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? Or can he that is wise be profitable unto Him?
3 Kuyintokozo yini kuSomandla ukuthi ulungile? Kumbe inzuzo kuye ukuthi uphelelise indlela zakho?
Is it any advantage to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways blameless?
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? And are not thine iniquities without end?
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.
And as a mighty man, who hath the earth, and as a man of rank, who dwelleth 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 dread affrighted thee,
11 kumbe ubumnyama ukuze ungaboni, lesikhukhula samanzi sikusibekele.
Or darkness, 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 topmost 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 dark cloud?
14 Amayezi amnyama ayisisibekelo sakhe ukuze angaboni, uhamba esigombolozini samazulu.
Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the circuit 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 could the Almighty do unto them?
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 saw it, and were glad, and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
20 Isibili isitha sethu sichithiwe, lomlilo uqede insali yabo.
'Surely their substance is cut off, and their abundance the fire hath consumed.'
21 Ake wejwayelane laye, ube lokuthula, ngalokho okuhle kuzakuza kuwe.
Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace; thereby shall thine increase be good.
22 Ake wemukele umlayo ovela emlonyeni wakhe, ubeke amazwi akhe enhliziyweni yakho.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction 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 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 be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee;
26 Ngoba ngalesosikhathi uzazithokozisa ngoSomandla, uphakamisele ubuso bakho kuNkulunkulu.
Then surely shalt thou have thy delight 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'; for the humble person He saveth.
30 Uzamkhulula ongemsulwa; njalo ukhululwa ngokuhlanzeka kwezandla zakho.
He delivereth him that is innocent, yea, thou shalt be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.
