Job 31
1 “I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
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 Doesn’t he see my ways, and count all my steps?
Yena kaziboni yini indlela zami, abale zonke izinyathelo zami?
5 “If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried 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, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck 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. Yes, 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 for another, and let others sleep with her.
umkami kacholele omunye, labanye kabaguqe phezu kwakhe.
11 For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be 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 cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me,
Uba ngalile udaba lwenceku yami loba olwencekukazi yami, lapho ziphikisana lami,
14 what then will I do when God rises up? When he visits, what will I answer him?
pho ngizakwenzani lapho uNkulunkulu esukuma? Lalapho esethekela, ngizaphendulani kuye?
15 Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t 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, I have guided her from my mother’s womb);
(ngoba kwasebutsheni bami yakhula lami nginjengoyise, ngamqondisa kusukela esizalweni sikamama),
19 if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
uba ngabona obhubha ngenxa yokuswela isigqoko, loba umyanga engelasembatho,
20 if his heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;
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. Because of his majesty, I can do nothing.
Ngoba incithakalo kaNkulunkulu yayiyisesabiso kimi, ngingenelisi ngenxa yobukhulu bakhe.
24 “If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You 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 seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor,
uba ngikhangele ilanga lapho libenyezela, loba inyanga ehamba enkazimulweni,
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;
lenhliziyo yami yayengwa ensitha, kumbe isandla sami sange umlomo wami,
28 this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God who 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 (I have certainly 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 meat?’
uba abantu bethente lami bebengatshongo ukuthi: Hawu, aluba besilokwenyama yakhe, ngabe kasisuthanga.
32 (the foreigner has not camped 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 heart,
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 didn’t go out of the door—
Ngoba ngethuswa lixuku elikhulu, lokudelelwa ngabensendo kwangesabisa, ngakho ngathula, kangaze ngaphuma emnyango.
35 oh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! Let the accuser write my indictment!
Kungathi ngabe ngilongangizwa! Khangelani uphawu lwami. Kungathi uSomandla angangiphendula, lokuthi ophikisana lami ngabe ubhale ugwalo!
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and 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 like a prince.
Ngimtshele inani lezinyathelo zami, ngisondele kuye njengesiphathamandla.
38 If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;
Uba umhlaba wami ukhalile ngami, lemifolo yawo ililile ndawonye,
39 if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,
uba ngidlile amandla awo kungelamali, kumbe ngenza umphefumulo wabaniniwo uphele,
40 let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
kakuhlume ukhula oluhlabayo endaweni yengqoloyi, lokhula olunukayo endaweni yebhali. Amazwi kaJobe asephelile.
