UJobe 24
1 Kungani izikhathi zingafihlelwanga uSomandla, labamaziyo bengaboni insuku zakhe?
“Why aren’t times laid up by the Almighty? Why don’t those who know him see his days?
2 Bathuthukisa imingcele, baphange imihlambi bayeluse.
There are people who remove the landmarks. They violently take away flocks, and feed them.
3 Baxotsha ubabhemi wezintandane, bathathe inkabi yomfelokazi ibe yisibambiso.
They drive away the donkey of the fatherless, and 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 all hide themselves.
5 Khangelani, bangobabhemi beganga enkangala, baphumela emsebenzini wabo, badinge impango ngovivi; inkangala ibe yikudla kwakhe lokwabantwana.
Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go out to their work, seeking diligently for food. The wilderness yields them bread for their children.
6 Emasimini bavuna ukudla kwakhe, bakhothoze esivinini somubi.
They cut their food in the field. They glean the vineyard of the wicked.
7 Balala beze ebusuku bengelasembatho, bengelasigubuzelo emqandweni.
They lie all night naked without clothing, and 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.
There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,
10 Bahamba beze bengelasigqoko, labalambileyo bathwala isithungo.
so that they go around naked without clothing. Being hungry, they carry the sheaves.
11 Phakathi kwemiduli yabo bahluza amafutha, banyathela izikhamelo zewayini, kodwa bomile.
They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread wine presses, and suffer thirst.
12 Abantu bayabubula besemzini, lomphefumulo wabalimeleyo uyakhala; kodwa uNkulunkulu kababaleli ukungalungi.
From out of the populous city, men groan. The soul of the wounded cries out, yet God doesn’t regard the folly.
13 Bona baphakathi kwabavukela ukukhanya; kabazazi indlela zakhe, kabahlali emikhondweni yakhe.
“These are of those who rebel against the light. They don’t know its ways, nor stay in its paths.
14 Umbulali uyavuka ngovivi, abulale umyanga loswelayo; lebusuku unjengesela.
The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy. In the night he is like 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 will see me.’ He disguises his face.
16 Emnyameni ugebha aphutshele ezindlini abaziphawulele zona emini; kabakwazi ukukhanya.
In the dark they dig through houses. They shut themselves up in the daytime. They don’t know the light.
17 Ngoba ikuseni kanyekanye ilithunzi lokufa kubo; uba besaziwa bakuzesabiso zethunzi lokufa.
For the morning is to all of them like thick darkness, for they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
18 Ulula phezu kobuso bamanzi; isabelo sabo siqalekisiwe emhlabeni; kaphendukeli endleleni yezivini.
“They are foam on the surface of the waters. Their portion is cursed in the earth. They don’t turn into 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 Sheol those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
20 Isizalo sizamkhohlwa, impethu izammunya, engabe esakhunjulwa, lenkohlakalo izakwephulwa njengesihlahla.
The womb will forget him. The worm will feed sweetly on him. He will be no more remembered. Unrighteousness will be broken as a tree.
21 Udla ngokuminza inyumba engazaliyo, kamenzeli okuhle umfelokazi.
He devours the barren who don’t bear. He shows no kindness to the widow.
22 Njalo udonsa abalamandla ngamandla akhe, uyavuka, njalo kungabi lolethemba lempilo.
Yet God preserves the mighty by his power. He rises up who has no assurance of life.
23 Uyamnika ukuze alondolozeke, eseyama kukho, kodwa amehlo akhe aphezu kwendlela zabo.
God gives them security, and they rest in it. His eyes are on their ways.
24 Bayaphakanyiswa okwesikhatshana, babesebengasekho, behliselwa phansi, bavalelwe njengaye wonke, bayaqunywa njengesihloko sesikhwebu.
They are exalted; yet a little while, and they are gone. Yes, they are brought low, they are taken out of the way as all others, and are cut off as the tops of the ears of grain.
25 Uba-ke kungenjalo, ngubani ongangenza umqambimanga, enze inkulumo yami ibe yize?
If it isn’t so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech worth nothing?”
