UJobe 24
1 Kungani izikhathi zingafihlelwanga uSomandla, labamaziyo bengaboni insuku zakhe?
“(Why does Almighty [God] not set a time when he will judge [evil people]?/I do not understand why Almighty [God does] not set a time when he will judge [evil people].) [RHQ] Those who know him never [RHQ] see him do that!
2 Bathuthukisa imingcele, baphange imihlambi bayeluse.
[Some evil people] remove the markers of boundaries of [other people’s] land, [in order to steal their land]; they seize/steal [other people’s] sheep and put them in their own pastures.
3 Baxotsha ubabhemi wezintandane, bathathe inkabi yomfelokazi ibe yisibambiso.
[Some] (take away/steal) the donkeys that belong to orphans, and they take widow’s oxen to guarantee that the widows will pay back the money that they loaned to those widows.
4 Baphambula abaswelayo emigwaqweni; abayanga bomhlaba bacatsha ndawonye.
[Some] shove poor people off the road (OR, prevent poor people from (obtaining their rights/being treated justly)), and they force poor people to find places to hide from them.
5 Khangelani, bangobabhemi beganga enkangala, baphumela emsebenzini wabo, badinge impango ngovivi; inkangala ibe yikudla kwakhe lokwabantwana.
The result is that poor people have to search for food in the desert like wild donkeys do.
6 Emasimini bavuna ukudla kwakhe, bakhothoze esivinini somubi.
The poor people harvest left-over grain in other people’s fields, and gather grapes from vineyards that belong to wicked men.
7 Balala beze ebusuku bengelasembatho, bengelasigubuzelo emqandweni.
During the night they have nothing to cover their bodies, nothing to keep them warm.
8 Bamanzi ngezihlambo zezintaba, babambelela edwaleni ngoba bengelasiphephelo.
When it rains on the mountains, the poor people become very wet, so they huddle under the rock ledges to be protected [from the rain].
9 Bahluthuna intandane ebeleni, bathathe lesibambiso kumyanga.
[Some evil men] snatch infants away from their widowed mothers [SYN], and they say ‘I will return your babies to you when you repay the money that I lent to you.’
10 Bahamba beze bengelasigqoko, labalambileyo bathwala isithungo.
But the poor people walk around with no clothes on; they are hungry while they are working to carry [other people’s] bundles of grain [to the places where their grain will be threshed].
11 Phakathi kwemiduli yabo bahluza amafutha, banyathela izikhamelo zewayini, kodwa bomile.
Poor people press olives to make [olive] oil; they tread on grapes [to make juice for wine], but [they are not allowed to drink any of it when] they become thirsty.
12 Abantu bayabubula besemzini, lomphefumulo wabalimeleyo uyakhala; kodwa uNkulunkulu kababaleli ukungalungi.
In the cities, people who are wounded and dying cry out [to God for help], but God does not heed their prayers.
13 Bona baphakathi kwabavukela ukukhanya; kabazazi indlela zakhe, kabahlali emikhondweni yakhe.
Some wicked people avoid the light [because they do evil things in the dark]; they do not walk on roads that are lighted.
14 Umbulali uyavuka ngovivi, abulale umyanga loswelayo; lebusuku unjengesela.
Murderers steal things during the night, and then they arise before dawn in order that they may [go out again and] kill needy [DOU] people.
15 Lelihlo lesiphingi lilindela ukuhlwa, sisithi: Kakulalihlo elizangibona; sifake isimbombozo ebusweni baso.
Those who want to commit adultery wait for twilight/evening; they say ‘I do not want anyone to see me,’ so they keep their faces covered.
16 Emnyameni ugebha aphutshele ezindlini abaziphawulele zona emini; kabakwazi ukukhanya.
It is during the night that robbers break into houses [to steal things], but during the day they hide because they want to avoid [being seen in] the light.
17 Ngoba ikuseni kanyekanye ilithunzi lokufa kubo; uba besaziwa bakuzesabiso zethunzi lokufa.
All of those [people] want to do their evil things at night, not in the morning [when it is light], because they are not afraid of [the things that happen during the] night that terrify others.”
18 Ulula phezu kobuso bamanzi; isabelo sabo siqalekisiwe emhlabeni; kaphendukeli endleleni yezivini.
“[But it is wicked people] who are swept/carried away by floods, and God curses the land that they own, and no one goes to work in their vineyards.
19 Imbalela lokutshisa kuqeda amanzi eliqhwa elikhithikileyo, ngokunjalo ingcwaba abonileyo. (Sheol h7585)
Just like the snow melts away when it is hot and there is no rain, those who have sinned disappear into the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
20 Isizalo sizamkhohlwa, impethu izammunya, engabe esakhunjulwa, lenkohlakalo izakwephulwa njengesihlahla.
Not even their mothers remember them now; wicked people are destroyed like trees that are cut down, and maggots eat their corpses.
21 Udla ngokuminza inyumba engazaliyo, kamenzeli okuhle umfelokazi.
They mistreat women who have been unable to give birth to children and women who no longer have children [to take care of them], and they never do good things for widows.
22 Njalo udonsa abalamandla ngamandla akhe, uyavuka, njalo kungabi lolethemba lempilo.
But God, by his power, gets rid of mighty/influential people. God acts and causes the wicked people to die.
23 Uyamnika ukuze alondolozeke, eseyama kukho, kodwa amehlo akhe aphezu kwendlela zabo.
God allows them to think that they are secure and safe, but he is watching [MTY] them all the time.
24 Bayaphakanyiswa okwesikhatshana, babesebengasekho, behliselwa phansi, bavalelwe njengaye wonke, bayaqunywa njengesihloko sesikhwebu.
They prosper for a little while, and then [suddenly] they are gone; they disappear like weeds wither and die; they are like [SIM] stalks of grain that have been cut off.
25 Uba-ke kungenjalo, ngubani ongangenza umqambimanga, enze inkulumo yami ibe yize?
If this is not true, is there [RHQ] anyone who will show that I am a liar and prove that what I have said is not true?”
