UJobe 15

1 Wasephendula uElifazi umThemani wathi:

Then Eliphaz the Thaemanite answered and said,

2 Ohlakaniphileyo angaphendula yini ulwazi olungumoya, agcwalise isisu sakhe ngomoya wempumalanga?

Will a wise man give for answer a [mere] breath of wisdom? and does he fill up the pain of his belly,

3 Aphikise ngamazwi angasizi lutho, langenkulumo ezingelanzuzo yini?

reasoning with improper sayings, and with words wherein is no profit?

4 Yebo, wena uyachitha ukwesaba, uvimbela umkhuleko phambi kukaNkulunkulu.

Hast not you moreover cast off fear, and accomplished such words before the Lord?

5 Ngoba umlomo wakho ufundisa ububi bakho, ukhethe ulimi lwamaqili.

You are guilty by the words of your mouth, neither have you discerned the words of the mighty.

6 Umlomo wakho uyakulahla, kayisimi; yebo, indebe zakho ziyafakaza ngawe.

Let your own mouth, and not me, reprove you: and your lips shall testify against you.

7 Ungumuntu wokuqala owazalwayo yini? Kumbe wazalwa mandulo kwamaqaqa yini?

What! are you the first man that was born? or were you established before the hills?

8 Uzwile yini icebo langasese likaNkulunkulu? Kumbe uzigodlele inhlakanipho yini?

Or have you heard the ordinance of the Lord? or has God used you as [his] counsellor? and has wisdom come [only] to you?

9 Kuyini okwaziyo esingakwaziyo? Kuyini okuqedisisayo okungekho kithi?

For what know you, that, we know not? or what understand you, which we do not also?

10 Kukhona phakathi kwethu lempunga lekhehla, omdala ngensuku kuloyihlo.

Truly among us [are] both the old and very aged man, more advanced in days than your father.

11 Zincinyane yini kuwe induduzo zikaNkulunkulu, lelizwi elikhulunywa kuhle lawe?

You have been scourged for [but] few of your sins: you have spoken haughtily [and] extravagantly.

12 Kungani inhliziyo yakho ikumukisa? Njalo kungani amehlo akho ephayiza,

What has your heart dared? or what have your eyes [aimed at],

13 ukuthi uphendule umoya wakho umelane loNkulunkulu, ukhuphe amazwi anje emlonyeni wakho?

that you have vented [your] rage before the Lord, and delivered such words from [your] mouth?

14 Umuntu uyini ukuthi abe ngohlambulukileyo, lozelwe ngowesifazana ukuthi abe ngolungileyo?

For who, being a mortal, [is such] that he shall be blameless? or, [who that is] born of a woman, that he should be just?

15 Khangela, kathembeli kwabangcwele bakhe, lamazulu kawahlambulukanga emehlweni akhe.

Forasmuch as he trusts not his saints; and the heaven is not pure before him.

16 Kukangakanani umuntu onengekayo lowonakeleyo, onatha ububi njengamanzi!

Alas then, abominable and unclean is man, drinking unrighteousness as a draught.

17 Ngizakutshengisa, ungilalele, lengikubonileyo ngizakulandisa,

But I will tell you, listen to me; I will tell you now what I have seen;

18 lokho izihlakaniphi ezikukhulumileyo kusukela kuboyise, njalo kazikufihlanga,

things wise men say, and their fathers have not hidden.

19 okwanikwa kuzo zodwa ilizwe, lokungadlulanga izihambi phakathi kwazo.

To them alone the earth was given, and no stranger came upon them.

20 Insuku zonke zokhohlakeleyo uzizwisa ubuhlungu, lenani leminyaka ebekelelwe umcindezeli.

All the life of the ungodly [is spent] in care, and the years granted to the oppressor are numbered.

21 Umsindo wezethuso usendlebeni zakhe; empumelelweni umchithi uzamfikela.

And his terror is in his ears: just when he seems to be at peace, his overthrow will come.

22 Kakholwa ukuthi uzaphenduka emnyameni, kodwa ukuthi ulindelwe yinkemba.

Let him not trust that he shall return from darkness, for he has been already made over to the power of the sword.

23 Uzulela ukudla. Kungaphi? Uyazi ukuthi usuku lobumnyama lulungisiwe esandleni sakhe.

And he has been appointed to be food for vultures; and he knows within himself that he is doomed to be a carcass: and a dark day shall carry him away as with a whirlwind.

24 Uhlupho losizi kuyamethusa, kumehlule njengenkosi elungele impi.

Distress also and anguish shall come upon him: he shall fall as a captain in the first rank.

25 Ngoba welule isandla sakhe emelene loNkulunkulu, wenza ngamandla ukumelana loSomandla.

For he has lifted his hands against the Lord, and he has hardened his neck against the Almighty Lord.

26 Wagijima emelene laye ngentamo, ngohlonzi lwamaqhubu ezihlangu zakhe.

And he has run against him with insolence, on the thickness of the back of his shield.

27 Ngoba wambomboza ubuso bakhe ngamafutha akhe, wenza ukhalo lwakhukhumala ngamafutha.

For he has covered his face with his fat, and made layers of fat upon his thighs.

28 Uhlala emizini echithekileyo, izindlu abangahlali kuzo, ezilungele ukuba zinqumbi.

And let him lodge in desolate cities, and enter into houses without inhabitant: and what they have prepared, others shall carry away.

29 Kayikunotha, lenotho yakhe kayiyikuma, lenzuzo yakhe kayiyikusabalala emhlabeni.

Neither shall he at all grow rich, nor shall his substance remain: he shall not cast a shadow upon the earth.

30 Kayikusuka emnyameni; ilangabi lizakomisa ihlumela lakhe, njalo uzasuka ngokuphefumula komoya wakhe.

Neither shall he in any wise escape the darkness: let the wind blast his blossom, and let his flower fall off.

31 Oduhisiweyo kangathembeli ezenini, ngoba ize lizakuba ngumvuzo wakhe.

Let him not think that he shall endure; for his end shall be vanity.

32 Kuzafezwa kungakabi lusuku lwakhe, logatsha lwakhe aluyikuba luhlaza.

His harvest shall perish before the time, and his branch shall not flourish.

33 Uzawohloza izithelo zakhe ezingavuthwanga njengevini, athintithe impoko zakhe njengesihlahla somhlwathi.

And let him be gathered as the unripe grape before the time, and let him fall as the blossom of the olive.

34 Ngoba inhlangano yabazenzisi izakuba ngengelazithelo, lomlilo uzaqothula amathente ezivalamlomo.

For death is the witness of an ungodly man, and fire shall burn the houses of them that receive gifts.

35 Bamitha uhlupho, bazale isono, lesizalo sabo silungisa inkohliso.

And he shall conceive sorrows, and his end shall be vanity, and his belly shall bear deceit.