UJobe 38
1 INkosi yasimphendula uJobe isesivunguzaneni yathi:
And the Lord made answer to Job out of the storm-wind, and said,
2 Ngubani lo ofiphaza iseluleko ngamazwi angelalwazi?
Who is this who makes the purpose of God dark by words without knowledge?
3 Bopha-ke ukhalo lwakho njengendoda, njalo ngizakubuza, njalo ungenze ngazi.
Get your strength together like a man of war; I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.
4 Wawungaphi lapho ngimisa izisekelo zomhlaba? Tshono uba usazi ukuqedisisa.
Where were you when I put the earth on its base? Say, if you have knowledge.
5 Ngubani owabeka izilinganiso zawo, uba ukwazi? Kumbe ngubani owelulela intambo yokulinganisa phezu kwawo?
By whom were its measures fixed? Say, if you have wisdom; or by whom was the line stretched out over it?
6 Izisekelo zawo zamiswa phezu kwani? Kumbe ngubani owabeka ilitshe lawo lengonsi,
On what were its pillars based, or who put down its angle-stone,
7 lapho inkanyezi zokusa zahlabela kanyekanye, lamadodana wonke kaNkulunkulu amemeza ngenjabulo?
When the morning stars made songs together, and all the sons of the gods gave cries of joy?
8 Kumbe ngubani owavalela ulwandle ngezivalo, lapho lufohla luphuma esiswini,
Or where were you when the sea came to birth, pushing out from its secret place;
9 lapho ngimisa iyezi laba yisembatho salo, lomnyama onzima waba yimbeleko yalo?
When I made the cloud its robe, and put thick clouds as bands round it,
10 Njalo ngaluqumela isimiso, ngamisa imigoqo lezivalo,
Ordering a fixed limit for it, with locks and doors;
11 ngathi: Uzafika kuze kube lapha, kodwa ungedluli, lalapha kuzamelana lokuzigqaja kwamagagasi akho.
And said, So far you may come, and no farther; and here the pride of your waves will be stopped?
12 Kusukela ensukwini zakho walawula ukusa yini, wenza ukudabuka kokusa ukuthi kwazi indawo yakho,
Have you, from your earliest days, given orders to the morning, or made the dawn conscious of its place;
13 ukuthi kubambe imiphetho yomhlaba, ukuze kuthintithe ababi kuwo?
So that it might take a grip of the skirts of the earth, shaking all the evil-doers out of it?
14 Kuyaguquka njengebumba lophawu lokunamathisela, kuzimisa njengesembatho.
It is changed like wet earth under a stamp, and is coloured like a robe;
15 Lakwababi ukukhanya kwabo kuyagodlwa, lengalo ephakemeyo iyephulwa.
And from the evil-doers their light is kept back, and the arm of pride is broken.
16 Usungenile emithonjeni yolwandle yini, wahamba usiya le lale ekudingeni inziki?
Have you come into the springs of the sea, walking in the secret places of the deep?
17 Amasango okufa wawembulelwa yini, wawabona amasango ethunzi lokufa?
Have the doors of death been open to you, or have the door-keepers of the dark ever seen you?
18 Uqedisisile yini kuze kube sebubanzini bomhlaba? Tshono uba ukwazi konke.
Have you taken note of the wide limits of the earth? Say, if you have knowledge of it all.
19 Ingaphi indlela lapho okuhlala khona ukukhanya? Lomnyama, ingaphi indawo yawo,
Which is the way to the resting-place of the light, and where is the store-house of the dark;
20 ukuze ukuse emngceleni wakho, lokuthi uqedisise izindlela zomuzi wakho?
So that you might take it to its limit, guiding it to its house?
21 Uyazi, ngoba wawusuzelwe, lenani lensuku zakho likhulu.
No doubt you have knowledge of it, for then you had come to birth, and the number of your days is great.
22 Usungenile eziphaleni zeliqhwa elikhithikileyo yini, wabona iziphala zesiqhotho,
Have you come into the secret place of snow, or have you seen the store-houses of the ice-drops,
23 engizigodle kuze kube yisikhathi sokuhlupheka, kuze kube lusuku lokulwa lolwempi?
Which I have kept for the time of trouble, for the day of war and fighting?
24 Ingaphi indlela lapho ukukhanya okwabiwa khona, umoya wempumalanga ohlakazeka khona emhlabeni?
Which is the way to the place where the wind is measured out, and the east wind sent out over the earth?
25 Ngubani owehlukanisela impophoma indlela yamanzi, lendlela yombane wemidumo,
By whom has the way been cut for the flowing of the rain, and the flaming of the thunder;
26 ukuthi line emhlabeni lapho okungelamuntu khona, enkangala okungelamuntu kuyo,
Causing rain to come on a land where no man is living, on the waste land which has no people;
27 ukusuthisa inkangala legwadule, lokuhlumisa ukuphuma kotshani?
To give water to the land where there is waste and destruction, and to make the dry land green with young grass?
28 Izulu liloyise yini, kumbe ngubani owazala amathonsi amazolo?
Has the rain a father? or who gave birth to the drops of night mist?
29 Ungqwaqwane waphuma esiswini sikabani? Njalo ngubani owazala iliqhwa lamazulu?
Out of whose body came the ice? and who gave birth to the cold mist of heaven?
30 Amanzi afihlakele njengelitshe, lobuso bokujula bujiyile.
The waters are joined together, hard as a stone, and the face of the deep is covered.
31 Ungazibopha yini izibopho zesiLimela, kumbe uthukulule intambo zeziNja?
Are the bands of the Pleiades fixed by you, or are the cords of Orion made loose?
32 Ungakhupha yini izinkanyezi ngesikhathi sazo? Ungakhokhela yini iBhere kanye labantwana balo?
Do you make Mazzaroth come out in its right time, or are the Bear and its children guided by you?
33 Uyazazi yini izimiso zamazulu, kumbe ungamisa umbuso wazo emhlabeni?
Have you knowledge of the laws of the heavens? did you give them rule over the earth?
34 Ungaphakamisela yini ilizwi lakho emayezini, ukuthi ubunengi bamanzi bukusibekele?
Is your voice sent up to the cloud, so that you may be covered by the weight of waters?
35 Ungathuma yini imibane ukuthi ihambe, ithi kuwe: Khangela, silapha?
Do you send out the thunder-flames, so that they may go, and say to you, Here we are?
36 Ngubani owabeka inhlakanipho emibilini? Kumbe ngubani onike ukuqedisisa engqondweni?
Who has put wisdom in the high clouds, or given knowledge to the lights of the north?
37 Ngubani ongabala amayezi ngenhlakanipho? Njalo ngubani ongalalisa imbodlela zamazulu,
By whose wisdom are the clouds numbered, or the water-skins of the heavens turned to the earth,
38 lapho uthuli luqina lube yizigaqa, lamagade anamathelane?
When the earth becomes hard as metal, and is joined together in masses?
39 Ungasizingelela yini isilwane ukudla, kumbe usuthise ukulamba kwezilwane ezintsha,
Do you go after food for the she-lion, or get meat so that the young lions may have enough,
40 lapho zicathame emihomeni, zihlala esikhundleni ukuthi zicathame?
When they are stretched out in their holes, and are waiting in the brushwood?
41 Ngubani olungisela iwabayi ukudla kwalo, lapho amaphuphu alo ekhala kuNkulunkulu, ezulazula ngoba kungelakudla?
Who gives in the evening the meat he is searching for, when his young ones are crying to God; when the young lions with loud noise go wandering after their food?
