UJobe 34
1 Wasephendula uElihu wathi:
Moreover, Elihu continued to speak:
2 Zwanini amazwi ami, zihlakaniphi, lani zazi, libeke indlebe kimi.
“Listen to my words, you wise men; hear me, you who have knowledge.
3 Ngoba indlebe ihlola amazwi, njengolwanga lunambitha ukudla.
For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food.
4 Asizikhetheleni isahlulelo; sazi phakathi kwethu okuhle.
Let us choose for ourselves what is just: let us discover among ourselves what is good.
5 Ngoba uJobe uthe: Ngilungile, kodwa uNkulunkulu ususe isahlulelo sami;
For Job has said, 'I am righteous, but God has taken away my rights.
6 ngiqamba amanga ngimelene lelungelo lami; umtshoko wami kawelapheki, ngaphandle kwesiphambeko.
Regardless of my rights, I am considered to be a liar. My wound is incurable, although I am without sin.'
7 Nguwuphi umuntu onjengoJobe? Unatha ukuklolodelwa njengamanzi,
What man is like Job, who drinks up mockery like water,
8 ahambahambe exukwini labenzi bobubi, ahambe labantu benkohlakalo.
who goes around in the company of those who do evil, and who walks with wicked men?
9 Ngoba uthe: Kakumsizi umuntu nxa ethokoza ngoNkulunkulu.
For he has said, 'It is no use to a person to take pleasure in doing what God wants.'
10 Ngakho, bantu bengqondo, ngilalelani: Kakube khatshana loNkulunkulu ukwenza inkohlakalo, loSomandla ukwenza isiphambeko.
So listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness; far be it from the Almighty that he should commit sin.
11 Ngoba umsebenzi womuntu uzawubuyisela kuye, amenze athole njengendlela yalowo lalowo.
For he pays back a person's work; he makes every man come upon the reward of his own ways.
12 Yebo, isibili uNkulunkulu kenzi okubi, njalo uSomandla kagobisi isehlulelo.
Indeed, God does nothing wicked, nor does the Almighty ever pervert justice.
13 Ngubani owambeka phezu komhlaba? Kumbe ngubani owamisa umhlaba wonke?
Who put him in charge over the earth? Who put the whole world under him?
14 Uba ebeka inhliziyo yakhe phezu kwakhe, uzabuthela umoya wakhe lomphefumulo wakhe kuye.
If he ever set his intentions only on himself, and if he ever gathered back to himself his spirit and his breath,
15 Inyama yonke ibizaphela kanyekanye, lomuntu abuyele ethulini.
then all flesh would perish together; mankind would return to dust again.
16 Uba kulokuqedisisa-ke, zwana lokhu, ubeke indlebe elizwini lamazwi ami.
If now you have understanding, listen to this; listen to the sound of my words.
17 Kambe, ozonda isehlulelo ubengabusa yini? Kambe uzamlahla yini olungileyo kakhulu?
Can one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn God, who is righteous and mighty?
18 Angatsho yini enkosini: Mkhohlisi; kuziphathamandla: Lina abangelaNkulunkulu?
God, who says to a king, 'You are vile,' or says to nobles, 'You are wicked'?
19 Kuye ongemukeli ubuso beziphathamandla, engananzi isinothi phambi komyanga? Ngoba bonke bangumsebenzi wezandla zakhe.
God, who does not show favoritism to leaders and does not acknowledge rich people more than poor, for they all are the work of his hands.
20 Bayafa ngesikhatshana; laphakathi kobusuku abantu bayaqhuqhiswa, bedlule; kuzasuswa olamandla kungelasandla.
In a moment they will die; at midnight people will be shaken and will pass away; mighty people will be taken away, but not by human hands.
21 Ngoba amehlo akhe aphezu kwendlela zomuntu, uyabona zonke izinyathelo zakhe.
For God's eyes are upon a person's ways; he sees all his steps.
22 Kakulamnyama njalo kakulathunzi lokufa lapho abenzi bobubi abangacatsha khona.
There is no darkness, no thick gloom where the doers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 Ngoba kabi lokhu enaka umuntu, ukuthi aye kuNkulunkulu esahlulelweni.
For God does not need to examine a person further; there is no need for any person to go before him in judgment.
24 Uyaphahlaza abalamandla kungahlolwanga, amise abanye endaweni zabo.
He breaks mighty men into pieces for their ways that need no further investigation; he puts others in their places.
25 Ngakho uyayazi imisebenzi yabo, uyabagenqula ebusuku, bachotshozwe.
In this way he has knowledge of their deeds; he overthrows these people in the night; they are destroyed.
26 Uyabatshaya njengababi endaweni yababukelayo.
In the open sight of others, he kills them for their wicked deeds like criminals
27 Ngenxa yokuthi bephambukile ekumlandeleni, bengananzanga leyodwa yezindlela zakhe,
because they turned away from following him and refused to acknowledge any of his ways.
28 baze benza ukukhala komyanga kufike kuye, njalo wakuzwa ukukhala kwabahluphekayo.
In this way, they made the cry of poor people come to him; he heard the cry of afflicted people.
29 Lapho yena ethulisa, ngubani-ke ongaziphatha ngenkohliso? Lapho efihla ubuso, ngubani-ke ongambona? Loba esizweni loba emuntwini eyedwa.
When he stays silent, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can perceive him? He rules over nation and individual alike,
30 Ukuze abantu abangabazenzisi bangabusi, ukuze bangabi yimijibila ebantwini.
so that a godless man may not rule, so that there may be no one to entrap people.
31 Isibili uthe kuNkulunkulu: Ngithwele isijeziso, kangiyikona.
Suppose someone says to God, 'I am certainly guilty, but I will not sin any longer;
32 Lokhu engingakuboniyo ngifundise wena; uba ngenze okubi kangisayikukwenza futhi.
teach me what I cannot see; I have committed sin, but I will do it no longer.'
33 Uzaphindisela yini njengokuthanda kwakho, loba uyala, loba wena ukhetha, njalo kungesimi? Wazini-ke? Khuluma.
Do you think that God will punish that person's sin, since you dislike what God does? You must choose, not I. So say what it is that you know.
34 Abantu abalokuqedisisa bazakhuluma kimi, lomuntu ohlakaniphileyo uzangizwa.
Men of understanding will say to me— indeed, every wise man who hears me will say,
35 UJobe ukhulume engelalwazi, lamazwi akhe kawalanhlakanipho.
'Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without wisdom.'
36 Kungathi ngabe uJobe uyahlolwa kuze kube sekupheleni, ngenxa yempendulo zakhe njengabantu ababi.
If only Job were put on trial in the smallest details of his case because of his talking like wicked men.
37 Ngoba esonweni sakhe wengezelela ububi, etshaya izandla phakathi kwethu, esandisa amazwi akhe emelene loNkulunkulu.
For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands in mockery in our midst; he piles up words against God.”
