Job 31
1 “I solemnly promised myself that I would not look at a young woman with a desire [to have sex with her].
“Ngasenza isivumelwano lamehlo ami ukuthi angakhangeli intombi ayihawukele.
2 [If I did not do what I promised, ] what would God who is in heaven [MTY] do to me [RHQ]? Almighty [God] would certainly not [RHQ] give me any reward!
Siyini isabelo somuntu asabelwe nguNkulunkulu ophezulu na, ilifa lakhe elivela kuSomandla phezulu?
3 [Previously I thought that] surely [RHQ] it was unrighteous people who would experience calamities, and that it was those who do what is wrong who would experience disasters.
Akusikubhujiswa kwababi lokutshabalaliswa kwalabo abenza okubi na?
4 God certainly sees [RHQ] everything that I do, [so why is he causing me to suffer?] [It is as though] he counts every step that I take.
Kanti kaziboni yini izindlela zami abale zonke izinyathelo zami?
5 [“I solemnly declare that] I have never acted wickedly and have never tried to deceive people.
Nxa ngike ngahamba ngokwamanga loba unyawo lwami lwakhuthalela inkohliso
6 I request only that God judge me fairly [MET], and if he does that, he will know that I (am innocent/have not done what is wrong).
uNkulunkulu akangikale esikalini sakhe esiqotho ukuze abone ukuthi angilasici,
7 If [it were true that] I have stopped living righteously, or [that] I [SYN] have desired the things that I look at [MTY], or [that] I am guilty of any other sin,
nxa izinyathelo zami zike zaphambuka endleleni, nxa inhliziyo yami ikhokhelwe ngamehlo ami, noma kumbe izandla zami zike zangcoliswa,
8 then I hope/wish that when I plant [seeds], someone else will [harvest the crops and] eat [them] and that others will uproot the [fruit trees] that I planted.
lapho-ke abanye kabazidlele lokho engikuhlanyeleyo, njalo amabele ami kawasitshunwe.
9 “If [it were true that] I [SYN] have been attracted by some other man’s wife, or [that] I have hidden myself and waited outside [the] door [to] her [house],
Nxa inhliziyo yami ike yakhangwa ngowesifazane, kumbe nxa ngike ngacathama ngasemnyango kamakhelwane,
10 I hope/desire that my wife will become the servant/slave of another man and have sex [EUP] with him.
lapho-ke owami umfazi kacholele enye indoda, njalo amanye amadoda kawalale laye.
11 [For me to do] that would be a terrible sin, and the judges would decide that I should be punished.
Ngoba lokho bekuzakuba lihlazo, isono esifanele ukwahlulelwa.
12 My [committing adultery] would [produce in me a fire like] [MET] the fire that burns people in hell, and it would burn up everything that I own. (questioned)
Kungumlilo otshisayo onguMaqothula; ngabe kwasiphuna isivuno sami.
13 “And, if [it were true that] I have ever refused to listen to one of my male or female servants when they complained to me about something,
Nxa ngingaphathanga kuhle izisebenzi zami, esesilisa lesesifazane nxa kukhona abakusolayo kimi,
14 God would arise [and declare that he would punish me]; and when he would do that, what would I do? If he would ask me [about what I have done], (what would I answer?/I would not be able to answer.) [RHQ]
ngizakuthini lapho uNkulunkulu esengibuza ngakho na? Ngizaphendula ngithini nxa sekumele ngichaze na?
15 God, who created me, certainly also created my servants [RHQ]; surely he is the one who formed them and me in our mothers’ wombs [RHQ]; [so we all should behave toward each other equally].
Yena lowo owangenzayo esibelethweni kabenzanga labo na? Kasuye yini yena kanye owasenzayo sonke phakathi kwezisu zabomama na?
16 “I have guided orphans from the time that they were born; I have taken care of them since they were young. So, if [it were true that] I ate all my food myself and did not share some of it with orphans, or [that] I refused to give poor people the things that they wanted, or [that] I caused widows to live (in despair/without hope [that they would receive any help from anyone]),
Nxa ngilahlele eceleni izifiso zabayanga loba ngayekela amehlo omfelokazi edinwa yizinyembezi,
nxa ngizidlele ngedwa isinkwa sami, ngingasabelani lezintandane,
kodwa ebutsheni bami ngabondla njengaboyise, njalo kusukela ekuzalweni kwami ngamkhokhela umfelokazi,
19 or [that] I had seen people die [from cold] because they had no clothes, or [that] I had seen poor people who did not have clothes [to keep them warm],
nxa ngike ngabona umuntu esifa ngokuswela izigqoko, loba umuntu oswelayo engelasivunulo,
20 and they were not able to become warm [from clothes made] from the wool of my sheep with the result that they thanked me for [giving them clothes, ]
njalo inhliziyo yakhe ayingibusisanga ngokumfudumeza ngoboya bezimvu zami,
21 or if [it were true that] I threatened to strike any orphan because I knew that the elders at the city gates would (decide in my favor);
nxa ngike ngaphakamisa isandla sami phezu kwentandane, kodwa mina ngikwazi ukuthi bayangilalela emthethwandaba,
22 [if those things were true about me], I hope/desire that my shoulder blade would be torn out and my arm be torn from my shoulder.
nxa kunjalo kayikhumuke ingalo yami kusukela ehlombe, kayephulwe endololwaneni.
