Job 31
1 I made a covenant with my eyes. How then should I look upon a virgin?
Ngenza isivumelwano lamehlo ami; pho ngingananzelela njani intombi?
2 For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?
Ngoba siyini isabelo sikaNkulunkulu esivela phezulu, lelifa likaSomandla elivela endaweni eziphezulu?
3 Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?
Incithakalo kayisiyomubi yini, lengozi yabenzi bobubi?
4 Does he not see my ways, and number all my steps?
Yena kaziboni yini indlela zami, abale zonke izinyathelo zami?
5 If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hastened to deceit
Uba ngihambe ngokuyize, kumbe unyawo lwami luphuthumele enkohlisweni,
6 (let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
kangilinganise ngesilinganiso esilungileyo, ukuze uNkulunkulu azi ubuqotho bami.
7 if my step has turned out of the way, and my heart walked after my eyes, and if any spot has clung to my hands,
Uba inyathelo lami liphambukile endleleni, lenhliziyo yami yalandela amehlo ami, kumbe kunamathele isici ezandleni zami;
8 then let me sow, and let another eat, yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
kangihlanyele, kodwa kudle omunye, lezilimo zami zisitshulwe.
9 If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbor's door,
Uba inhliziyo yami iyengwe ngowesifazana, kumbe ngacathama emnyango kamakhelwane wami,
10 then let my wife grind to another, and let others bow down upon her.
umkami kacholele omunye, labanye kabaguqe phezu kwakhe.
11 For that is a heinous crime, yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
Ngoba lokho kuyinkohlakalo, njalo kuyisono ngabahluleli.
12 For it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.
Ngoba ngumlilo odla kuze kube yincithakalo, usiphule sonke isivuno sami.
13 If I have despised the case of my man-servant or of my maid-servant when they contended with me,
Uba ngalile udaba lwenceku yami loba olwencekukazi yami, lapho ziphikisana lami,
14 what then shall I do when God rises up? And when he visits, what shall I answer him?
pho ngizakwenzani lapho uNkulunkulu esukuma? Lalapho esethekela, ngizaphendulani kuye?
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?
Lowo owangenza esiswini kamenzanga yena yini, lowasibumba esiswini munye?
16 If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
Uba ngigodlele umyanga isifiso, kumbe ngifiphaze amehlo omfelokazi,
17 or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it
kumbe ngadla ucezu lwami ngedwa, ukuze intandane ingadli kulo
18 (no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and her I have guided from my mother's womb);
(ngoba kwasebutsheni bami yakhula lami nginjengoyise, ngamqondisa kusukela esizalweni sikamama),
19 if I have seen any perish for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
uba ngabona obhubha ngenxa yokuswela isigqoko, loba umyanga engelasembatho,
20 if his loins have not blessed me, and if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
uba inkalo zakhe zingangibusisanga, ngoba ekhudunyezwe yiboya bezimvu zami,
21 if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate,
uba ngaphakamisa isandla sami ngimelene lentandane, lapho ngabona usizo lwami esangweni,
22 then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.
kaliwe ihlombe lami esiphangeni sami, lengalo yami iqamuke ethanjeni layo.
23 For calamity from God is a terror to me, and I can do nothing because of his majesty.
Ngoba incithakalo kaNkulunkulu yayiyisesabiso kimi, ngingenelisi ngenxa yobukhulu bakhe.
24 If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, Thou are my confidence;
Uba ngenzile igolide laba lithemba lami, ngathi kugolide elihle: Themba lami.
25 if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
Uba ngithokozile ngoba inotho yami inengi, langoba isandla sami sithole okunengi;
26 if I have beheld the sun when it shone, or the moon walking in brightness,
uba ngikhangele ilanga lapho libenyezela, loba inyanga ehamba enkazimulweni,
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand
lenhliziyo yami yayengwa ensitha, kumbe isandla sami sange umlomo wami,
28 (this also is an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God that is above);
lalokho yisiphambeko phambi kwabehluleli, ngoba ngabe ngimphikile uNkulunkulu waphezulu.
29 if I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him
Uba ngithokozile ngokuchitheka kongizondayo, kumbe ngajabula lapho ububi bumthola;
30 (yea, I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);
njalo ngingavumelanga umlomo wami ukuthi wone, ngokucela umphefumulo wakhe ngesiqalekiso;
31 if the men of my tent have not said, Who can find one who has not been filled with his food?
uba abantu bethente lami bebengatshongo ukuthi: Hawu, aluba besilokwenyama yakhe, ngabe kasisuthanga.
32 (the sojourner has not lodged in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);
Owemzini kazanga alale esitaladeni; iminyango yami ngayivulela isihambi.
33 if like Adam I have covered my transgressions by hiding my iniquity in my bosom
Uba ngasibekela iziphambeko zami njengoAdamu, ngokufihla isono sami esifubeni sami.
34 because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me so that I kept silence, and did not go out of the door-
Ngoba ngethuswa lixuku elikhulu, lokudelelwa ngabensendo kwangesabisa, ngakho ngathula, kangaze ngaphuma emnyango.
35 O that I had someone to hear me (Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me), and that I had the indictment which my adversary has written!
Kungathi ngabe ngilongangizwa! Khangelani uphawu lwami. Kungathi uSomandla angangiphendula, lokuthi ophikisana lami ngabe ubhale ugwalo!
36 Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder. I would bind it to me as a crown.
Isibili, bengingaluthwala ehlombe lami, ngilubophe lube ngumqhele kimi.
37 I would declare to him the number of my steps. I would go near to him as a prince.
Ngimtshele inani lezinyathelo zami, ngisondele kuye njengesiphathamandla.
38 If my land cries out against me, and the furrows of it weep together;
Uba umhlaba wami ukhalile ngami, lemifolo yawo ililile ndawonye,
39 if I have eaten the fruits of it without money, or have caused the owners of it to lose their lives,
uba ngidlile amandla awo kungelamali, kumbe ngenza umphefumulo wabaniniwo uphele,
40 let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
kakuhlume ukhula oluhlabayo endaweni yengqoloyi, lokhula olunukayo endaweni yebhali. Amazwi kaJobe asephelile.
