UJobe 8
1 Wasephendula uBilidadi umShuhi wathi:
Then Bildad, from [the] Shuah [area], spoke to Job. He said,
2 Koze kube nini ukhuluma lezizinto, lamazwi omlomo wakho abe ngumoya olamandla?
“Job, how much longer will you talk like this? What you say is [only] hot air.
3 UNkulunkulu uyahlanekela isahlulelo yini? Kumbe uSomandla uyahlanekela ukulunga yini?
Almighty God certainly never does [RHQ] what is unfair/unjust. He always does [LIT] what is right/fair.
4 Uba abantwana bakho bonile kuye, yena usebalahlile emandleni esiphambeko sabo;
So, it is evident that your children have sinned against him, therefore he has caused them to be punished for evil things that they have done.
5 uba wena umdinga uNkulunkulu ngovivi, uncenge kuSomandla;
But, if you will [now] earnestly request [DOU] Almighty [God] to help you,
6 uba uhlambulukile, uqotho; isibili khathesi ubezavuka ngenxa yakho, aphumelelise indawo yokuhlala yokulunga kwakho.
and if you are pure and honest/righteous, he will surely do something good for you and reward you by giving your family back to you and enabling you to prosper.
7 Lanxa ukuqala kwakho bekukuncinyane, kube kanti isiphetho sakho sizakwanda kakhulu.
And even though you [think that you] were not very prosperous/wealthy before, during the last part of your life you will become very wealthy.
8 Ngoba ake ubuze esizukulwaneni sakuqala, uzilungisele isidingo saboyise.
“I request you to think about what happened long ago and consider what our ancestors found out.
9 Ngoba singabezolo, njalo kasazi, ngoba insuku zethu emhlabeni ziyisithunzi.
[It seems as though] we were born only yesterday and we know very little [HYP]; our time here on the earth [disappears quickly, like] a shadow [MET].
10 Kabayikukufundisa yini, bakutshele, bakhuphe amazwi enhliziyweni yabo?
So, why do you not allow your ancestors to teach you and tell you something? Allow them to tell you from what they learned!
11 Imihlanga ingakhula lapho okungelaxhaphozi khona yini? Ibhuma likhule lapho okungelamanzi khona?
Papyrus can certainly not [RHQ] grow in places where there is no marsh/swamp; reeds certainly cannot [RHQ] flourish/grow where there is no water.
12 Nxa lisebuluhlazeni balo lingakakhiwa, kube kanti libuna kuqala kwazo zonke izihlahlakazana.
[If they do not have enough water], while they are still blossoming, they wither more quickly than other plants wither.
13 Zinjalo indlela zabo bonke abamkhohlwayo uNkulunkulu, lethemba lomzenzisi lizabhubha.
Those who do not pay attention to what God says are like those [reeds]; godless people stop confidently expecting [that good things will happen to them].
14 Othemba lakhe lizaqunywa, lokuthemba kwakhe kuyibulembu besayobe.
The things they confidently expect to happen do not happen; things they trust [will help them] are [as fragile as] [MET] a spider’s web.
15 Uyeyama endlini yakhe, kodwa kayimi; ubambelela kiyo, kodwa kayihlali.
If they lean against a house (OR, trust in their wealth; OR, lean on a spider web), it does not (endure/protect them) [LIT]; they cling to things [to be protected], but those things do not remain firm.
16 Uluhlaza phambi kwelanga, lamahlumela akhe aphuma esivandeni sakhe.
Godless people [are like plants] [MET] that are watered before the sun rises; their shoots spread all over the gardens.
17 Impande zakhe zithandele enqunjini; ubona indawo yamatshe.
The roots of those plants twist around piles of stones and cling tightly to rocks.
18 Uba emchitha endaweni yakhe, izamphika ithi: Kangizange ngikubone.
But if those plants are pulled out, [it is as though] the place where they were planted says ‘They were never here!’ [And that is what happens to wicked people who do not heed what God says].
19 Khangela, le yintokozo yendlela yakhe; njalo kuzakhula abanye emhlabathini.
Truly, evil people [MET] are not joyful [IRO] for a long time; other people come and take their places.
20 Khangela, uNkulunkulu kayikumlahla opheleleyo, kabambi isandla sabenzi bobubi.
:So, [I tell you, Job], God will not reject you if you are truly godly/righteous, but he does not help [IDM] evil people.
21 Aze agcwalise umlomo wakho ngohleko, lezindebe zakho ngokumemeza kwentokozo.
He will enable you [MTY] to continually laugh and to always shout [joyfully].
22 Abakuzondayo bazakwembeswa ngenhloni, lethente lababi lingabi khona.
But those who hate you will be very ashamed, and the homes of wicked people will disappear.”
