UJobe 34
1 Wasephendula uElihu wathi:
Furthermore Elihu responded, and said: —
2 Zwanini amazwi ami, zihlakaniphi, lani zazi, libeke indlebe kimi.
Hear, ye wise men, my words, and, ye who know, give ear unto me;
3 Ngoba indlebe ihlola amazwi, njengolwanga lunambitha ukudla.
For, the ear, trieth words, as, the palate, tasteth in eating.
4 Asizikhetheleni isahlulelo; sazi phakathi kwethu okuhle.
What is right, let us choose for ourselves, Let us know, among ourselves, what is good;
5 Ngoba uJobe uthe: Ngilungile, kodwa uNkulunkulu ususe isahlulelo sami;
For Job hath said—I am righteous, But, GOD, hath turned away my right;
6 ngiqamba amanga ngimelene lelungelo lami; umtshoko wami kawelapheki, ngaphandle kwesiphambeko.
Concerning mine own right, shall I tell a falsehood? Incurable is my disease—not for any transgression.
7 Nguwuphi umuntu onjengoJobe? Unatha ukuklolodelwa njengamanzi,
What man is like Job? He drinketh in scoffing like water;
8 ahambahambe exukwini labenzi bobubi, ahambe labantu benkohlakalo.
And is on the way to keep company, with the workers of iniquity, and to walk with lawless men.
9 Ngoba uthe: Kakumsizi umuntu nxa ethokoza ngoNkulunkulu.
For he hath said, It profiteth not a man, when, his good pleasure, is with God.
10 Ngakho, bantu bengqondo, ngilalelani: Kakube khatshana loNkulunkulu ukwenza inkohlakalo, loSomandla ukwenza isiphambeko.
Wherefore, ye men of mind, hearken unto me, —Far be it, that, GOD, should be lawless, or, the Almighty, be perverse!
11 Ngoba umsebenzi womuntu uzawubuyisela kuye, amenze athole njengendlela yalowo lalowo.
For, what any son of earth doeth, he repayeth him, and, according to every man’s course, he causeth him to find.
12 Yebo, isibili uNkulunkulu kenzi okubi, njalo uSomandla kagobisi isehlulelo.
Nay, verily, GOD, will not condemn unjustly, —nor, the Almighty, pervert justice.
13 Ngubani owambeka phezu komhlaba? Kumbe ngubani owamisa umhlaba wonke?
Who set him in charge of the earth? Or who appointed [him] the whole world?
14 Uba ebeka inhliziyo yakhe phezu kwakhe, uzabuthela umoya wakhe lomphefumulo wakhe kuye.
If he should set against him his heart, His spirit and his inspiration, unto himself he should withdraw.
15 Inyama yonke ibizaphela kanyekanye, lomuntu abuyele ethulini.
All flesh together, would cease to breathe, and, the earth-born, unto dust, would return.
16 Uba kulokuqedisisa-ke, zwana lokhu, ubeke indlebe elizwini lamazwi ami.
If then [thou hast] understanding, hear this, Give thou ear to the teaching of my words: —
17 Kambe, ozonda isehlulelo ubengabusa yini? Kambe uzamlahla yini olungileyo kakhulu?
Shall, the very hater of right, control? Or, the just—the mighty one, wilt thou condemn?
18 Angatsho yini enkosini: Mkhohlisi; kuziphathamandla: Lina abangelaNkulunkulu?
Doth one say to a king, Abandoned one! Or, Lawless one! unto nobles?
19 Kuye ongemukeli ubuso beziphathamandla, engananzi isinothi phambi komyanga? Ngoba bonke bangumsebenzi wezandla zakhe.
For he hath shewn no respect of persons unto princes, neither hath he recognised the rich rather than the poor? For, the work of his hands, are they all.
20 Bayafa ngesikhatshana; laphakathi kobusuku abantu bayaqhuqhiswa, bedlule; kuzasuswa olamandla kungelasandla.
In a moment, they die, even in the middle of the night, —A people are convulsed when they pass away, A mighty one is removed, without hand;
21 Ngoba amehlo akhe aphezu kwendlela zomuntu, uyabona zonke izinyathelo zakhe.
For, his eyes, are on the ways of a man, and, all his footsteps, he beholdeth, —
22 Kakulamnyama njalo kakulathunzi lokufa lapho abenzi bobubi abangacatsha khona.
No darkness, and no death-shade, where the workers of iniquity may hide.
23 Ngoba kabi lokhu enaka umuntu, ukuthi aye kuNkulunkulu esahlulelweni.
For, unto no man, doth he appoint a repetition, —in going unto GOD in judgment;
24 Uyaphahlaza abalamandla kungahlolwanga, amise abanye endaweni zabo.
He shattereth mighty ones unsearchably, and setteth up others in their stead:
25 Ngakho uyayazi imisebenzi yabo, uyabagenqula ebusuku, bachotshozwe.
Therefore, he observeth their works, —and overturneth [them] in a night, and they are crushed;
26 Uyabatshaya njengababi endaweni yababukelayo.
In the place of lawless men, hath he chastised them, in presence of beholders.
27 Ngenxa yokuthi bephambukile ekumlandeleni, bengananzanga leyodwa yezindlela zakhe,
Forasmuch, as they turned from following him, and, none of his ways, did they teach;
28 baze benza ukukhala komyanga kufike kuye, njalo wakuzwa ukukhala kwabahluphekayo.
Causing to reach him the outcry of the poor, Yea, the outcry of the oppressed, he heareth.
29 Lapho yena ethulisa, ngubani-ke ongaziphatha ngenkohliso? Lapho efihla ubuso, ngubani-ke ongambona? Loba esizweni loba emuntwini eyedwa.
When, he, giveth quiet, who then shall condemn? And, when he hideth [his] face, who then shall sing of him? whether unto a nation or unto mankind altogether,
30 Ukuze abantu abangabazenzisi bangabusi, ukuze bangabi yimijibila ebantwini.
That impious men may not reign, nor be ensnarers of the people.
31 Isibili uthe kuNkulunkulu: Ngithwele isijeziso, kangiyikona.
For, unto GOD, hath one [ever] said—I have borne punishment, I will not be perverse;
32 Lokhu engingakuboniyo ngifundise wena; uba ngenze okubi kangisayikukwenza futhi.
What I see not, do, thou, shew me, If, perverseness, I have wrought, I will do it no more?
33 Uzaphindisela yini njengokuthanda kwakho, loba uyala, loba wena ukhetha, njalo kungesimi? Wazini-ke? Khuluma.
According to thy mind, must he requite it, that thou hast refused? For, thou, must choose, and not, I, What then thou knowest, speak!
34 Abantu abalokuqedisisa bazakhuluma kimi, lomuntu ohlakaniphileyo uzangizwa.
The men of mind, will say to me, yea any wise man hearkening unto me: —
35 UJobe ukhulume engelalwazi, lamazwi akhe kawalanhlakanipho.
Job, without knowledge, doth speak, and, his words, are not with discretion.
36 Kungathi ngabe uJobe uyahlolwa kuze kube sekupheleni, ngenxa yempendulo zakhe njengabantu ababi.
Would that Job might be tested to the uttermost, for replying with the men of iniquity:
37 Ngoba esonweni sakhe wengezelela ububi, etshaya izandla phakathi kwethu, esandisa amazwi akhe emelene loNkulunkulu.
For he addeth—unto his sin—rebellion, In our midst, he clappeth his hands, and multiplieth his sayings against GOD.
