UJobe 22
1 Wasephendula uElifazi umThemani wathi:
Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —
2 Umuntu angaba losizo kuNkulunkulu yini, ngoba ohlakaniphileyo elusizo kuye ngokwakhe?
Unto GOD, can a man act as friend? Surely a discreet man befriendeth himself!
3 Kuyintokozo yini kuSomandla ukuthi ulungile? Kumbe inzuzo kuye ukuthi uphelelise indlela zakho?
Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou shouldst be righteous? or any profit, that thou shouldst be blameless in thy ways?
4 Uzakusola yini ngenxa yokwesaba kwakho? Uzangena lawe kusahlulelo.
Is it, for thy reverence, that he will accuse thee? will enter with thee into judgment?
5 Ububi bakho kabubukhulu yini, lezono zakho kazilakuphela?
Is not, thy wickedness, great? and, without end, [are not] thine iniquities?
6 Ngoba uthethe isibambiso kubafowenu kungelasizatho, wahlubula abanqunu izigqoko.
Surely then hast been wont to put thy brother in pledge, for nothing, and, the garments of the ill-clad, hast thou stripped off:
7 Kawumnathisanga amanzi odiniweyo, lolambileyo umgodlele ukudla.
No water—to the weary, hast thou given to drink, and, from the hungry, thou hast withheld bread:
8 Kodwa umuntu olengalo, umhlaba ungowakhe, lowemukeleka ebusweni wahlala kuwo.
A man of might, to him, pertaineth the land, and, the favorite, dwelleth therein:
9 Uxotshile abafelokazi bengelalutho, lengalo zezintandane zichotshoziwe.
Widows, thou hast sent away empty, and, the arms of the fatherless, thou dost crush.
10 Ngakho-ke imijibila ikuhanqile, lovalo luhle lwakwesabisa,
For this cause, round about thee, are snares, and a dread startleth thee suddenly;
11 kumbe ubumnyama ukuze ungaboni, lesikhukhula samanzi sikusibekele.
Or darkness—thou canst not see, and, a flood of waters, covereth thee.
12 UNkulunkulu kakho yini engqongeni yamazulu? Bona-ke ingqonga yezinkanyezi, ukuthi ziphakeme kangakanani.
Is not, GOD, [in] the height of the heavens? Behold, then, the head of the stars, that they are high.
13 Kanti uthi: UNkulunkulu wazini? Angahlulela yini engemuva komnyama onzima?
Wilt thou say then, What doth GOD know? Out through a thick cloud, can he judge?
14 Amayezi amnyama ayisisibekelo sakhe ukuze angaboni, uhamba esigombolozini samazulu.
Dark clouds, are a veil to him, and he cannot see, or, the vault of the heavens, doth he walk?
15 Usunanzelele indlela endala yini abantu ababi abanyathela kuyo?
The path of the ancient time, wilt thou mark, which the men of iniquity trod?
16 Abahluthunwa kungakabi yisikhathi; uzamcolo wathululwa phezu kwesisekelo sabo.
Who were snatched away before the time, and, a stream, washed away their foundation?
17 Abathi kuNkulunkulu: Suka kithi. LoSomandla wayenzeni kubo?
Who had been saying unto GOD, Depart from us! and—What can the Almighty do for himself?
18 Kanti yena wayegcwalise izindlu zabo ngokuhle; kodwa icebo labakhohlakeleyo likhatshana lami.
Yet, he, had filled their houses with good! The counsel of the lawless, then, is far from me:
19 Abalungileyo bayakubona bathokoze, lomsulwa ubahleka usulu.
The righteous shall see and rejoice, and, the innocent, shall laugh them to scorn:
20 Isibili isitha sethu sichithiwe, lomlilo uqede insali yabo.
If our assailants do not vanish, then, their abundance, a fire consumeth!
21 Ake wejwayelane laye, ube lokuthula, ngalokho okuhle kuzakuza kuwe.
Shew thyself to be one with him—I pray thee—and prosper, thereby, shall there come on thee blessing.
22 Ake wemukele umlayo ovela emlonyeni wakhe, ubeke amazwi akhe enhliziyweni yakho.
Accept, I beseech thee, from his mouth—instruction, —and lay up his sayings in thy heart.
23 Uba ubuyela kuSomandla, uzakwakhiwa, ususe okubi khatshana lamathente akho.
If thou return unto the Almighty and submit thyself, if thou far remove perversity from thy tent,
24 Ubusubeka igolide lakho othulini, legolide leOfiri elitsheni lezifula.
Then lay up, in the dust, precious ore, and, among the stones of the torrent-beds, fine gold:
25 Ngakho uSomandla uzakuba ligolide lakho, lesiliva sakho esinengi.
So shall, the Almighty, become, thy precious ores, yea glittering silver unto thee!
26 Ngoba ngalesosikhathi uzazithokozisa ngoSomandla, uphakamisele ubuso bakho kuNkulunkulu.
For, then, in the Almighty, shalt thou take exquisite delight, and shalt lift up—unto GOD—thy face;
27 Uzakhuleka kuye, akuzwe, ukhokhe izifungo zakho.
Thou shalt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and, thy vows, shalt thou pay;
28 Uzaquma-ke udaba, luqiniseke kuwe, lokukhanya kukhanye endleleni zakho.
And thou shalt decree a purpose, and it shall be fulfilled unto thee, and, upon thy ways, shall have shone a light;
29 Nxa behliselwe phansi, ubususithi: Phezulu! Abesesindisa othobekileyo ngamehlo.
When men cast themselves down, then thou shalt say: Up! And, him that is of downcast eyes, shall he save;
30 Uzamkhulula ongemsulwa; njalo ukhululwa ngokuhlanzeka kwezandla zakho.
He shall deliver the innocent, and thou shalt escape by the pureness of thy hands.
