< Job 22 >

1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
Nake Elifazu ũrĩa Mũtemaani agĩcookia atĩrĩ:
2 Can a man be profitable unto God? Or can he that is wise be profitable unto Him?
“Mũndũ aahota kũguna Mũrungu? O na mũndũ mũũgĩ-rĩ, akĩhota kũmũguna?
3 Is it any advantage to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways blameless?
Nĩ gĩkeno kĩrĩkũ ũthingu waku ũngĩrehere Mwene-Hinya-Wothe? Nĩ uumithio ũrĩkũ angĩgĩa naguo angĩkorwo mĩthiĩre yaku ndĩrĩ ũcuuke?
4 Is it for thy fear of Him that He reproveth thee, that He entereth with thee into judgment?
“Arakũrũithia na agagũthitanga nĩ ũndũ wa wĩtigĩri Ngai waku?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? And are not thine iniquities without end?
Githĩ waganu waku ti mũnene? Mehia maku-rĩ, makĩrĩ mũthia?
6 For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
Wetirie ũgitĩri kuuma kũrĩ ariũ a thoguo hatarĩ gĩtũmi; nĩwaũrire andũ nguo, ũkĩmatiga njaga.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
Arĩa anogu ndwamaheire maaĩ, na nĩwaimire arĩa ahũtu irio,
8 And as a mighty man, who hath the earth, and as a man of rank, who dwelleth in it,
o na gũtuĩka warĩ mũndũ ũrĩ hinya, ũrĩ na mĩgũnda: mũndũ ũheetwo gĩtĩĩo, na watũũraga kuo.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Nĩwaingatire atumia a ndigwa matarĩ na kĩndũ, na ũkĩniina hinya wa arĩa matarĩ na maithe.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden dread affrighted thee,
Nĩkĩo ũthiũrũrũkĩirio nĩ mĩtego, nĩkĩo thĩĩna wa narua ũkũmakagia,
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.
nĩkĩo ũtumanĩirwo nĩ nduma, ũkaremwo nĩkuona, na nokĩo mũiyũro wa maaĩ ũkũhubanĩirie.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the topmost of the stars, how high they are!
“Githĩ Ngai ndarĩ o kũu igũrũ o igũrũ? O na ta kĩone ũrĩa njata iria irĩ igũrũ mũno itũũgĩrĩte!
13 And thou sayest: 'What doth God know? Can He judge through the dark cloud?
No rĩrĩ, wee ũroiga atĩrĩ, ‘Mũrungu nĩ atĩa angĩmenya? No atuanĩre ciira nduma-inĩ ta ĩno?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the circuit of heaven.'
Matu matumanu nĩmamũhumbĩrĩte, nĩ ũndũ ũcio ndangĩtuona rĩrĩa egũceera kũu igũrũ gacũmbĩrĩ.’
15 Wilt thou keep the old way which wicked men have trodden?
Ũgũtũũra ũgeraga o njĩra ya tene ĩrĩa andũ aaganu managerera?
16 Who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream;
Nĩmahuririo ihinda rĩao rĩtanakinya, mĩthingi yao ĩgĩthererio nĩ mũiyũro wa maaĩ.
17 Who said unto God: 'Depart from us'; and what could the Almighty do unto them?
Nao meerire Mũrungu atĩrĩ, ‘Tigana na ithuĩ! Mwene-Hinya-Wothe-rĩ, angĩtwĩka atĩa?’
18 Yet He filled their houses with good things — but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
No rĩrĩ, nĩwe waiyũririe nyũmba ciao na indo njega, nĩ ũndũ ũcio niĩ njikaraga haraaya na kĩrĩra kĩa andũ arĩa aaganu.
19 The righteous saw it, and were glad, and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
“Andũ arĩa athingu nĩmeyonagĩra mwanangĩko wa acio aaganu, magakena; arĩa matarĩ na ũũru mekĩte mamanyũrũragia makiugaga atĩrĩ:
20 'Surely their substance is cut off, and their abundance the fire hath consumed.'
‘Ti-itherũ thũ ciitũ nĩnyanange, mwaki nĩũcinĩte ũtonga wao.’
21 Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace; thereby shall thine increase be good.
“Athĩkĩra Ngai ũikare ũrĩ na thayũ nake, ũndũ ũyũ nĩguo ũgaakũrehere ũgaacĩru.
22 Receive, I pray thee, instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in thy heart.
Ĩtĩkĩra ũrutani wa kanua gake, na ũige ciugo ciake ngoro-inĩ yaku.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up — if thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents,
Ũngĩcookerera ũcio Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, nĩegũkwamũkĩra; ũngĩeheria waganu kũraya na hema yaku,
24 And lay thy treasure in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;
na ũte ngũmba ciaku cia thahabu rũkũngũ-inĩ, na thahabu yaku ya Ofiri ũmĩte na kũu ndwaro-inĩ cia mahiga kũu mũkuru-inĩ,
25 And the Almighty be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee;
hĩndĩ ĩyo ũcio Mwene-Hinya-Wothe agaatuĩka thahabu yaku, na atuĩke betha ĩrĩa njega mũno harĩ we.
26 Then surely shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
Ti-itherũ, hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩũkona gĩkeno thĩinĩ wa ũcio Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, na nĩũgatiirĩra Ngai ũthiũ waku.
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;
Nĩũkamũhooya, nake nĩagakũigua, nawe nĩũkahingia mĩĩhĩtwa yaku.
28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee, and light shall shine upon thy ways.
Ũrĩa watua wĩkwo nĩguo ũrĩkagwo, naguo ũtheri nĩ ũkaara njĩra-inĩ ciaku.
29 When they cast thee down, thou shalt say: 'There is lifting up'; for the humble person He saveth.
Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa andũ angĩ manyiihio, nawe ũkoiga, ‘Nĩmatũũgĩrio!’ Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩakahonokia arĩa makuĩte ngoro.
30 He delivereth him that is innocent, yea, thou shalt be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.
Nĩakahonokia o na ũrĩa ũrĩ na ũcuuke, ahonokio nĩ ũndũ wa ũtheru wa moko maku.”

< Job 22 >