UJobe 22
1 Wasephendula uElifazi umThemani wathi:
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
2 Umuntu angaba losizo kuNkulunkulu yini, ngoba ohlakaniphileyo elusizo kuye ngokwakhe?
Can a man be profitable unto God? Surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself.
3 Kuyintokozo yini kuSomandla ukuthi ulungile? Kumbe inzuzo kuye ukuthi uphelelise indlela zakho?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain [to him], that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Uzakusola yini ngenxa yokwesaba kwakho? Uzangena lawe kusahlulelo.
Is it for thy fear [of him] that he reproveth thee, That he entereth with thee into judgment?
5 Ububi bakho kabubukhulu yini, lezono zakho kazilakuphela?
Is not thy wickedness great? Neither is there any end to thine iniquities.
6 Ngoba uthethe isibambiso kubafowenu kungelasizatho, wahlubula abanqunu izigqoko.
For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, And stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Kawumnathisanga amanzi odiniweyo, lolambileyo umgodlele ukudla.
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 Kodwa umuntu olengalo, umhlaba ungowakhe, lowemukeleka ebusweni wahlala kuwo.
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; And the honorable man, he dwelt in it.
9 Uxotshile abafelokazi bengelalutho, lengalo zezintandane zichotshoziwe.
Thou hast sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Ngakho-ke imijibila ikuhanqile, lovalo luhle lwakwesabisa,
Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear troubleth thee,
11 kumbe ubumnyama ukuze ungaboni, lesikhukhula samanzi sikusibekele.
Or darkness, so that thou canst not see, And abundance of waters cover thee.
12 UNkulunkulu kakho yini engqongeni yamazulu? Bona-ke ingqonga yezinkanyezi, ukuthi ziphakeme kangakanani.
Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 Kanti uthi: UNkulunkulu wazini? Angahlulela yini engemuva komnyama onzima?
And thou sayest, What doth God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
14 Amayezi amnyama ayisisibekelo sakhe ukuze angaboni, uhamba esigombolozini samazulu.
Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he seeth not; And he walketh on the vault of heaven.
15 Usunanzelele indlela endala yini abantu ababi abanyathela kuyo?
Wilt thou keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden?
16 Abahluthunwa kungakabi yisikhathi; uzamcolo wathululwa phezu kwesisekelo sabo.
Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
17 Abathi kuNkulunkulu: Suka kithi. LoSomandla wayenzeni kubo?
Who said unto God, Depart from us; And, What can the Almighty do for us?
18 Kanti yena wayegcwalise izindlu zabo ngokuhle; kodwa icebo labakhohlakeleyo likhatshana lami.
Yet he filled their houses with good things: But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 Abalungileyo bayakubona bathokoze, lomsulwa ubahleka usulu.
The righteous see it, and are glad; And the innocent laugh them to scorn,
20 Isibili isitha sethu sichithiwe, lomlilo uqede insali yabo.
[Saying], Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, And the remnant of them the fire hath consumed.
21 Ake wejwayelane laye, ube lokuthula, ngalokho okuhle kuzakuza kuwe.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thereby good shall come unto thee.
22 Ake wemukele umlayo ovela emlonyeni wakhe, ubeke amazwi akhe enhliziyweni yakho.
Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart.
23 Uba ubuyela kuSomandla, uzakwakhiwa, ususe okubi khatshana lamathente akho.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, If thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents.
24 Ubusubeka igolide lakho othulini, legolide leOfiri elitsheni lezifula.
And lay thou [thy] treasure in the dust, And [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the brooks;
25 Ngakho uSomandla uzakuba ligolide lakho, lesiliva sakho esinengi.
And the Almighty will be thy treasure, And precious silver unto thee.
26 Ngoba ngalesosikhathi uzazithokozisa ngoSomandla, uphakamisele ubuso bakho kuNkulunkulu.
For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 Uzakhuleka kuye, akuzwe, ukhokhe izifungo zakho.
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee; And thou shalt pay thy vows.
28 Uzaquma-ke udaba, luqiniseke kuwe, lokukhanya kukhanye endleleni zakho.
Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; And light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 Nxa behliselwe phansi, ubususithi: Phezulu! Abesesindisa othobekileyo ngamehlo.
When they cast [thee] down, thou shalt say, [There is] lifting up; And the humble person he will save.
30 Uzamkhulula ongemsulwa; njalo ukhululwa ngokuhlanzeka kwezandla zakho.
He will deliver [even] him that is not innocent: Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.
