Job 20
1 Then Zophar replied,
Wasephendula uZofari umNahama wathi:
2 “I am very perturbed about what you have said, so I want to reply very quickly.
“Imicabango yami ekhathazekileyo ingifuqa ukuthi ngiphendule ngoba sengikhubekile kakhulu.
3 By saying these things you have insulted me, but I know how (OR, because I understand very much) I can reply to you.
Ngizwa kulokukhuzwa okungilulazisayo njalo ukuzwisisa kwami kungifuqela ukuthi ngiphendule.
4 “Do you not know that from long ago, ever since people were first put on the earth,
Ngempela uyakwazi ukuthi kwakuvele kunjani lendulo, kusukela ukubekwa komuntu emhlabeni,
5 wicked people [like you] do not continue to rejoice for a long time, ungodly people are happy only for a (moment/very short time) [HYP]?
ukuthi injabulo yomubi imfitshane, intokozo yongakholwayo ngeyomzuzwana nje.
6 [Even] though their reputation/pride reaches up to the sky and their fame goes up as high as the clouds,
Loba ukuzigqaja kwakhe kufika emazulwini lekhanda lakhe lithinta emayezini,
7 they will disappear forever, like their own dung, and those who knew them will ask, ‘(Where did they go/What happened to them)?’
uzabhubha okwaphakade, njengobulongwe bakhe; labo abake bambona bazakuthi, ‘Ungaphi kanti?’
8 They will be forgotten like [SIM] a dream is, and they will exist no more. They will vanish, like visions [that people see] during the night.
Njengephupho uyanyamalala angabe esabonwa njalo, axotshwe njengombono webusuku.
9 Those who saw those people previously will never see them again; even their families [MTY] will not see them any more.
Ilihlo elake lambona kalisayikumbona njalo; indawo yakhe ingeke ibe isambona.
10 Their children will be forced to return the valuable things that those children stole from poor people [DOU].
Abantwabakhe bazazincengela ebayangeni ngezandla zakhe abuyisele inotho yakhe.
11 Previously their bodies were young and strong, but they will die and [their bodies will] be buried in the ground.
Amadlabuzane obutsha alawo emathanjeni akhe azalala kanye laye othulini.
12 “Doing wicked things was like having sweet food in their mouths, and they wanted to continue to taste it.
Loba ububi bumnandi emlonyeni wakhe, ebufihla ngaphansi kolimi lwakhe,
13 And they did not want to stop doing those things,
loba esehluleka ukutshiyana labo abugcine emlonyeni wakhe,
14 [but some day] the evil things that they enjoyed doing will become like food [that they swallow] [and which becomes] as bitter as snake venom.
kodwa ukudla kwakhe kuzahloba esiswini sakhe; kuzaphenduka kube yibuhlungu bezinyoka ngaphakathi kwakhe.
15 Wicked people will not continue to keep the money they have accumulated, like people do not keep the food that they vomit. God takes their wealth from them.
Uzayihlanza yonke inotho ayiginyayo; uNkulunkulu uzakwenza isisu sakhe sikuhlanze konke.
16 What wicked people do is [like] [MET] swallowing snake venom; it will kill them like [MET] the bite of a poisonous snake kills people.
Uzamunya ubuhlungu bezinyoka; amazinyo ebululu azambulala.
17 They will not remain alive to see abundant blessings [IDM] [from God], milk and olive oil and honey, that are [so abundant they are] like [MET] a stream that flows by.
Akayikuyikholisa imifula, leyomifula egeleza uluju lolaza.
18 They will be forced to give back the things that they stole from the poor; they will not be able to continue to enjoy those things. They will not remain happy because of what they got from their businesses,
Lokho akuginqeleyo kumele akubuyise engakudlanga; akayikuyikholisa inzuzo yokuthengiselana kwakhe.
19 because they oppressed poor people and refused to help them, and they took other people’s houses [by cheating them].
Ngoba ubebancindezela abayanga basala bengelalutho; wathumba izindlu angazakhanga.
20 “They were always greedy and never satisfied. They just keep dreaming about owning more and more things.
Ngempela akayikudeda kulobubuhwaba bakhe; ngeke azisindise ngenotho yakhe.
21 When they finished eating their food, there was never anything left over [because they had greedily eaten it all]; but now their prosperity will end.
Akusela lutho angabe esaludla; ukuphumelela kwakhe kakuyikuma.
22 When they are extremely prosperous/wealthy, they will suddenly experience a lot of trouble. (Misery will strike them and crush them [PRS]/They will suffer very greatly).
Phakathi kwenotho yakhe uzahlaselwa zinhlupho; ubuhlungu buzamehlela ngamandla.
23 When the wicked people are filling their stomachs, God will show that he is very angry with them and punish them; the punishment [that he gives them] will be like [MET] rain falling on them.
Nxa esesigcwalisile isisu sakhe, uNkulunkulu uzabhodlisela ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo kuye akhwele ehle ngezidutshulo phezu kwakhe.
24 They will try to escape from [being killed by] iron weapons, but arrows with bronze points will pierce them.
Lanxa angaze abalekele isikhali sensimbi umtshoko wethusi uzamciba.
25 The arrows will [go completely through their bodies and] stick out of their backs; the shiny points of the arrows will have blood dripping from them, and those wicked people will be terrified.
Uyawuhwatsha emhlane wakhe, umcijo wawo ocazimulayo awuhwatshe esibindini. Uzangenwa yikwesaba okukhulu;
26 Their valuable possessions will all be destroyed; a fire that is not lit by humans, [but by God, ] will burn them up and also destroy the things that are left in their tents.
umnyama omkhulu uyilindele inotho yakhe. Umlilo ongungumayo uzamqeda utshise lokho okuseleyo ethenteni lakhe.
27 The [angels in] heaven [MTY] will reveal the sins that those wicked people have committed, and [people on] earth will stand up and testify against them.
Amazulu azabembula ububi bakhe; umhlaba uzamvukela.
28 When God punishes [MTY] [people], all the possessions in the wicked people’s houses will be carried away by a flood.
Isikhukhula sizayithwala indlu yakhe, kungamanzi azimpophoma mhla wosuku lolaka lukaNkulunkulu.
29 That is what will happen to wicked people [like you]; that is what God has decided will happen to them.”
Sinjalo isiphetho uNkulunkulu asimisele ababi, ilifa abalikhethelwe nguNkulunkulu.”