23 I always feared that God would cause me to experience a great disaster [if I did any of those evil things], and I would not have been able to endure the powerful [things that he would do to punish me].
Ngoba ngesaba ukubhubhisa kukaNkulunkulu, kwathi ngokwesaba inkazimulo yakhe, ngayekela ukwenza izinto ezinjalo.
24 “If [it were true that] I trusted in my gold/money [DOU],
Nxa ngifake ithemba lami phezu kwegolide, loba ngathi kulo igolide elicolekileyo, ‘Ulithemba lami,’
25 or that I rejoiced because I had acquired many things and had become very rich,
nxa bengithokoziswa yinotho yami enengi, lenzuzo evele ngezandla zami,
26 or that I looked at the sun when it was shining or looked at the beautiful moon
nxa ngilikhangele ilanga libenyezela loba inyanga ihamba ngenkazimulo,
27 and I [SYN] had been tempted [to worship them] by kissing my hand to revere them,
yaze yayengeka inhliziyo yami ngaphakathi nganga isandla sami ukuzikhonza,
28 those things also would be sins for which the judges would say that I must be punished, because I would have been rejecting God [by doing those things].
lezi lazo yizono ebezifanele ukwahlulelwa, ngoba bengizabe ngingathembekanga kuNkulunkulu ophezulu.
29 “[It is not true that] I [SYN] sinned by requesting God to curse people who hated me with the result that God would cause them to die. It is also not true that I was glad when they were ruined or that I rejoiced when they experienced disasters [DOU].
Nxa ngike ngathokoza ngomnyama owehlele isitha sami kumbe ngagqabhaza ngohlupho olumehleleyo,
kangivumelanga umlomo wami ukuba wenze isono ngokuqalekisa ukuphila kwakhe,
31 [It is also not true that] I never welcomed travelers to stay in my tent or that I did not open my doors to them, but [forced them to] sleep in the streets. [All] the men who work for me certainly know that [RHQ]!
nxa abantu bendlu yami bengakaze bathi, ‘Ngubani ongazange azitike ngenyama kaJobe na?’
kodwa kakulasihambi esake salala emgwaqweni, ngoba umnyango wami wawuhlala uvulelwe izihambi
33 Some people try to hide their sins, but I have never done that;
nxa ngisithukuzile isono sami njengokwenziwa ngabantu, ngokufihla umlandu wami enhliziyweni yami
34 and I never remained silent and refused to go outside of my home because I was very (afraid of/worried about) what people would say [about me], and that they would hate/scorn me.
ngoba ngisesaba abantu ngithuthunyeliswa yikweyiswa ngabosendo ngazithulela ngaze ngala lokuphumela phandle.
35 “I wish/desire that there was someone who would hear what I am saying! I solemnly declare [that all that I have said is true]. I wish that those who oppose me would write down [on a scroll] the evil things that they say that I did.
(Oh, kube ukhona ongizwayo! Sengisayina incwadi yokuzivikela kwami, uSomandla kangiphendule; ongimangalelayo kabhale phansi icala angethesa lona.
36 [If they did that, ] I would wear that scroll on my shoulder, or wear it on top of my head, [in order that everyone could see it].
Leyoncwadi ngingayithwala ehlombe lami, ngingayithwala ekhanda njengomqhele.
37 I would tell [God] everything that I have done, and I would approach him [confidently], like a ruler would.
Bengingamchazela ngokugcweleyo ngazozonke izinyathelo zami; ngisondele kuye njengenkosana.)
38 If [it were true that] I have stolen land, with the result that [it was as though] its furrows cried out to accuse me of stealing;
Nxa ilizwe lakithi lingiphika lemifolo yalo imanzi ngezinyembezi,
39 or [if it were true that] I have eaten the crops that grew in someone else’s fields without paying [for those crops], with the result that those farmers who grew those crops died [from hunger];
nxa ngike ngadla izithelo zalo angaze ngabhadala loba ngephula imimoya yabanikazi,
40 then I wish/desire that thorns would grow [in my fields] instead of wheat. May bad weeds grow instead of barley!” That is the end of what Job said [to his three friends].
nxa kunjalo kakumile ameva esikhundleni sengqoloyi, lokhula esikhundleni sebhali.” Aphela lapha amazwi kaJobe.
