UJobe 31
1 Ngenza isivumelwano lamehlo ami; pho ngingananzelela njani intombi?
“I made a covenant for my eyes, And how do I attend to a virgin?
2 Ngoba siyini isabelo sikaNkulunkulu esivela phezulu, lelifa likaSomandla elivela endaweni eziphezulu?
And what [is] the portion of God from above? And the inheritance of the Mighty from the heights?
3 Incithakalo kayisiyomubi yini, lengozi yabenzi bobubi?
Is not calamity to the perverse? And strangeness to workers of iniquity?
4 Yena kaziboni yini indlela zami, abale zonke izinyathelo zami?
Does He not see my ways, And number all my steps?
5 Uba ngihambe ngokuyize, kumbe unyawo lwami luphuthumele enkohlisweni,
If I have walked with vanity, And my foot hurries to deceit,
6 kangilinganise ngesilinganiso esilungileyo, ukuze uNkulunkulu azi ubuqotho bami.
He weighs me in righteous balances, And God knows my integrity.
7 Uba inyathelo lami liphambukile endleleni, lenhliziyo yami yalandela amehlo ami, kumbe kunamathele isici ezandleni zami;
If my step turns aside from the way, And my heart has gone after my eyes, And blemish has cleaved to my hands,
8 kangihlanyele, kodwa kudle omunye, lezilimo zami zisitshulwe.
Let me sow—and another eat, And let my products be rooted out.
9 Uba inhliziyo yami iyengwe ngowesifazana, kumbe ngacathama emnyango kamakhelwane wami,
If my heart has been enticed by a woman, And I laid wait by the opening of my neighbor,
10 umkami kacholele omunye, labanye kabaguqe phezu kwakhe.
Let my wife grind to another, And let others bend over her.
11 Ngoba lokho kuyinkohlakalo, njalo kuyisono ngabahluleli.
For it [is] a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity;
12 Ngoba ngumlilo odla kuze kube yincithakalo, usiphule sonke isivuno sami.
For it [is] a fire, it consumes to destruction, And takes root among all my increase,
13 Uba ngalile udaba lwenceku yami loba olwencekukazi yami, lapho ziphikisana lami,
If I despise the cause of my manservant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me,
14 pho ngizakwenzani lapho uNkulunkulu esukuma? Lalapho esethekela, ngizaphendulani kuye?
Then what do I do when God arises? And when He inspects, What do I answer Him?
15 Lowo owangenza esiswini kamenzanga yena yini, lowasibumba esiswini munye?
Did He that made me in the womb not make him? Indeed, One prepares us in the womb.
16 Uba ngigodlele umyanga isifiso, kumbe ngifiphaze amehlo omfelokazi,
If I withhold the poor from pleasure, And consume the eyes of the widow,
17 kumbe ngadla ucezu lwami ngedwa, ukuze intandane ingadli kulo
And I eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan has nothing [to] eat of it,
18 (ngoba kwasebutsheni bami yakhula lami nginjengoyise, ngamqondisa kusukela esizalweni sikamama),
(But from my youth He grew up with me as [with] a father, And from the belly of my mother I am led),
19 uba ngabona obhubha ngenxa yokuswela isigqoko, loba umyanga engelasembatho,
If I see [any] perishing without clothing, And there is no covering for the needy,
20 uba inkalo zakhe zingangibusisanga, ngoba ekhudunyezwe yiboya bezimvu zami,
If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He does not warm himself,
21 uba ngaphakamisa isandla sami ngimelene lentandane, lapho ngabona usizo lwami esangweni,
If I have waved my hand at the fatherless, When I see [him] in the gate of my court,
22 kaliwe ihlombe lami esiphangeni sami, lengalo yami iqamuke ethanjeni layo.
Let my shoulder fall from its blade, And the bone from my arm be broken.
23 Ngoba incithakalo kaNkulunkulu yayiyisesabiso kimi, ngingenelisi ngenxa yobukhulu bakhe.
For calamity [from] God [is] a dread to me, And because of His excellence I am not able.
24 Uba ngenzile igolide laba lithemba lami, ngathi kugolide elihle: Themba lami.
If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, My trust;
25 Uba ngithokozile ngoba inotho yami inengi, langoba isandla sami sithole okunengi;
If I rejoice because my wealth [is] great, And because my hand has found abundance,
26 uba ngikhangele ilanga lapho libenyezela, loba inyanga ehamba enkazimulweni,
If I see the light when it shines, And the precious moon walking,
27 lenhliziyo yami yayengwa ensitha, kumbe isandla sami sange umlomo wami,
And my heart is enticed in secret, And my hand kisses my mouth,
28 lalokho yisiphambeko phambi kwabehluleli, ngoba ngabe ngimphikile uNkulunkulu waphezulu.
It also [is] a judicial iniquity, For I had lied to God above.
29 Uba ngithokozile ngokuchitheka kongizondayo, kumbe ngajabula lapho ububi bumthola;
If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil found him,
30 njalo ngingavumelanga umlomo wami ukuthi wone, ngokucela umphefumulo wakhe ngesiqalekiso;
Indeed, I have not permitted my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.
31 uba abantu bethente lami bebengatshongo ukuthi: Hawu, aluba besilokwenyama yakhe, ngabe kasisuthanga.
If not, say, O men of my tent: O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.
32 Owemzini kazanga alale esitaladeni; iminyango yami ngayivulela isihambi.
A stranger does not lodge in the street, I open my doors to the traveler.
33 Uba ngasibekela iziphambeko zami njengoAdamu, ngokufihla isono sami esifubeni sami.
If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, To hide my iniquity in my bosom,
34 Ngoba ngethuswa lixuku elikhulu, lokudelelwa ngabensendo kwangesabisa, ngakho ngathula, kangaze ngaphuma emnyango.
Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families frightens me, Then I am silent, I do not go out of the opening.
35 Kungathi ngabe ngilongangizwa! Khangelani uphawu lwami. Kungathi uSomandla angangiphendula, lokuthi ophikisana lami ngabe ubhale ugwalo!
Who gives to me a hearing? Behold, my mark. The Mighty One answers me, And my adversary has written a bill.
36 Isibili, bengingaluthwala ehlombe lami, ngilubophe lube ngumqhele kimi.
If not—on my shoulder I take it up, I bind it [as] a crown on myself.
37 Ngimtshele inani lezinyathelo zami, ngisondele kuye njengesiphathamandla.
The number of my steps I tell Him, As a leader I approach Him.
38 Uba umhlaba wami ukhalile ngami, lemifolo yawo ililile ndawonye,
If my land cries out against me, And together its furrows weep,
39 uba ngidlile amandla awo kungelamali, kumbe ngenza umphefumulo wabaniniwo uphele,
If I consumed its strength without money, And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out,
40 kakuhlume ukhula oluhlabayo endaweni yengqoloyi, lokhula olunukayo endaweni yebhali. Amazwi kaJobe asephelile.
Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed!” The words of Job are finished.
