UJobe 33
1 Kube kanti-ke, Jobe, ake uzwe inkulumo zami, ubeke indlebe kuwo wonke amazwi ami.
So now, Job, I beg you, hear my speech; listen to all my words.
2 Khangelani, sengivule umlomo wami, ulimi lwami lukhuluma emlonyeni wami.
See now, I have opened my mouth; my tongue has spoken in my mouth.
3 Amazwi ami angawokuqonda kwenhliziyo yami, azakhuluma ulwazi lwendebe zami ngokuhlanzeka.
My words come from the uprightness of my heart; my lips speak pure knowledge.
4 UMoya kaNkulunkulu wangenza, lokuphefumula kukaSomandla kwanginika impilo.
The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty has given me life.
5 Uba ulakho ngiphendula; zihlele phambi kwami, uzimise.
If you can, answer me; set your words in order before me and stand up.
6 Khangela, nginjengawe kuNkulunkulu, lami ngathatshwa ebumbeni.
See, I am just as you are in God's sight; I also have been formed out of the clay.
7 Khangela, ukwethusa kwami kungakwethusi, lesandla sami singabi nzima phezu kwakho.
See, terror of me will not make you afraid; neither will my pressure be heavy upon you.
8 Isibili ukhulume endlebeni zami, ngezwa ilizwi lamazwi, uthi:
You have certainly spoken in my hearing; I have heard the sound of your words saying,
9 Ngimsulwa, kangilasiphambeko, ngihlanzekile, njalo kakulabubi kimi.
'I am clean and without transgression; I am innocent, and there is no sin in me.
10 Khangela, uthola amathuba okumelana lami, ungibala njengesitha sakhe.
See, God finds opportunities to attack me; he regards me as his enemy.
11 Ufaka inyawo zami esigodweni, aqaphele zonke indlela zami.
He puts my feet in stocks; he watches all my paths.'
12 Khangela, kulokhu kawulunganga; ngizakuphendula, ngoba uNkulunkulu mkhulu kulomuntu.
See, in this you are not right—I will answer you, for God is greater than man.
13 Umphikiselani? Ngoba engaphenduli leyodwa yezindaba zakhe.
Why do you struggle against him? He does not account for any of his doings.
14 Ngoba uNkulunkulu ukhuluma kanye, yebo, kabili, engekho onanzayo.
For God speaks once— yes, twice, though man does not notice it.
15 Ephutsheni, kumbono webusuku, lapho ubuthongo obunzima busehlela abantu, ekuwozeleni embhedeni;
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, in slumber on the bed—
16 abesesembula indlebe yabantu, aphawule ukuqondiswa kwabo;
then God opens the ears of men, and frightens them with threats,
17 ukuze aphambule umuntu ekwenzenikwakhe, afihle ukuzigqaja emuntwini,
in order to pull man back from his sinful purposes, and keep pride from him.
18 anqande umphefumulo wakhe egodini, lempilo yakhe ekwedluleni ngenkemba.
God keeps man's life back from the pit, his life from crossing over to death.
19 Njalo ujeziswa ngobuhlungu embhedeni wakhe, langokuqaqamba kwamathambo akhe okungapheliyo,
Man is punished also with pain on his bed, with constant agony in his bones,
20 ize impilo yakhe inengwe yisinkwa, lomphefumulo wakhe yikudla okuloyisekayo.
so that his life abhors food, and his soul abhors delicacies.
21 Inyama yakhe iyaphela, ingabonakali, lamathambo akhe abekade engabonakali avele.
His flesh is consumed away so that it cannot be seen; his bones, once not seen, now stick out.
22 Lomphefumulo wakhe useduze legodi, lempilo yakhe kubabulali.
Indeed, his soul draws close to the pit, his life to those who wish to destroy it.
23 Uba kulesithunywa kanye laye, umlamuli, oyedwa phakathi kwenkulungwane, ukutshela umuntu ukuqonda kwakhe,
But if there is an angel who can be a mediator for him, a mediator, one from among the thousands of angels, to show him what is right to do,
24 uzakuba lomusa kuye athi: Mkhulule ekwehleleni egodini, sengithole inhlawulo.
and if the angel is kind to him and says to God, 'Save this person from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for him,'
25 Inyama yakhe izakuba ntsha okwedlula ubutsha; abuyele ensukwini zobutsha bakhe.
then his flesh will become fresher than a child's; he will return to the days of his youthful strength.
26 Akhuleke kuNkulunkulu, ozakuba lesisa kuye, abone ubuso bakhe ngentokozo; ngoba uzabuyisela emuntwini ukulunga kwakhe.
He will pray to God, and God will be kind to him, so that he sees God's face with joy. God will give the person his triumph.
27 Ukhangela ebantwini athi: Ngonile, ngahlanekela okulungileyo, kodwa kakungisizanga.
Then that person will sing in front of other people and say, 'I sinned and perverted that which was right, but my sin was not punished.
28 Uhlengile umphefumulo wami ekwedluleni egodini, lempilo yami izabona ukukhanya.
God has rescued my soul from going down into the pit; my life will continue to see light.'
29 Khangelani, lezizinto uNkulunkulu uyazenza ngomuntu kabili kumbe kathathu,
See, God does all these things with a person, twice, yes, even three times,
30 ukuze abuyise umphefumulo wakhe egodini, ukuze akhanyiswe ngokukhanya kwabaphilayo.
to bring his soul back from the pit, so that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
31 Zwana, Jobe, ungilalele, uthule, njalo mina ngikhulume.
Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent and I will speak.
32 Uba kulamazwi, ungiphendule; khuluma, ngoba ngifisa ukutshengisa ukuthi ulungile.
If you have anything to say, answer me; speak, for I wish to prove that you are in the right.
33 Uba kungenjalo, wena ngilalela; thula, njalo ngizakufundisa inhlakanipho.
If not, then listen to me; remain silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”
