UJobe 24
1 Kungani izikhathi zingafihlelwanga uSomandla, labamaziyo bengaboni insuku zakhe?
Why are times for judging wicked people not set by the Almighty? Why do not those who are faithful to God see his days of judgment come?
2 Bathuthukisa imingcele, baphange imihlambi bayeluse.
There are wicked people who remove boundary markers; there are wicked people who take away flocks by force and put them in their own pastures.
3 Baxotsha ubabhemi wezintandane, bathathe inkabi yomfelokazi ibe yisibambiso.
They drive away the donkey of those without fathers; they take the widow's ox as security.
4 Baphambula abaswelayo emigwaqweni; abayanga bomhlaba bacatsha ndawonye.
They force needy people out of their path; poor people of the earth all hide themselves from them.
5 Khangelani, bangobabhemi beganga enkangala, baphumela emsebenzini wabo, badinge impango ngovivi; inkangala ibe yikudla kwakhe lokwabantwana.
See, these poor people go out to their work like wild donkeys in the wilderness, looking carefully for food; perhaps the Arabah will provide them food for their children.
6 Emasimini bavuna ukudla kwakhe, bakhothoze esivinini somubi.
Poor people reap in the night in other people's fields; they glean grapes from the harvest of those wicked people.
7 Balala beze ebusuku bengelasembatho, bengelasigubuzelo emqandweni.
They lie naked all night without clothing; they have no covering in the cold.
8 Bamanzi ngezihlambo zezintaba, babambelela edwaleni ngoba bengelasiphephelo.
They are wet with the showers of the mountains; they lie next to large rocks because they have no shelter.
9 Bahluthuna intandane ebeleni, bathathe lesibambiso kumyanga.
There are wicked people who pluck orphans from their mothers' breast, and wicked people who take children as security from poor people.
10 Bahamba beze bengelasigqoko, labalambileyo bathwala isithungo.
But the poor people go about naked without clothing; although they go hungry, they carry bundles of grain belonging to other people.
11 Phakathi kwemiduli yabo bahluza amafutha, banyathela izikhamelo zewayini, kodwa bomile.
The poor people make oil within the walls of those wicked men; they tread the wicked men's winepresses, but they themselves suffer thirst.
12 Abantu bayabubula besemzini, lomphefumulo wabalimeleyo uyakhala; kodwa uNkulunkulu kababaleli ukungalungi.
From out of the city the dying groan, and the throat of the wounded cries out for help. But God does not ascribe blame
13 Bona baphakathi kwabavukela ukukhanya; kabazazi indlela zakhe, kabahlali emikhondweni yakhe.
Some of these wicked people rebel against the light; they know not its ways, nor do they stay in its paths.
14 Umbulali uyavuka ngovivi, abulale umyanga loswelayo; lebusuku unjengesela.
Before daylight the murderer rises and he kills poor and needy people; in the night he is like a thief.
15 Lelihlo lesiphingi lilindela ukuhlwa, sisithi: Kakulalihlo elizangibona; sifake isimbombozo ebusweni baso.
Also, the eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight; he says, 'No eye will see me.' He disguises his face.
16 Emnyameni ugebha aphutshele ezindlini abaziphawulele zona emini; kabakwazi ukukhanya.
In the darkness wicked people dig into houses; but they shut themselves up in the daytime; they do not care for the light.
17 Ngoba ikuseni kanyekanye ilithunzi lokufa kubo; uba besaziwa bakuzesabiso zethunzi lokufa.
For all of them, thick darkness is like the morning; for they are friends with the terrors of thick darkness.
18 Ulula phezu kobuso bamanzi; isabelo sabo siqalekisiwe emhlabeni; kaphendukeli endleleni yezivini.
Swiftly they pass away, however, like foam on the surface of the waters; their portion of the land is cursed; no one goes to work in their vineyards.
19 Imbalela lokutshisa kuqeda amanzi eliqhwa elikhithikileyo, ngokunjalo ingcwaba abonileyo. (Sheol h7585)
As drought and heat melt away the snow into waters, so Sheol takes away those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
20 Isizalo sizamkhohlwa, impethu izammunya, engabe esakhunjulwa, lenkohlakalo izakwephulwa njengesihlahla.
The womb that bore him will forget him; the worm will feed sweetly on him; he will be remembered no more; in this way, wickedness will be broken like a tree.
21 Udla ngokuminza inyumba engazaliyo, kamenzeli okuhle umfelokazi.
The wicked one devours the barren women who have not borne children; he does no good to the widow.
22 Njalo udonsa abalamandla ngamandla akhe, uyavuka, njalo kungabi lolethemba lempilo.
Yet God drags away the mighty people by his power; he rises up and does not strengthen them in life.
23 Uyamnika ukuze alondolozeke, eseyama kukho, kodwa amehlo akhe aphezu kwendlela zabo.
God allows them to think they are secure, and they are happy about that, but his eyes are on their ways.
24 Bayaphakanyiswa okwesikhatshana, babesebengasekho, behliselwa phansi, bavalelwe njengaye wonke, bayaqunywa njengesihloko sesikhwebu.
These people are exalted; still, in only a little while, they will be gone; indeed, they will be brought low; they will be gathered up like all the others; they will be cut off like the tops of ears of grain.
25 Uba-ke kungenjalo, ngubani ongangenza umqambimanga, enze inkulumo yami ibe yize?
If it is not so, who can prove me to be a liar; who can make my speech worth nothing?”
