UJobe 31
1 Ngenza isivumelwano lamehlo ami; pho ngingananzelela njani intombi?
A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, —How then could I gaze upon a virgin?
2 Ngoba siyini isabelo sikaNkulunkulu esivela phezulu, lelifa likaSomandla elivela endaweni eziphezulu?
Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Incithakalo kayisiyomubi yini, lengozi yabenzi bobubi?
Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?
4 Yena kaziboni yini indlela zami, abale zonke izinyathelo zami?
Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?
5 Uba ngihambe ngokuyize, kumbe unyawo lwami luphuthumele enkohlisweni,
Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —
6 kangilinganise ngesilinganiso esilungileyo, ukuze uNkulunkulu azi ubuqotho bami.
Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, —and let GOD take note of mine integrity!
7 Uba inyathelo lami liphambukile endleleni, lenhliziyo yami yalandela amehlo ami, kumbe kunamathele isici ezandleni zami;
If my goings have swerved from the way, —and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,
8 kangihlanyele, kodwa kudle omunye, lezilimo zami zisitshulwe.
Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!
9 Uba inhliziyo yami iyengwe ngowesifazana, kumbe ngacathama emnyango kamakhelwane wami,
If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,
10 umkami kacholele omunye, labanye kabaguqe phezu kwakhe.
Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!
11 Ngoba lokho kuyinkohlakalo, njalo kuyisono ngabahluleli.
Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!
12 Ngoba ngumlilo odla kuze kube yincithakalo, usiphule sonke isivuno sami.
Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.
13 Uba ngalile udaba lwenceku yami loba olwencekukazi yami, lapho ziphikisana lami,
If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, when they contended with me,
14 pho ngizakwenzani lapho uNkulunkulu esukuma? Lalapho esethekela, ngizaphendulani kuye?
What then could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered him?
15 Lowo owangenza esiswini kamenzanga yena yini, lowasibumba esiswini munye?
Did not he who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?
16 Uba ngigodlele umyanga isifiso, kumbe ngifiphaze amehlo omfelokazi,
If I withheld—from pleasure—the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;
17 kumbe ngadla ucezu lwami ngedwa, ukuze intandane ingadli kulo
Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;
18 (ngoba kwasebutsheni bami yakhula lami nginjengoyise, ngamqondisa kusukela esizalweni sikamama),
Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:
19 uba ngabona obhubha ngenxa yokuswela isigqoko, loba umyanga engelasembatho,
If I saw one perishing for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
20 uba inkalo zakhe zingangibusisanga, ngoba ekhudunyezwe yiboya bezimvu zami,
If his loins did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;
21 uba ngaphakamisa isandla sami ngimelene lentandane, lapho ngabona usizo lwami esangweni,
If I shook—against the fatherless—my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,
22 kaliwe ihlombe lami esiphangeni sami, lengalo yami iqamuke ethanjeni layo.
Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;
23 Ngoba incithakalo kaNkulunkulu yayiyisesabiso kimi, ngingenelisi ngenxa yobukhulu bakhe.
For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.
24 Uba ngenzile igolide laba lithemba lami, ngathi kugolide elihle: Themba lami.
If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!
25 Uba ngithokozile ngoba inotho yami inengi, langoba isandla sami sithole okunengi;
If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;
26 uba ngikhangele ilanga lapho libenyezela, loba inyanga ehamba enkazimulweni,
If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;
27 lenhliziyo yami yayengwa ensitha, kumbe isandla sami sange umlomo wami,
And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed my mouth,
28 lalokho yisiphambeko phambi kwabehluleli, ngoba ngabe ngimphikile uNkulunkulu waphezulu.
That too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false to GOD, above.
29 Uba ngithokozile ngokuchitheka kongizondayo, kumbe ngajabula lapho ububi bumthola;
If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; —
30 njalo ngingavumelanga umlomo wami ukuthi wone, ngokucela umphefumulo wakhe ngesiqalekiso;
Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:
31 uba abantu bethente lami bebengatshongo ukuthi: Hawu, aluba besilokwenyama yakhe, ngabe kasisuthanga.
If the men of my household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh—we cannot get filled,
32 Owemzini kazanga alale esitaladeni; iminyango yami ngayivulela isihambi.
Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors—to the wayfarer, I threw open.
33 Uba ngasibekela iziphambeko zami njengoAdamu, ngokufihla isono sami esifubeni sami.
If I covered, like Adam, my transgressions, by hiding in my bosom mine iniquity,
34 Ngoba ngethuswa lixuku elikhulu, lokudelelwa ngabensendo kwangesabisa, ngakho ngathula, kangaze ngaphuma emnyango.
Then let me be made to tremble at a great throng, yea let, the contempt of families, terrify me, so that, keeping silence, I shall not go out of the door!
35 Kungathi ngabe ngilongangizwa! Khangelani uphawu lwami. Kungathi uSomandla angangiphendula, lokuthi ophikisana lami ngabe ubhale ugwalo!
Oh that I had one to hear me, Lo! my crossmark, May, the Almighty, answer me! And would that, a book, mine opponent had written!
36 Isibili, bengingaluthwala ehlombe lami, ngilubophe lube ngumqhele kimi.
Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;
37 Ngimtshele inani lezinyathelo zami, ngisondele kuye njengesiphathamandla.
The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.
38 Uba umhlaba wami ukhalile ngami, lemifolo yawo ililile ndawonye,
If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;
39 uba ngidlile amandla awo kungelamali, kumbe ngenza umphefumulo wabaniniwo uphele,
If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;
40 kakuhlume ukhula oluhlabayo endaweni yengqoloyi, lokhula olunukayo endaweni yebhali. Amazwi kaJobe asephelile.
Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.
