UJobe 5
1 Ake umemeze, ukhona ongakuphendula yini? Uzaphendukela kuwuphi wabangcwele?
Call if you want, but who is going to answer you? Which angel are you going to turn to?
2 Ngoba ulaka luyasibulala isiwula, lomhawu ubulale isiphukuphuku.
Surely anger slays the fool and jealousy kills the simple.
3 Mina ngibone isiwula sigxila, kodwa ngahle ngaqalekisa indawo yaso yokuhlala.
I have seen a fool growing strong, but I immediately cursed his house.
4 Abantwana baso bakhatshana losindiso, bachothozwa esangweni, njalo kungekho umkhululi.
His sons are never safe; they are crushed in court with no one to defend them.
5 Osivuno saso olambileyo uyasidla, esithatha lemeveni, lomphangi uginya inotho yaso.
The hungry eat everything he has harvested, taking even that protected by a thorn hedge, while others look to steal his wealth.
6 Ngoba usizi kaluveli ethulini, lenhlupheko kayihlumi emhlabathini.
For evil doesn't come from the dust; neither does trouble grow from the earth.
7 Kube kanti umuntu uzalelwe inhlupheko njengoba inhlansi ziqhatshela phezulu.
But human beings are born for trouble just as certainly as sparks from a fire fly upwards.
8 Kodwa mina bengizadinga uNkulunkulu, lakuNkulunkulu bengizabeka udaba lwami.
If it were me, I would go to God and put my case before him.
9 Owenza izinto ezinkulu lezingelakuhlolwa, imimangaliso engelakubalwa.
He is the one who does amazing, incredible things; miracles that can't be counted!
10 Onika izulu ebusweni bomhlaba, athumele amanzi ebusweni bamaphandle,
He gives rain to the earth and sends water to the fields.
11 ukuze abamise phezulu abaphansi, ukuze abalilayo baphakanyiselwe ekuvikelekeni.
He exalts the humble, and rescues those who mourn.
12 Uchitha amacebo abalobuqili, ukuze izandla zabo zingenzi cebo.
He frustrates the plans of the cunning so that they are unsuccessful.
13 Ubamba abahlakaniphileyo ebuqilini babo, ukuze icebo labangaqondanga liwiselwe phansi.
He traps the wise in their own clever thinking, and the schemes of twisted people are cut short.
14 Bahlangana lomnyama emini, baphumputhe phakathi kwemini njengebusuku.
In the daytime they're in the dark, and they stumble around at noon like it's night.
15 Kodwa ukhulula umyanga enkembeni, emlonyeni wabo, lesandleni solamandla.
But God is the one who saves from their cutting remarks, and the poor from the actions of the powerful.
16 Ngakho umyanga ulethemba, lobubi buzavala umlomo wabo.
As a result those who are helpless have hope, and the wicked have to shut their mouths!
17 Khangela, ubusisiwe lowomuntu uNkulunkulu amlayayo; ngakho ungadeleli ukukhuza kukaSomandla.
See how happy is the person God corrects—so don't despise the Almighty's discipline.
18 Ngoba yena uzwisa ubuhlungu, abuye abophe; uyalimaza, lezandla zakhe ziyapholisa.
For he causes pain but he provides relief; he wounds but his hands heal.
19 Uzakukhulula enhluphekweni eziyisithupha, lakweziyisikhombisa ububi kabuyikukuthinta.
He will save you from many disasters; a multitude of evils will not affect you.
20 Endlaleni uzakuhlenga ekufeni, lempini emandleni enkemba.
In times of famine he will rescue you from death, and in times of war he will save you from the power of the sword.
21 Uzafihlelwa isiswepu solimi, njalo kawuyikwesaba incithakalo lapho ifika.
You will be protected from sharp-tongued slander; and when violence comes you will not be afraid.
22 Uzahleka incithakalo lendlala, njalo kawuyikwesaba izilo zomhlaba.
You will laugh at violence and famine; you won't be afraid of wild animals—
23 Ngoba uzakuba lesivumelwano lamatshe eganga, lezilo zeganga zizakuba lokuthula lawe.
for you will be at peace with the stones of the field and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
24 Njalo uzakwazi ukuthi ithente lakho lilokuthula, uzakwethekela indawo yakho yokuhlala ungasweli lutho.
You will be certain that your home is safe, for you will go to where you live and find nothing missing.
25 Uzakwazi futhi ukuthi inzalo yakho izakuba nengi, lembewu yakho njengotshani bomhlaba.
You will also be sure that you will have many children; your descendants will be like the grass of the earth.
26 Uzafika engcwabeni lakho usuluphele, njengenqumbi zamabele zisenyuka ngesikhathi sawo.
You will live to a ripe old age like a sheaf of grain when it is harvested.
27 Khangela lokhu, sesikuhlolile; kunjalo. Kuzwe, uzazele wena.
Look, we've examined it, and it's true! Listen to what I'm saying and apply it to yourself!”
