UJobe 3
1 Emva kwalokho uJobe wavula umlomo wakhe, waqalekisa usuku lwakhe.
After this, opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
2 UJobe wasephendula wathi:
So then Job began, and said:
3 Kalubhubhe usuku engazalwa ngalo, lobusuku okwathiwa ngalo: Kukhulelwe umntwana wesilisa.
Perish, the day wherein I was born, and the night it was said, Lo! a manchild!
4 Lolosuku kalube ngumnyama, uNkulunkulu angalunanzi ephezulu, lokukhanya kungalukhanyisi.
That day, be it darkness, —Let not God enquire after it from above, May there shine upon it no clear beam:
5 Umnyama lethunzi lokufa kakuluhlenge, iyezi lihlale phezu kwalo, umnyama welanga ulwesabise.
Let darkness and death-shade buy it back, May there settle down upon it a cloud, Let a day’s dark eclipse cause it terror:
6 Lobobusuku, umnyama ububambe, lungathokozi ensukwini zomnyaka, lungezi kunani lezinyanga.
That night, darkness take it, —May it not rejoice among the days of the year, Into the number of months, let it not enter.
7 Khangela, lobobusuku kabube yinyumba, umsindo wentokozo ungangeni kubo.
Lo! that night, be it barren, Let no joyous shouting enter therein:
8 Kababuqalekise abaqalekisi bosuku, abalungele ukuvusa uLeviyathani.
Let day-cursers denounce it, Those skilled in rousing the dragon of the sky:
9 Zibe mnyama inkanyezi zokusa kwabo, bulindele ukukhanya, kodwa kungabi khona, bungaboni inkophe zokusa.
Darkened be the stars of its twilight, —Let it wait for light, and there be none, neither let it see the eyelashes of the dawn:
10 Ngoba bungavalanga iminyango yesisu sikamama wami, bungafihlanga usizi emehlweni ami.
Because it closed not the doors of the womb wherein I was, and so hid trouble from mine eyes.
11 Kungani ngingafanga kusukela esizalweni, ngiphele ekuphumeni kwami esiswini?
Wherefore, in the womb, did I not die? From the womb, come forth and cease to breathe?
12 Kungani amadolo angandulela? Kungani lamabele ukuthi ngimunye?
For what reason, were there prepared for me—knees? and why—breasts, that I might suck?
13 Ngoba khathesi ngabe ngacambalala ngathula, ngalala, khona ngaba lokuphumula,
Surely, at once, had I lain down, and been quiet, I had fallen asleep, then, had I been at rest:
14 kanye lamakhosi labeluleki bomhlaba abazakhela amanxiwa,
With kings, and counselors of the earth, who had built them pyramids:
15 kumbe kanye leziphathamandla ezazilegolide ezagcwalisa izindlu zazo ngesiliva.
Or with rulers possessing, gold, —Who had filled their houses with silver:
16 Kumbe njengomphunzo ofihliweyo ngingabi khona, njengensane ezingabonanga ukukhanya.
Or that, like an untimely birth hidden away, I had not come into being, like infants that never saw light:
17 Lapho ababi bayekela ukuhlupha, lapho abakhathele ngamandla bephumula.
There, the lawless, cease from raging, and there the toil-worn are at rest:
18 Izibotshwa ziyaphumula ndawonye, kazizwa ilizwi lomcindezeli.
At once are prisoners at peace, they hear not the voice of a driver:
19 Omncinyane lomkhulu balapho, lesigqili sikhululekile enkosini yaso.
Small and great, there, they are, and, the slave, is free from his master.
20 Kungani enika ukukhanya kohluphekayo, lempilo kwabalokubaba komphefumulo;
Wherefore give, to the wretched, light? Or, life, to the embittered in soul?—
21 abalindele ukufa, kodwa kungekho, bekugebha kulenotho efihliweyo,
Who long for death, and it is not, And have digged for it, beyond hid treasures:
22 abathabayo kakhulu ngentokozo, bajabule lapho bethola ingcwaba?
Who rejoice unto exultation, Are glad, when they can find the grave:
23 Emuntwini yini, ondlela yakhe ifihliwe, uNkulunkulu ambiyeleyo?
To a man, whose way is concealed, And GOD hath straitly enclosed him?
24 Ngoba ukububula kwami kuza phambi kokudla kwami, lokubhonga kwami kuthululeka njengamanzi.
For, in the face of my food, my sighing, cometh in, and, poured out like the water, are my groans:
25 Ngoba engikwesabayo ngokwesaba sekungehlele, lengilovalo ngakho kufikile kimi.
For, a dread, I dreaded, and it hath come upon me, and, that from which I shrank, hath overtaken me.
26 Ngangingahlalisekanga, ngingaphumuli, ngingelakuthula, lohlupho lweza.
I was not careless, nor was I secure, nor had I settled down, —when there came—consternation!
