< UJobe 36 >
1 UElihu waseqhubeka wathi:
Elihu [finished by] saying this:
2 Ngibekezelela kancinyane, ngizakubonisa ukuthi kuseselamazwi ngoNkulunkulu.
“[Job, ] be patient with me a little longer, because I have something else to teach you. I have something else to say that God [wants you to know].
3 Ngizathatha ulwazi lwami luvela khatshana, nginike ukulunga kuMenzi wami.
I will tell you what I have learned from many sources, in order to show that God, my creator, is just/fair.
4 Ngoba isibili amazwi ami kawayisiwo amanga; opheleleyo elwazini ulawe.
I am not saying anything to you that is false; I, who am standing in front of you, am someone who understands things (very well/perfectly) [HYP].
5 Khangela, uNkulunkulu ulamandla, njalo keyisi; mkhulu emandleni okuqedisisa.
“Hey, God is [very] powerful, and he does not despise anyone, and he understands everything.
6 Kayekeli omubi aphile, kodwa unika abayanga okulungileyo.
He does not allow wicked people to remain alive, and he always acts justly toward those who are poor.
7 Kasusi amehlo akhe kolungileyo, kodwa balamakhosi esihlalweni sobukhosi; yebo, uyawahlalisa phakade, abesephakama.
He always watches over [MTY] those who are righteous; he allows them to sit on thrones [and rule] with kings, and they are honored forever.
8 Njalo uba bebotshiwe ngezibopho, bethunjwe ngezintambo zenhlupheko,
But if people [who commit crimes] are caught, they [are thrown into prison and] are caused to suffer by being fastened with chains.
9 abesebatshela isenzo sabo, leziphambeko zabo, ukuthi zazilamandla.
When that happens, God shows them what they have done; he shows them the sins that they have committed, and he shows them that they have been proud/arrogant.
10 Uyavula indlebe yabo ekulayweni, alaye baphenduke ebubini.
He causes them to listen [MTY] to what he is warning them, and he commands them to turn away from [doing what is] evil.
11 Uba belalela, bamkhonze, bazachitha insuku zabo kokuhle, leminyaka yabo ezintokozweni.
If they (listen to/heed) him and serve him, [after they get out of prison] they will prosper for all the years that they are alive and be peaceful/happy.
12 Kodwa uba bengalaleli, bazadlula ngomkhonto, baphele bengelalwazi.
But if they do not (listen/pay attention) to him, they will die violently, not knowing [why God is causing them to die].
13 Labangamesabiyo uNkulunkulu ngenhliziyo babuthelela intukuthelo; kabakhali esebabophile.
“Godless/Wicked people continue being angry, and they do not cry out for help, [even] when God is punishing them.
14 Umphefumulo wabo uzafela ebutsheni, lempilo yabo phakathi kwezinkotshana.
They die while they are still young, disgraced because of their very immoral behavior [EUP].
15 Uzakhulula ohluphekayo ekuhluphekeni kwakhe, avule indlebe yabo ecindezelweni.
But God teaches people by causing them to suffer; by afflicting them, he causes them to listen to [MTY] what he is telling them.
16 Yebo, lawe wakuhuga ukuthi uphume emlonyeni wocindezelo uye endaweni ebanzi, okungelacindezelo kuyo, lokuphezu kwetafula lakho kuzagcwala amanono.
“And Job, [I think that] God [wants to] bring you out of your troubles and allow you to live without distress; he wants your table to be full of very nice food.
17 Kodwa ugcwalise isigwebo somubi; isigwebo lokulunga kukubambile.
But now, you are being punished [MTY] as wicked people are punished; [God] [PRS] has been punishing you (justly/as you deserve).
18 Qaphela ulaka lungakuhugeli ekuklolodeni, lobukhulu benhlawulo bungakuphambuli.
So be careful that you are not deceived by [desiring to acquire] money or that you are not ruined by [accepting] large bribes.
19 Ubengalinganisa inotho yakho, ukuthi ubungebe ecindezelweni, lemizamo yonke elamandla?
[If you are deceived by those things, ] it certainly will not [RHQ] help you to cry out when you are distressed; all of your strength will not help you.
20 Ungakhefuzeleli lobobusuku bokususwa kwabantu endaweni yabo.
Do not wish that it would be nighttime [in order that God will not see you and punish you], because night is the time when [even] people-groups are destroyed!
21 Qaphela, ungaphendukeli ebubini, ngoba ukhethe lokho kulokuhlupheka.
Be careful not to [begin doing] evil things, because [God] has caused you to suffer to prevent you from doing evil.
22 Khangela, uNkulunkulu uziphakamisa ngamandla akhe; ngubani ongumfundisi njengaye?
“Hey, God is extremely powerful; there is certainly [RHQ] no teacher who teaches like he does.
23 Ngubani ommisele indlela yakhe? Kumbe ngubani othe: Wenze ububi?
No one has [RHQ] told him what he should do, and no one has [RHQ] said to him, ‘You have done what is wrong!’
24 Khumbula ukuthi ukhulise umsebenzi wakhe, abahlabela ngawo abantu.
People have [always] sung to praise him, so you also should never forget to praise him for what he has done.
25 Bonke abantu bayawubona; umuntu uyawukhangela ekhatshana.
Everyone has seen [what he has done], but [sometimes] we can see it only from far away.
26 Khangela, uNkulunkulu uphakeme, njalo kasimazi, lenani leminyaka yakhe kayilakuhlolwa.
“Hey, God is very great, and we are not able to know how great he is, and we do not know how old he is.
27 Ngoba wenyusa amathonsi amanzi, ahlambulule izulu njengenkungu yawo;
He draws water up [from the earth and puts it in clouds] and causes it to become rain.
28 amayezi alithululela phansi, lithonte kakhulu phezu komuntu.
The rain pours down from the sky/clouds; God causes abundant showers to fall on everyone.
29 Yebo, kukhona yini ongaqedisisa ukwendlaleka kwamayezi, umsindo wedumba lakhe?
No one can [RHQ] understand how the clouds move [across the sky] or how it thunders in the sky where God lives.
30 Khangela, wendlala ukukhanya kwakhe phezu kwawo, agubuzele impande zolwandle.
He causes lightning to flash all around him, but he causes the bottom of the oceans to remain dark.
31 Ngoba ngawo uyehlulela abantu, anike ukudla ngobunengi.
By providing plenty of rain for us, he enables us to have abundant food.
32 Ngezandla usibekela ukukhanya, abesekulaya ngalelo elingena phakathi.
[It is as though] he holds the lightning in his hands, and [then] he commands it to strike where he wants it to.
33 Umdumo wakhe ubika ngakho, lenkomo ngenkungu eyenyukayo.
When we hear his thunder, we know that there will be a storm, and the cattle know it, too.”