UJobe 24
1 Kungani izikhathi zingafihlelwanga uSomandla, labamaziyo bengaboni insuku zakhe?
Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?
2 Bathuthukisa imingcele, baphange imihlambi bayeluse.
Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.
3 Baxotsha ubabhemi wezintandane, bathathe inkabi yomfelokazi ibe yisibambiso.
They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
4 Baphambula abaswelayo emigwaqweni; abayanga bomhlaba bacatsha ndawonye.
They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
5 Khangelani, bangobabhemi beganga enkangala, baphumela emsebenzini wabo, badinge impango ngovivi; inkangala ibe yikudla kwakhe lokwabantwana.
Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising early for a prey: the wilderness yields food for them and for their children.
6 Emasimini bavuna ukudla kwakhe, bakhothoze esivinini somubi.
They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
7 Balala beze ebusuku bengelasembatho, bengelasigubuzelo emqandweni.
They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.
8 Bamanzi ngezihlambo zezintaba, babambelela edwaleni ngoba bengelasiphephelo.
They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for lack of a shelter.
9 Bahluthuna intandane ebeleni, bathathe lesibambiso kumyanga.
They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.
10 Bahamba beze bengelasigqoko, labalambileyo bathwala isithungo.
They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;
11 Phakathi kwemiduli yabo bahluza amafutha, banyathela izikhamelo zewayini, kodwa bomile.
Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
12 Abantu bayabubula besemzini, lomphefumulo wabalimeleyo uyakhala; kodwa uNkulunkulu kababaleli ukungalungi.
Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded cries out: yet God lays not folly to them.
13 Bona baphakathi kwabavukela ukukhanya; kabazazi indlela zakhe, kabahlali emikhondweni yakhe.
They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
14 Umbulali uyavuka ngovivi, abulale umyanga loswelayo; lebusuku unjengesela.
The murderer rising with the light kills the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.
15 Lelihlo lesiphingi lilindela ukuhlwa, sisithi: Kakulalihlo elizangibona; sifake isimbombozo ebusweni baso.
The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguises his face.
16 Emnyameni ugebha aphutshele ezindlini abaziphawulele zona emini; kabakwazi ukukhanya.
In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.
17 Ngoba ikuseni kanyekanye ilithunzi lokufa kubo; uba besaziwa bakuzesabiso zethunzi lokufa.
For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.
18 Ulula phezu kobuso bamanzi; isabelo sabo siqalekisiwe emhlabeni; kaphendukeli endleleni yezivini.
He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholds not the way of the vineyards.
19 Imbalela lokutshisa kuqeda amanzi eliqhwa elikhithikileyo, ngokunjalo ingcwaba abonileyo. (Sheol h7585)
Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so does the grave those which have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
20 Isizalo sizamkhohlwa, impethu izammunya, engabe esakhunjulwa, lenkohlakalo izakwephulwa njengesihlahla.
The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.
21 Udla ngokuminza inyumba engazaliyo, kamenzeli okuhle umfelokazi.
He evil entreats the barren that bears not: and does not good to the widow.
22 Njalo udonsa abalamandla ngamandla akhe, uyavuka, njalo kungabi lolethemba lempilo.
He draws also the mighty with his power: he rises up, and no man is sure of life.
23 Uyamnika ukuze alondolozeke, eseyama kukho, kodwa amehlo akhe aphezu kwendlela zabo.
Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he rests; yet his eyes are upon their ways.
24 Bayaphakanyiswa okwesikhatshana, babesebengasekho, behliselwa phansi, bavalelwe njengaye wonke, bayaqunywa njengesihloko sesikhwebu.
They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
25 Uba-ke kungenjalo, ngubani ongangenza umqambimanga, enze inkulumo yami ibe yize?
And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
