UJobe 9
1 UJobe wasephendula wathi:
Then Job answered:
2 Ngeqiniso ngiyazi ukuthi kunjalo. Kodwa umuntu angalunga njani kuNkulunkulu?
“Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
3 Uba efisa ukuphikisana laye, kayikumphendula okukodwa phakathi kwenkulungwane.
If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
4 Uhlakaniphile enhliziyweni, uqinile emandleni: Ngubani oziqinisileyo wamelana laye waphumelela?
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
5 Osusa izintaba njalo zingazi, ozigenqula entukuthelweni yakhe.
He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.
6 Onyikinya umhlaba awususe endaweni yawo, lensika zawo zizamazame.
He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.
7 Olaya ilanga ukuthi lingaphumi, avalele inkanyezi ngophawu.
He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.
8 Owendlala amazulu eyedwa, anyathele phezu kwezingqonga zolwandle.
He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
9 Owenza iBhere, iziNja, lesiLimela, lamakamelo eningizimu.
He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
10 Owenza izinto ezinkulu ezingelakuhlolwa, lezimangalisayo ezingelakubalwa.
He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.
11 Khangela, uyedlula phansi kwami ngingamboni, edlulele phambili ngingamuzwa.
Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
12 Khangela, uyahluthuna, ngubani ongamnqanda? Ngubani ongathi kuye: Wenzani?
If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13 UNkulunkulu kayinqandi intukuthelo yakhe. Abasizi bakaRahabi bayakhothama phansi kwakhe.
God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.
14 Pho-ke, mina ngingamphendula ngithini, ngikhethe amazwi ami okuqondana laye?
How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?
15 Ebengingeke ngamphendula loba bengilungile; ngizacela isihawu kumahluleli wami.
For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.
16 Uba bengibizile, wangiphendula, bengingayikukholwa ukuthi ubekile indlebe elizwini lami.
If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.
17 Ngoba uyangihlifiza ngesiphepho, andise amanxeba ami kungelasizatho.
For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
18 Kangivumeli ukukhokha umoya, kodwa engigcwalisa ngezinto ezibabayo.
He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
19 Uba kungamandla, khangela, ulamandla. Njalo uba kungesahlulelo, ngubani ozangibiza?
If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
20 Aluba ngilungile, umlomo wami uzangilahla; uba ngiphelele, uzakuthi ngonakele.
Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.
21 Ngiphelele, angikhathaleli umphefumulo wami, ngidelela impilo yami.
Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
22 Kunye lokho, ngenxa yalokho ngithi: Uyabhubhisa olungileyo lomubi.
It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 Lapho isiswepu sibulala ngokujumayo, uzahleka ukudangala kwabangelacala.
When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 Umhlaba unikelwe esandleni somubi; wembesa ubuso babehluleli bawo. Uba kungenjalo, pho, ngubani?
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?
25 Njalo insuku zami zilejubane kulesigijimi; ziyabaleka, kaziboni okuhle.
My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.
26 Ziyedlula njengezikepe zomhlanga, njengokhozi olutheleka empangweni.
They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 Uba ngisithi: Ngizakhohlwa ukusola kwami, ngitshiye ukunyukumala kwami, ngithokoze,
If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’
28 ngiyesaba zonke insizi zami, ngiyazi ukuthi kawuyikungiphatha njengongelacala.
I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.
29 Ngilecala mina, pho, ngizatshikatshikelelani ize?
Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?
30 Uba ngizigezisa ngamanzi eliqhwa elikhithikileyo, ngihlambulule izandla zami ngesepa,
If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,
31 khona uzangiphosela emgodini, besengisenyanywa yizigqoko zami.
then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.
32 Ngoba kasuye umuntu njengami ukuze ngimphendule, ukuze siye ndawonye kusahlulelo.
For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.
33 Kakukho umqamuli phakathi kwethu ongabeka isandla sakhe phezu kwethu sobabili.
Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
34 Kasuse uswazi lwakhe kimi, njalo uvalo ngaye lungangethusi.
Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.
35 Bengingakhuluma ngingamesabi, kodwa anginjalo ngokwami.
Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.
