Job 9
1 Job replied,
Wasephendula uJobe wathi:
2 “Yes, I know all that! But how can anyone be right before God?
“Ngeqiniso ngiyazi ukuthi lokhu kuliqiniso. Kodwa umuntu wenyama angalunga yini kuNkulunkulu?
3 If you wanted to argue with God, God could ask a thousand questions that no-one could answer.
Loba umuntu ubengafisa ukuphikisana laye ngeke amphendule lakanye emibuzweni eyinkulungwane.
4 God is so wise and so powerful that no-one could challenge him and win.
Ukuhlakanipha kwakhe kujulile, amandla akhe makhulu. Ngubani kambe oke wamelana laye wasinda?
5 God moves the mountains suddenly; he overturns them in his anger.
Uyazidudula izintaba zona zingazi lutho, azigenqule nxa esezondile.
6 He shakes the earth, making its foundations quake.
Uyawunyikinya umhlaba endaweni yawo, axukuxe izinsika zawo.
7 He is the one who can command the sun not to rise and the stars not to shine.
Uyalitshela ilanga ukuba lingakhanyi; asibekele ukukhanya kwezinkanyezi.
8 He alone is the one who stretches out the heavens and walks on the waves of the sea.
Nguye kuphela owelula amazulu, ohamba phezu kwamagagasi olwandle.
9 He made the constellations of the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the stars of the southern sky.
UnguMenzi wezinkanyezi iNgulube leZinja, iSilimela lomthala waseningizimu.
10 He is the one who does incredible things that are beyond our understanding, marvelous things that are uncountable.
Wenza imimangaliso engafinyelelekiyo, izimanga ezingelakubalwa.
11 But when he passes by me, I don't see him; when he moves on, he is invisible to me.
Uthi nxa esedlula kimi, ngingamboni; ahambe khonapho ngingezwa lutho.
12 If he takes away, who can prevent him? Who is going to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
Nxa ehluthuna, ngubani ongamalela? Ngubani ongathi kuye, ‘Wenzani wena?’
13 God does not restrain his anger; he crushes Rahab's helpers underfoot.
UNkulunkulu kalunqandi ulaka lwakhe; labasekeli bakaRahabi besaba bawela ezinyaweni zakhe.
14 So how much less could I answer God, or choose my words to argue with him!
Pho mina ngingaphikisana laye njani? Ngingawathatha ngaphi amazwi okujijana laye?
15 Even though I'm right, I can't answer him. I must plead for mercy from my judge.
Laloba ngingelamlandu, ngeke ngimphendule; ngingancenga uMahluleli wami kuphela ukuthi angihawukele.
16 Even if I called him to come and he responded, I don't believe he would listen to me.
Lanxa bengingambiza asabele, angikholwa ukuthi ubengangilalela.
17 He pounds me with the winds of a storm; he wounds me time and again, without giving a reason.
Ubengangicobodisa ngesiphepho andise amanxeba ami kungelasizatho.
18 He doesn't give me a chance even to catch my breath; instead he fills my life with bitter suffering.
Ubengasoze angiphe ithuba lokukhokha umoya kodwa ubezahle angincindezele ngosizi.
19 If it's a question of strength, then God is the strongest. If it's a question of justice, then who will set a time for my case?
Nxa kungokwamandla, alamandla amakhulu! Nxa kungokokwahlulela ngokulunga, ngubani ongamthonisisa?
20 Even though I am right, my own mouth would condemn me; even though I am innocent, he would prove me wrong.
Loba ngingabe ngimsulwa, umlomo wami ubungangilahla; lanxa ngimsulwa wona ubuzakuthi ngilecala.
21 I am innocent! I don't care what happens to me. I hate my life!
Lanxa ngingelacala, angizihluphi ngami; ngiyayeyisa impilo yami.
22 That's why I say, ‘It makes no difference to God. He destroys both the innocent and the wicked.’
Kuyafanana konke; yikho ngisithi, ‘Ubhubhisa bonke abangelacala lababi.’
23 When disaster strikes suddenly he mocks the despair of the innocent.
Nxa isifo esibi sibulala ngokuphangisa, uyabahleka abangelacala ngokulahla kwabo ithemba.
24 The earth has been handed over to the wicked; he blinds the eyes of the judges—if it's not him who does this, then who is it?
Nxa ilizwe liwela ezandleni zababi, wembesa amehlo abahluleli balo. Nxa kungayisuye, pho ngubani?
25 The days of my life race by like a runner, rushing past without me seeing any happiness.
Amalanga ami alesiqubu esidlula esesithunywa; ayaphapha anyamalale kungela mthonselanyana wokuthokoza.
26 They pass by like fast sailing ships, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
Antweza edlule njengezikepe zelala, njengenkozi zisehla zihwitha ezikudlayo.
27 If I said to myself, ‘I will forget my complaints; I will stop crying and be happy,’
Nxa ngingathi, ‘Ngizakubeka eceleni ukusola kwami, ngicitshe ukunyukubala kwami, ngibobotheke,’
28 I would still be terrified at all my suffering because you, God, will not say I'm innocent.
ngilokhu ngihemahema ngezinhlupho zami, ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi kawuzukungigeza.
29 Since I'm condemned, what's the point in arguing?
Njengoba ngivele sengibekwe icala, ngizazihluphelani ngokulwela ize na?
30 Even if I wash myself with pure mountain water and clean my hands with soap,
Loba ngingaze ngigeze ngesepa lezandla zami ngesoda yokuhlambulula,
31 you would toss me into a slime pit so that even my own clothes would hate me!
uzavele ungiphosele emgodini olodaka ngize ngenyanywe yizigqoko zami.
32 For God is not a mortal being like me, I can't defend myself or take him to court.
Akasumuntu njengami ukuthi ngingamphendula, ukuthi singamisana emthethwandaba.
33 If only there was an arbitrator who could bring us both together!
Aluba ubengabakhona osilamulayo, abeke isandla sakhe phezu kwethu sobabili,
34 I wish God would stop beating me with his rod and terrifying me!
omunye nje ongasusa uswazi lukaNkulunkulu kimi, ukuze ngingatshukunyiswa yikwesaba lokhu.
35 Then I could speak up without being afraid—but since I am, I can't!”
Lapho-ke bengizakhuluma ngingesabi yena, kodwa okwakhathesi kunje, ngeke.”
