungekhathazeke?
“It is certainly not [RHQ] people against whom I am complaining, [but God] And it is certainly [RHQ] right for me to be impatient!
5 Ngikhangelani, likhakhamale, libeke isandla phezu komlomo.
Look at me! Does what you see not cause you to be appalled and to put your hands over your mouths [and say no more]?
6 Yebo, lapho ngikhumbula, ngitshaywa luvalo, lokuthuthumela kubamba inyama yami.
When I think about [what has happened to me], I am frightened and my entire body shakes.
7 Ababi baphilelani, babe badala, yebo, bakhule emandleni?
“[But let me ask this: ] ‘Why do wicked people continue to live, and become prosperous, and not die until they are very old?’
8 Inzalo yabo izinze phambi kwabo kanye labo, lembewu yabo emehlweni abo.
They have their children around them, and they watch them while they [grow up and] start to live in their own houses, and they enjoy their grandchildren.
9 Izindlu zabo zilokuthula kungelakwesaba, loswazi lukaNkulunkulu kaluphezu kwabo.
Wicked people live in their own houses without being afraid, and God does not punish [MTY] them.
10 Inkunzi yakhe iyakhwela ingaphuthi; inkomokazi yakhe iyazala, ingaphunzi.
Their bulls always mate with the cows successfully, and the cows give birth to calves and never miscarry.
11 Bakhupha abantwanyana babo njengomhlambi, labantwana babo bayagida.
Wicked people send their young children outside [to play], and the children play [happily] like [SIM] lambs [in a pasture].
12 Baphakamisa ilizwi ngesigujana lechacho, bathokoze ngelizwi lomhlanga.
Some children dance and sing, while others shake tambourines and play lyres, and they are happy when they hear people playing flutes.
Wicked people enjoy having good things all the time that they are alive, and they die quietly/peacefully and go down to the place of the dead. (Sheol h7585)
14 Babesebesithi kuNkulunkulu: Suka kithi; ngoba kasifisi ulwazi lwendlela zakho.
While they are alive, they say to God, ‘Do not bother us; we do not want to know how you want us to conduct our lives!
15 Uyini uSomandla ukuthi simkhonze? Sizazuzani uba simncenga?
Why do you, Almighty God, think that we should serve you? (What advantage do we get if we pray to you?/It is useless for us to pray to you.) [RHQ]’
16 Khangela, okuhle kwabo kakukho esandleni sabo; icebo lababi likhatshana lami.
Think about it: Wicked people think that it is because of what they have done that they have become prosperous, but I do not understand why they think like that.
17 Kukangaki isibane sababi sicitshwa, kusiza ukuchitheka kwabo phezu kwabo! UNkulunkulu ubabela ubuhlungu elakeni lwakhe.
(“How often does it happen that wicked people die [MET] before they are old?/Very seldom do wicked people die [MET] before they are old.) [RHQ] (Do they ever experience disasters?/They seldom experience disasters.) [RHQ] (Does God ever punish them because of being very angry with them?/God never punishes them because of being very angry with them.) [RHQ]
18 Banjengamahlanga phambi komoya, lanjengomule isiphepho esiwuphephulayo.
[He does not blow] them away like wind blows away straw; they are never carried off by a whirlwind.
19 UNkulunkulu ubekela abantwana bakhe usizi lwakhe. Uyamvuza, njalo uzakwazi.
You say, ‘When people have committed sins, God waits and punishes their children because of those sins;’ but [I say that] God should punish those who sin, [not their children, ] in order that the sinners will know [that it is because of their own sins that they are being punished].
20 Amehlo akhe azabona ukuchitheka kwakhe, anathe okolaka lukaSomandla.
I hope/wish that wicked people will experience themselves being destroyed, that they will experience being punished by an angry Almighty God.
21 Ngoba iyini intokozo yakhe endlini yakhe emva kwakhe, lapho inani lenyanga zakhe liqunywa?
After wicked people are dead, they are not at all concerned [RHQ] about what happens to their families [MTY].
22 Kukhona ongafundisa uNkulunkulu ulwazi yini? Ngoba yena wehlulela abaphezulu.
“Since God judges [everyone, ] even those that are in heaven, (who can teach God anything?/certainly no one can teach God anything.) [RHQ]
23 Lo uyafa esemandleni akhe apheleleyo, yena wonke onwabile, elokuthula.
Some people die while they are very healthy, while they are peaceful, when they are not afraid of anything.
24 Iziphathelo zakhe zigcwele uchago, lomnkantsho wamathambo akhe umanzi.
Their bodies are fat; their bones are strong.
25 Lomunye ufa elomphefumulo obabayo, engadlanga kokuhle.
Other people die being very miserable; they have never experienced good things happening to them.
26 Balala ndawonye ethulini, lempethu zibasibekele.
But both rich and poor people die and are buried, and maggots eat their bodies. [Everyone dies, so it is clear that dying is not always the punishment for being wicked].
27 Khangelani, ngiyayazi imicabango yenu, lamacebo eliwaceba limelene lami.
“Listen, I know what you [three] are thinking. I know the evil things that you plan to do to me.
28 Ngoba lithi: Ingaphi indlu yesiphathamandla? Njalo lingaphi ithente lendawo zababi zokuhlala?
You say, ‘What happened to the tents in which wicked people were living? The houses of evil rulers have been destroyed!’
29 Kalibabuzanga yini abadlula ngendlela, njalo kalinanzeleli iziboniso zabo?
But have you never inquired of people who travel much? Do you not believe their reports about what they have seen,
30 Ukuthi omubi uyekelwa osukwini lokubhujiswa; bazalethwa osukwini lwezintukuthelo.
that wicked people usually do not suffer at the time when there are great disasters; that wicked people are the ones who are rescued when God is angry [and punishes people] [MTY]?
31 Ngubani ozamtshela indlela yakhe ebusweni? Ngubani ozamphindisela ngakwenzileyo?
There is no one [RHQ] who accuses wicked people, and there is no one who (pays them back/gives them the punishment that they deserve) for all the evil things that they have done.
32 Kanti yena uzasiwa engcwabeni, lilindwe idundulu.
The corpses of wicked people are carried to their graves, and people are put there to guard those graves.
33 Amagade esihotsha amnandi kuye, njalo udonsa wonke umuntu emva kwakhe, njengoba bengelakubalwa abaphambi kwakhe.
A huge number [HYP] of people go to the grave site. Some go in front of the procession and some come behind. And the clods of dirt thrown on the graves of those wicked people who have died are like a nice blanket.
34 Pho lizangiduduza njani ngeze, ngoba empendulweni zenu kusele inkohliso?
“So how can you console me by talking nonsense? Every reply that you make is full of lies!”
