Job 24
1 “Why aren’t times laid up by the Almighty? Why don’t those who know him see his days?
Kungani izikhathi zingafihlelwanga uSomandla, labamaziyo bengaboni insuku zakhe?
2 There are people who remove the landmarks. They violently take away flocks, and feed them.
Bathuthukisa imingcele, baphange imihlambi bayeluse.
3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless, and they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
Baxotsha ubabhemi wezintandane, bathathe inkabi yomfelokazi ibe yisibambiso.
4 They turn the needy out of the way. The poor of the earth all hide themselves.
Baphambula abaswelayo emigwaqweni; abayanga bomhlaba bacatsha ndawonye.
5 Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go out to their work, seeking diligently for food. The wilderness yields them bread for their children.
Khangelani, bangobabhemi beganga enkangala, baphumela emsebenzini wabo, badinge impango ngovivi; inkangala ibe yikudla kwakhe lokwabantwana.
6 They cut their food in the field. They glean the vineyard of the wicked.
Emasimini bavuna ukudla kwakhe, bakhothoze esivinini somubi.
7 They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
Balala beze ebusuku bengelasembatho, bengelasigubuzelo emqandweni.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for lack of a shelter.
Bamanzi ngezihlambo zezintaba, babambelela edwaleni ngoba bengelasiphephelo.
9 There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,
Bahluthuna intandane ebeleni, bathathe lesibambiso kumyanga.
10 so that they go around naked without clothing. Being hungry, they carry the sheaves.
Bahamba beze bengelasigqoko, labalambileyo bathwala isithungo.
11 They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread wine presses, and suffer thirst.
Phakathi kwemiduli yabo bahluza amafutha, banyathela izikhamelo zewayini, kodwa bomile.
12 From out of the populous city, men groan. The soul of the wounded cries out, yet God doesn’t regard the folly.
Abantu bayabubula besemzini, lomphefumulo wabalimeleyo uyakhala; kodwa uNkulunkulu kababaleli ukungalungi.
13 “These are of those who rebel against the light. They don’t know its ways, nor stay in its paths.
Bona baphakathi kwabavukela ukukhanya; kabazazi indlela zakhe, kabahlali emikhondweni yakhe.
14 The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy. In the night he is like a thief.
Umbulali uyavuka ngovivi, abulale umyanga loswelayo; lebusuku unjengesela.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye will see me.’ He disguises his face.
Lelihlo lesiphingi lilindela ukuhlwa, sisithi: Kakulalihlo elizangibona; sifake isimbombozo ebusweni baso.
16 In the dark they dig through houses. They shut themselves up in the daytime. They don’t know the light.
Emnyameni ugebha aphutshele ezindlini abaziphawulele zona emini; kabakwazi ukukhanya.
17 For the morning is to all of them like thick darkness, for they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
Ngoba ikuseni kanyekanye ilithunzi lokufa kubo; uba besaziwa bakuzesabiso zethunzi lokufa.
18 “They are foam on the surface of the waters. Their portion is cursed in the earth. They don’t turn into the way of the vineyards.
Ulula phezu kobuso bamanzi; isabelo sabo siqalekisiwe emhlabeni; kaphendukeli endleleni yezivini.
Imbalela lokutshisa kuqeda amanzi eliqhwa elikhithikileyo, ngokunjalo ingcwaba abonileyo. (Sheol h7585)
20 The womb will forget him. The worm will feed sweetly on him. He will be no more remembered. Unrighteousness will be broken as a tree.
Isizalo sizamkhohlwa, impethu izammunya, engabe esakhunjulwa, lenkohlakalo izakwephulwa njengesihlahla.
21 He devours the barren who don’t bear. He shows no kindness to the widow.
Udla ngokuminza inyumba engazaliyo, kamenzeli okuhle umfelokazi.
22 Yet God preserves the mighty by his power. He rises up who has no assurance of life.
Njalo udonsa abalamandla ngamandla akhe, uyavuka, njalo kungabi lolethemba lempilo.
23 God gives them security, and they rest in it. His eyes are on their ways.
Uyamnika ukuze alondolozeke, eseyama kukho, kodwa amehlo akhe aphezu kwendlela zabo.
24 They are exalted; yet a little while, and they are gone. Yes, they are brought low, they are taken out of the way as all others, and are cut off as the tops of the ears of grain.
Bayaphakanyiswa okwesikhatshana, babesebengasekho, behliselwa phansi, bavalelwe njengaye wonke, bayaqunywa njengesihloko sesikhwebu.
25 If it isn’t so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech worth nothing?”
Uba-ke kungenjalo, ngubani ongangenza umqambimanga, enze inkulumo yami ibe yize?
