Yobhi
1 Kwilizwe laseUtse kwakukho indoda egama linguYobhi.*+ Yayilungile, ithembekile,+ isoyika uThixo, ibe ingayithandi into embi.+ 2 Yayinoonyana abasixhenxe neentombi ezintathu. 3 Yayifuyile ineegusha eziyi-7 000, iinkamela eziyi-3 000, iinkomo eziyi-1 000* needonki* eziyi-500, kunye nenyambalala yabasebenzi. Ngoko uYobhi wayeyeyona ndoda isisityebi kubo bonke abantu baseMpuma.
4 Oonyana bakhe babedla ngokwenza isibhadlalala sesidlo, ngamnye endlini yakhe ngemini yakhe. Babemema oodade wabo abathathu ukuba bazokutya, basele nabo. 5 Ekupheleni kwezo zidlo, uYobhi wayebabiza ukuze abenze ngcwele. Emva koko wayevuka ekuseni, enzele ngamnye wabo umnikelo otshiswayo,+ kuba wayesithi: “Kusenokwenzeka ukuba oonyana bam bonile baza bacinga izinto ezimbi ngoThixo.” Wayehlala esenza loo nto ke uYobhi.+
6 Ngenye imini oonyana bakaThixo wokwenene*+ bema phambi kukaYehova,+ noSathana+ elapho.+
7 Wathi uYehova kuSathana: “Uvela phi?” USathana wamphendula uYehova wathi: “Bendizula-zula ndisehla ndisenyuka emhlabeni.”+ 8 UYehova wathi kuSathana: “Umqaphele phofu umkhonzi wam uYobhi? Akukho mntu unjengaye emhlabeni. Uyindoda elungileyo nethembekileyo,+ eyoyika uThixo nengazenziyo izinto ezimbi.” 9 USathana wathi kuYehova: “Ukuba uYobhi ebengafumani nto, ebeza kumoyika na uThixo?+ 10 Andithi wena umkhusele+ yena nendlu yakhe nayo yonke into anayo? Kaloku uwusikelele umsebenzi wezandla zakhe,+ nemfuyo yakhe igcwele ilizwe lonke. 11 Khawolule nje isandla sakho, uthathe yonke into anayo, ubone ukuba akazukujika akuthuke na.” 12 Ngoko uYehova wathi kuSathana: “Jonga! Yonke into anayo isesandleni sakho.* Kodwa ungakhe ulinge umchukumise yena!” Emva koko uSathana wemka phambi kukaYehova.+
13 Kwathi ngenye imini oonyana bakaYobhi neentombi zakhe besitya yaye besela iwayini endlini kabhuti wabo,+ 14 kwafika umntu kuYobhi esithi: “Iinkomo bezilima needonki zisitya ecaleni kwazo, 15 kwagaleleka amaShebha azithatha, axabela abasebenzi bakho ngekrele. Kusinde mna ndedwa, ndeza kukuxelela.”
16 Wathi esathetha loo mntu, kwafika omnye esithi: “Kuhle umlilo kaThixo* uvela ezulwini, waqwenga iigusha nabasebenzi bakho! Kusinde mna ndedwa, ndeza kukuxelela.”
17 Wathi esathetha lowo kwafika omnye esithi: “Kufike amaqela amathathu amaKhaledi,+ athatha iinkamela, aza axabela nabasebenzi ngekrele. Kusinde mna ndedwa, ndeza kukuxelela.”
18 Wathi esathetha nalowo, kwafika omnye esithi: “Oonyana bakho neentombi zakho bebesitya yaye besela iwayini endlini kabhuti wabo, 19 kwasuka kwavuthuza umoya omkhulu osuka ngasentlango, wayiwisa loo ndlu, yawela phezu kwabo, bafa. Kusinde mna ndedwa, ndeza kukuxelela.”
20 Akuva loo nto uYobhi waphakama wakrazula isambatho sakhe, wacheba intloko, waza wawa phantsi waqubuda, 21 wathi:
“Ndaphuma ndize esibelekweni sikamama,
Ibe ndiza kubuyela ndize.+
NguYehova onikileyo,+ ikwanguYehova othathileyo.
Maliqhubeke lidunyiswa igama likaYehova.”
22 Kuyo yonke loo nto, uYobhi zange one okanye atyhole uThixo nangantoni na.