UJobe 3
1 Emva kwalokho uJobe wavula umlomo wakhe, waqalekisa usuku lwakhe.
After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born.
2 UJobe wasephendula wathi:
He said,
3 Kalubhubhe usuku engazalwa ngalo, lobusuku okwathiwa ngalo: Kukhulelwe umntwana wesilisa.
“May the day on which I was born perish, the night that said, 'A boy has been conceived.'
4 Lolosuku kalube ngumnyama, uNkulunkulu angalunanzi ephezulu, lokukhanya kungalukhanyisi.
May that day be dark; may not God from above call it to mind, neither may the sun shine on it.
5 Umnyama lethunzi lokufa kakuluhlenge, iyezi lihlale phezu kwalo, umnyama welanga ulwesabise.
May darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own. May a cloud live over it; may everything that makes the day black truly terrify it.
6 Lobobusuku, umnyama ububambe, lungathokozi ensukwini zomnyaka, lungezi kunani lezinyanga.
As for that night, may thick darkness seize it. May it not rejoice among the days of the year; may it not come into the number of the months.
7 Khangela, lobobusuku kabube yinyumba, umsindo wentokozo ungangeni kubo.
See, may that night be barren; may no joyful voice come into it.
8 Kababuqalekise abaqalekisi bosuku, abalungele ukuvusa uLeviyathani.
May they curse that day, those who know how to wake up Leviathan.
9 Zibe mnyama inkanyezi zokusa kwabo, bulindele ukukhanya, kodwa kungabi khona, bungaboni inkophe zokusa.
May the stars of that day's dawn be dark. May that day look for light, but find none; neither may it see the eyelids of the dawn,
10 Ngoba bungavalanga iminyango yesisu sikamama wami, bungafihlanga usizi emehlweni ami.
because it did not shut up the doors of my mother's womb, and because it did not hide trouble from my eyes.
11 Kungani ngingafanga kusukela esizalweni, ngiphele ekuphumeni kwami esiswini?
Why did I not die when I came out from the womb? Why did I not give up my spirit when my mother bore me?
12 Kungani amadolo angandulela? Kungani lamabele ukuthi ngimunye?
Why did her knees welcome me? Why did her breasts receive me so that I should suck?
13 Ngoba khathesi ngabe ngacambalala ngathula, ngalala, khona ngaba lokuphumula,
For now I would have been lying down quietly. I would have slept and been at rest
14 kanye lamakhosi labeluleki bomhlaba abazakhela amanxiwa,
with kings and counselors of the earth, who built up tombs for themselves that are now in ruins.
15 kumbe kanye leziphathamandla ezazilegolide ezagcwalisa izindlu zazo ngesiliva.
Or I would have been lying with princes who once had gold, who had filled their houses with silver.
16 Kumbe njengomphunzo ofihliweyo ngingabi khona, njengensane ezingabonanga ukukhanya.
Or perhaps I would have been stillborn, like infants that never see the light.
17 Lapho ababi bayekela ukuhlupha, lapho abakhathele ngamandla bephumula.
There the wicked cease from trouble; there the weary are at rest.
18 Izibotshwa ziyaphumula ndawonye, kazizwa ilizwi lomcindezeli.
There the prisoners are at ease together; they do not hear the voice of the slave driver.
19 Omncinyane lomkhulu balapho, lesigqili sikhululekile enkosini yaso.
Both small and great people are there; the servant is free from his master there.
20 Kungani enika ukukhanya kohluphekayo, lempilo kwabalokubaba komphefumulo;
Why is light given to him who is in misery? Why is life given to the one who is bitter in soul,
21 abalindele ukufa, kodwa kungekho, bekugebha kulenotho efihliweyo,
to one who longs for death without it coming; to one who digs for death more than for hidden treasure?
22 abathabayo kakhulu ngentokozo, bajabule lapho bethola ingcwaba?
Why is light given to one who rejoices very much and is glad when he finds the grave?
23 Emuntwini yini, ondlela yakhe ifihliwe, uNkulunkulu ambiyeleyo?
Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, a man whom God has hedged in?
24 Ngoba ukububula kwami kuza phambi kokudla kwami, lokubhonga kwami kuthululeka njengamanzi.
For my sighing happens instead of eating; my groaning is poured out like water.
25 Ngoba engikwesabayo ngokwesaba sekungehlele, lengilovalo ngakho kufikile kimi.
For the thing that I feared has come on me; what I was afraid of has come to me.
26 Ngangingahlalisekanga, ngingaphumuli, ngingelakuthula, lohlupho lweza.
I am not at ease, I am not quiet, and I have no rest; trouble comes instead.”
