UJobe 22
1 Wasephendula uElifazi umThemani wathi:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 Umuntu angaba losizo kuNkulunkulu yini, ngoba ohlakaniphileyo elusizo kuye ngokwakhe?
“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
3 Kuyintokozo yini kuSomandla ukuthi ulungile? Kumbe inzuzo kuye ukuthi uphelelise indlela zakho?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him that you make your ways perfect?
4 Uzakusola yini ngenxa yokwesaba kwakho? Uzangena lawe kusahlulelo.
Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgment?
5 Ububi bakho kabubukhulu yini, lezono zakho kazilakuphela?
Isn’t your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.
6 Ngoba uthethe isibambiso kubafowenu kungelasizatho, wahlubula abanqunu izigqoko.
For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Kawumnathisanga amanzi odiniweyo, lolambileyo umgodlele ukudla.
You haven’t given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8 Kodwa umuntu olengalo, umhlaba ungowakhe, lowemukeleka ebusweni wahlala kuwo.
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived in it.
9 Uxotshile abafelokazi bengelalutho, lengalo zezintandane zichotshoziwe.
You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Ngakho-ke imijibila ikuhanqile, lovalo luhle lwakwesabisa,
Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,
11 kumbe ubumnyama ukuze ungaboni, lesikhukhula samanzi sikusibekele.
or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.
12 UNkulunkulu kakho yini engqongeni yamazulu? Bona-ke ingqonga yezinkanyezi, ukuthi ziphakeme kangakanani.
“Isn’t God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 Kanti uthi: UNkulunkulu wazini? Angahlulela yini engemuva komnyama onzima?
You say, ‘What does 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 doesn’t see. He walks on the vault of the sky.’
15 Usunanzelele indlela endala yini abantu ababi abanyathela kuyo?
Will you 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 to 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. The innocent ridicule them,
20 Isibili isitha sethu sichithiwe, lomlilo uqede insali yabo.
saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed their remnant.’
21 Ake wejwayelane laye, ube lokuthula, ngalokho okuhle kuzakuza kuwe.
“Acquaint yourself with him now, and be at peace. By it, good will come to you.
22 Ake wemukele umlayo ovela emlonyeni wakhe, ubeke amazwi akhe enhliziyweni yakho.
Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
23 Uba ubuyela kuSomandla, uzakwakhiwa, ususe okubi khatshana lamathente akho.
If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.
24 Ubusubeka igolide lakho othulini, legolide leOfiri elitsheni lezifula.
Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
25 Ngakho uSomandla uzakuba ligolide lakho, lesiliva sakho esinengi.
The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.
26 Ngoba ngalesosikhathi uzazithokozisa ngoSomandla, uphakamisele ubuso bakho kuNkulunkulu.
For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face to God.
27 Uzakhuleka kuye, akuzwe, ukhokhe izifungo zakho.
You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You will pay your vows.
28 Uzaquma-ke udaba, luqiniseke kuwe, lokukhanya kukhanye endleleni zakho.
You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to you. Light will shine on your ways.
29 Nxa behliselwe phansi, ubususithi: Phezulu! Abesesindisa othobekileyo ngamehlo.
When they cast down, you will say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will save the humble person.
30 Uzamkhulula ongemsulwa; njalo ukhululwa ngokuhlanzeka kwezandla zakho.
He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
