Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
Wasephendula uElifazi umThemani wathi:
2 “Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
Umuntu angaba losizo kuNkulunkulu yini, ngoba ohlakaniphileyo elusizo kuye ngokwakhe?
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him that you make your ways perfect?
Kuyintokozo yini kuSomandla ukuthi ulungile? Kumbe inzuzo kuye ukuthi uphelelise indlela zakho?
4 Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgment?
Uzakusola yini ngenxa yokwesaba kwakho? Uzangena lawe kusahlulelo.
5 Is not your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.
Ububi bakho kabubukhulu yini, lezono zakho kazilakuphela?
6 For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
Ngoba uthethe isibambiso kubafowenu kungelasizatho, wahlubula abanqunu izigqoko.
7 You have not given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
Kawumnathisanga amanzi odiniweyo, lolambileyo umgodlele ukudla.
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived in it.
Kodwa umuntu olengalo, umhlaba ungowakhe, lowemukeleka ebusweni wahlala kuwo.
9 You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Uxotshile abafelokazi bengelalutho, lengalo zezintandane zichotshoziwe.
10 Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,
Ngakho-ke imijibila ikuhanqile, lovalo luhle lwakwesabisa,
11 or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.
kumbe ubumnyama ukuze ungaboni, lesikhukhula samanzi sikusibekele.
12 “Is not God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!
UNkulunkulu kakho yini engqongeni yamazulu? Bona-ke ingqonga yezinkanyezi, ukuthi ziphakeme kangakanani.
13 You say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
Kanti uthi: UNkulunkulu wazini? Angahlulela yini engemuva komnyama onzima?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he does not see. He walks on the vault of the sky.’
Amayezi amnyama ayisisibekelo sakhe ukuze angaboni, uhamba esigombolozini samazulu.
15 Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,
Usunanzelele indlela endala yini abantu ababi abanyathela kuyo?
16 who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
Abahluthunwa kungakabi yisikhathi; uzamcolo wathululwa phezu kwesisekelo sabo.
17 who said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ and, ‘What can the Almighty do for us?’
Abathi kuNkulunkulu: Suka kithi. LoSomandla wayenzeni kubo?
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
Kanti yena wayegcwalise izindlu zabo ngokuhle; kodwa icebo labakhohlakeleyo likhatshana lami.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,
Abalungileyo bayakubona bathokoze, lomsulwa ubahleka usulu.
20 saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed their remnant.’
Isibili isitha sethu sichithiwe, lomlilo uqede insali yabo.
21 “Acquaint yourself with him now, and be at peace. By it, good will come to you.
Ake wejwayelane laye, ube lokuthula, ngalokho okuhle kuzakuza kuwe.
22 Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
Ake wemukele umlayo ovela emlonyeni wakhe, ubeke amazwi akhe enhliziyweni yakho.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.
Uba ubuyela kuSomandla, uzakwakhiwa, ususe okubi khatshana lamathente akho.
24 Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
Ubusubeka igolide lakho othulini, legolide leOfiri elitsheni lezifula.
25 The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.
Ngakho uSomandla uzakuba ligolide lakho, lesiliva sakho esinengi.
26 For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face to God.
Ngoba ngalesosikhathi uzazithokozisa ngoSomandla, uphakamisele ubuso bakho kuNkulunkulu.
27 You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You will pay your vows.
Uzakhuleka kuye, akuzwe, ukhokhe izifungo zakho.
28 You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to you. Light will shine on your ways.
Uzaquma-ke udaba, luqiniseke kuwe, lokukhanya kukhanye endleleni zakho.
29 When they cast down, you will say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will save the humble person.
Nxa behliselwe phansi, ubususithi: Phezulu! Abesesindisa othobekileyo ngamehlo.
30 He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
Uzamkhulula ongemsulwa; njalo ukhululwa ngokuhlanzeka kwezandla zakho.
