Job 9
1 Then Job answered,
Wasephendula uJobe wathi:
2 “Truly I know that it is so, but how can man be just with God?
“Ngeqiniso ngiyazi ukuthi lokhu kuliqiniso. Kodwa umuntu wenyama angalunga yini kuNkulunkulu?
3 If he is pleased to contend with him, he can’t answer him one time in a thousand.
Loba umuntu ubengafisa ukuphikisana laye ngeke amphendule lakanye emibuzweni eyinkulungwane.
4 God is wise in heart, and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against him and prospered?
Ukuhlakanipha kwakhe kujulile, amandla akhe makhulu. Ngubani kambe oke wamelana laye wasinda?
5 He removes the mountains, and they don’t know it, when he overturns them in his anger.
Uyazidudula izintaba zona zingazi lutho, azigenqule nxa esezondile.
6 He shakes the earth out of its place. Its pillars tremble.
Uyawunyikinya umhlaba endaweni yawo, axukuxe izinsika zawo.
7 He commands the sun and it doesn’t rise, and seals up the stars.
Uyalitshela ilanga ukuba lingakhanyi; asibekele ukukhanya kwezinkanyezi.
8 He alone stretches out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea.
Nguye kuphela owelula amazulu, ohamba phezu kwamagagasi olwandle.
9 He makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the rooms of the south.
UnguMenzi wezinkanyezi iNgulube leZinja, iSilimela lomthala waseningizimu.
10 He does great things past finding out; yes, marvelous things without number.
Wenza imimangaliso engafinyelelekiyo, izimanga ezingelakubalwa.
11 Behold, he goes by me, and I don’t see him. He passes on also, but I don’t perceive him.
Uthi nxa esedlula kimi, ngingamboni; ahambe khonapho ngingezwa lutho.
12 Behold, he snatches away. Who can hinder him? Who will ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
Nxa ehluthuna, ngubani ongamalela? Ngubani ongathi kuye, ‘Wenzani wena?’
13 “God will not withdraw his anger. The helpers of Rahab stoop under him.
UNkulunkulu kalunqandi ulaka lwakhe; labasekeli bakaRahabi besaba bawela ezinyaweni zakhe.
14 How much less will I answer him, and choose my words to argue with him?
Pho mina ngingaphikisana laye njani? Ngingawathatha ngaphi amazwi okujijana laye?
15 Though I were righteous, yet I wouldn’t answer him. I would make supplication to my judge.
Laloba ngingelamlandu, ngeke ngimphendule; ngingancenga uMahluleli wami kuphela ukuthi angihawukele.
16 If I had called, and he had answered me, yet I wouldn’t believe that he listened to my voice.
Lanxa bengingambiza asabele, angikholwa ukuthi ubengangilalela.
17 For he breaks me with a storm, and multiplies my wounds without cause.
Ubengangicobodisa ngesiphepho andise amanxeba ami kungelasizatho.
18 He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness.
Ubengasoze angiphe ithuba lokukhokha umoya kodwa ubezahle angincindezele ngosizi.
19 If it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty! If of justice, ‘Who,’ says he, ‘will summon me?’
Nxa kungokwamandla, alamandla amakhulu! Nxa kungokokwahlulela ngokulunga, ngubani ongamthonisisa?
20 Though I am righteous, my own mouth will condemn me. Though I am blameless, it will prove me perverse.
Loba ngingabe ngimsulwa, umlomo wami ubungangilahla; lanxa ngimsulwa wona ubuzakuthi ngilecala.
21 I am blameless. I don’t respect myself. I despise my life.
Lanxa ngingelacala, angizihluphi ngami; ngiyayeyisa impilo yami.
22 “It is all the same. Therefore I say he destroys the blameless and the wicked.
Kuyafanana konke; yikho ngisithi, ‘Ubhubhisa bonke abangelacala lababi.’
23 If the scourge kills suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the innocent.
Nxa isifo esibi sibulala ngokuphangisa, uyabahleka abangelacala ngokulahla kwabo ithemba.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If not he, then who is it?
Nxa ilizwe liwela ezandleni zababi, wembesa amehlo abahluleli balo. Nxa kungayisuye, pho ngubani?
25 “Now my days are swifter than a runner. They flee away. They see no good.
Amalanga ami alesiqubu esidlula esesithunywa; ayaphapha anyamalale kungela mthonselanyana wokuthokoza.
26 They have passed away as the swift ships, as the eagle that swoops on the prey.
Antweza edlule njengezikepe zelala, njengenkozi zisehla zihwitha ezikudlayo.
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and cheer up,’
Nxa ngingathi, ‘Ngizakubeka eceleni ukusola kwami, ngicitshe ukunyukubala kwami, ngibobotheke,’
28 I am afraid of all my sorrows. I know that you will not hold me innocent.
ngilokhu ngihemahema ngezinhlupho zami, ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi kawuzukungigeza.
29 I will be condemned. Why then do I labor in vain?
Njengoba ngivele sengibekwe icala, ngizazihluphelani ngokulwela ize na?
30 If I wash myself with snow, and cleanse my hands with lye,
Loba ngingaze ngigeze ngesepa lezandla zami ngesoda yokuhlambulula,
31 yet you will plunge me in the ditch. My own clothes will abhor me.
uzavele ungiphosele emgodini olodaka ngize ngenyanywe yizigqoko zami.
32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, that we should come together in judgment.
Akasumuntu njengami ukuthi ngingamphendula, ukuthi singamisana emthethwandaba.
33 There is no umpire between us, that might lay his hand on us both.
Aluba ubengabakhona osilamulayo, abeke isandla sakhe phezu kwethu sobabili,
34 Let him take his rod away from me. Let his terror not make me afraid;
omunye nje ongasusa uswazi lukaNkulunkulu kimi, ukuze ngingatshukunyiswa yikwesaba lokhu.
35 then I would speak, and not fear him, for I am not so in myself.
Lapho-ke bengizakhuluma ngingesabi yena, kodwa okwakhathesi kunje, ngeke.”
