UJobe 22
1 Wasephendula uElifazi umThemani wathi:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 Umuntu angaba losizo kuNkulunkulu yini, ngoba ohlakaniphileyo elusizo kuye ngokwakhe?
Can a man, then, profit God? Behold, the wise man profiteth himself.
3 Kuyintokozo yini kuSomandla ukuthi ulungile? Kumbe inzuzo kuye ukuthi uphelelise indlela zakho?
Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous; Or a gain to him, that thou walkest uprightly?
4 Uzakusola yini ngenxa yokwesaba kwakho? Uzangena lawe kusahlulelo.
Will he contend with thee because he feareth thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Ububi bakho kabubukhulu yini, lezono zakho kazilakuphela?
Hath not thy wickedness been great? Have not thine iniquities been numberless?
6 Ngoba uthethe isibambiso kubafowenu kungelasizatho, wahlubula abanqunu izigqoko.
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother unjustly, And stripped the poor of their clothing.
7 Kawumnathisanga amanzi odiniweyo, lolambileyo umgodlele ukudla.
Thou hast given the weary no water to drink, And withholden bread from the hungry.
8 Kodwa umuntu olengalo, umhlaba ungowakhe, lowemukeleka ebusweni wahlala kuwo.
But the man of power, his was the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it.
9 Uxotshile abafelokazi bengelalutho, lengalo zezintandane zichotshoziwe.
Thou hast sent widows away empty, And broken the arms of the fatherless.
10 Ngakho-ke imijibila ikuhanqile, lovalo luhle lwakwesabisa,
Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear confoundeth thee;
11 kumbe ubumnyama ukuze ungaboni, lesikhukhula samanzi sikusibekele.
Or darkness, through which thou canst not see, And floods of water 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 stars, how high they are!
13 Kanti uthi: UNkulunkulu wazini? Angahlulela yini engemuva komnyama onzima?
Hence thou sayest, “What doth God know? Can he govern behind the thick darkness?
14 Amayezi amnyama ayisisibekelo sakhe ukuze angaboni, uhamba esigombolozini samazulu.
Dark clouds are a veil to him, and he cannot see; And he walketh upon the arch of heaven.”
15 Usunanzelele indlela endala yini abantu ababi abanyathela kuyo?
Wilt thou take the old way Which wicked men have trodden,
16 Abahluthunwa kungakabi yisikhathi; uzamcolo wathululwa phezu kwesisekelo sabo.
Who were cut down before their time, And whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
17 Abathi kuNkulunkulu: Suka kithi. LoSomandla wayenzeni kubo?
Who said unto God, “Depart from us!” And, “What can the Almighty do to us?”
18 Kanti yena wayegcwalise izindlu zabo ngokuhle; kodwa icebo labakhohlakeleyo likhatshana lami.
And yet he filled their houses with good things!—Far from me be the counsel of the wicked!
19 Abalungileyo bayakubona bathokoze, lomsulwa ubahleka usulu.
The righteous see their fate, and rejoice; And the innocent hold them in derision.
20 Isibili isitha sethu sichithiwe, lomlilo uqede insali yabo.
“Truly our adversary is destroyed, And fire hath consumed his abundance!”
21 Ake wejwayelane laye, ube lokuthula, ngalokho okuhle kuzakuza kuwe.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thus shall prosperity return to thee.
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 iniquity from thy tent.
24 Ubusubeka igolide lakho othulini, legolide leOfiri elitsheni lezifula.
Cast to the dust thy gold, And the gold of Ophir to the stones of the brook:
25 Ngakho uSomandla uzakuba ligolide lakho, lesiliva sakho esinengi.
Then shall the Almighty be thy gold, Yea, treasures of silver unto thee;
26 Ngoba ngalesosikhathi uzazithokozisa ngoSomandla, uphakamisele ubuso bakho kuNkulunkulu.
For then shalt thou have delight in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 Uzakhuleka kuye, akuzwe, ukhokhe izifungo zakho.
Thou shalt pray to him, and he shall hear thee, And thou shalt perform thy vows.
28 Uzaquma-ke udaba, luqiniseke kuwe, lokukhanya kukhanye endleleni zakho.
The purpose which thou formest shall prosper with thee, And light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 Nxa behliselwe phansi, ubususithi: Phezulu! Abesesindisa othobekileyo ngamehlo.
When men are cast down, thou shalt say, “There 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. The purity of thy hands shall save him.
