Job 31
1 A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, —How then could I gaze upon a virgin?
“Niĩ nĩtwarĩĩkanĩire na maitho makwa ndikanarore mũirĩtu ndĩmwĩrirĩrie.
2 Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
Nĩ ũndũ-rĩ, kaĩ rũgai rwa mũndũ kuuma igũrũ kwa Ngai rũkĩrĩ kĩĩ? Igai rĩake nĩ rĩrĩkũ kuuma kũrĩ ũcio Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ũrĩ igũrũ?
3 Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?
Githĩ ti kwanangwo kwa arĩa aaganu, na mũtino kũrĩ arĩa meekaga maũndũ mooru?
4 Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?
Githĩ we ndonaga njĩra ciakwa, na agatara o ikinya o ikinya rĩakwa?
5 Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —
“Ingĩkorwo thiiaga na njĩra itarĩ cia ma-rĩ, kana kũgũrũ gwakwa gũkahiũha thiĩ ngaheenanie-rĩ,
6 Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, —and let GOD take note of mine integrity!
Ngai nĩathime na ratiri cia kĩhooto, nake nĩekũmenya atĩ niĩ ndirĩ ũcuuke;
7 If my goings have swerved from the way, —and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,
makinya makwa mangĩkorwo nĩmahũkĩte makoima njĩra-inĩ, nayo ngoro yakwa ĩngĩkorwo nĩĩtongoretio nĩ maitho makwa, kana moko makwa makorwo nĩmathaahĩtio-rĩ,
8 Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!
hĩndĩ ĩyo kĩrĩa haandĩte kĩrorĩĩo nĩ andũ angĩ, nacio irio cia mĩgũnda yakwa iromunywo.
9 If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,
“Ngoro yakwa ĩngĩkorwo yanaheenererio nĩ mũndũ-wa-nja, kana ngorwo ndanaceema mũrango-inĩ wa mũndũ wa itũũra,
10 Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!
hĩndĩ ĩyo mũtumia wakwa arothĩa ngano ya mũndũ ũngĩ, na arũme angĩ tiga niĩ marokoma nake.
11 Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!
Nĩgũkorwo ũndũ ũcio nĩ ũmaramari wa thoni, na nĩ rĩĩhia rĩa gũtuĩrwo ciira nĩ kĩama.
12 Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.
Tondũ ũcio nĩ mwaki ũrĩa ũcinaga nginya ũkaananga; na nĩũngĩamunyĩte magetha makwa mothe.
13 If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, when they contended with me,
“Ingĩkorwo nĩnyimĩte ndungata ciakwa cia arũme na cia andũ-a-nja kĩhooto rĩrĩa manateta nĩ ũndũ wakwa-rĩ,
14 What then could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered him?
niĩ ngeeka atĩa rĩrĩa Mũrungu akaanjũkĩrĩra? Ngaacookia atĩa rĩrĩa ngeetwo ndĩĩtetere ũhoro-inĩ ũcio?
15 Did not he who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?
Githĩ ũcio wanyũũmbire kũu nda ya maitũ to we wamoombire? Githĩ tiwe watũthondekire tũrĩ kũu nda cia aa maitũ?
16 If I withheld—from pleasure—the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;
“Ingĩkorwo ndanaima athĩĩni kĩrĩa maanerirĩria, kana ngareka maitho ma mũtũmia wa ndigwa morwo nĩ hinya-rĩ,
17 Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;
ingĩkorwo ndĩĩaga irio ciakwa nyiki, ngaaga kũgayana na ũrĩa ũtarĩ ithe-rĩ,
18 Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:
(no niĩ kuuma ũnini wakwa, mwana ta ũcio ndaamũreraga o ta ũrĩa angĩarerirwo nĩ ithe, na kuuma gũciarwo gwakwa ndũire ndongoragia mũtumia wa ndigwa)
19 If I saw one perishing for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
ingĩkorwo ndanoona mũndũ agĩkua nĩ ũndũ wa kwaga nguo, kana ngoona mũndũ mũbatari atarĩ kĩndũ gĩa kwĩhumba,
20 If his loins did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;
na ngoro yake ndĩandathimire nĩ ũndũ wa kũmũiguithia ũrugarĩ na guoya wa ngʼondu ciakwa-rĩ,
21 If I shook—against the fatherless—my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,
ingĩkorwo ndanoya guoko gwakwa ngookĩrĩra mwana ũtarĩ ithe, nĩkũmenya atĩ no nyone wa kũndeithia kwagĩa ciira igooti-inĩ-rĩ,
22 Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;
hĩndĩ ĩyo guoko gwakwa kũroahũkĩra kĩande-inĩ kũgwe, kũroinĩkĩra o irũngo-inĩ.
23 For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.
Nĩ ũndũ nĩndetigagĩra mwanangĩko uumĩte kũrĩ Mũrungu, na nĩ ũndũ wa gwĩtigĩra riiri wake, ndingĩekire maũndũ ta macio.
24 If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!
“Ingĩkorwo nĩnjigĩte mwĩhoko wakwa harĩ thahabu, kana ngeera thahabu ĩrĩa therie mũno atĩrĩ, ‘Wee nĩwe ũgitĩri wakwa,’
25 If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;
ingĩkorwo ndanakenera ũtonga wakwa mũnene, kana ngakenera uumithio ũrĩa moko makwa mecarĩirie-rĩ,
26 If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;
ingĩkorwo ndanarũmbũiya riũa rĩarĩte, kana mweri ũgĩthiĩ ũcangararĩte,
27 And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed my mouth,
na ngoro yakwa ĩkĩheenererio nĩcio na hitho, kana guoko gwakwa gũgĩcikinyĩria kĩmumunyano gĩa gũcitĩĩa-rĩ,
28 That too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false to GOD, above.
o na macio mangĩtuĩka mehia ma gũtuĩrwo ciira, nĩgũkorwo ingĩtuĩkĩte mũndũ ũtarĩ mwĩhokeku harĩ Mũrungu ũrĩa ũrĩ igũrũ.
29 If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; —
“Ingĩkorwo ndaanakena nĩ thũ yakwa kuona mũtino, kana ngĩmĩthekerera rĩrĩa thĩĩna wamĩkora,
30 Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:
no niĩ ndirĩ ndetĩkĩra kanua gakwa keehie na ũndũ wa kũhoera muoyo wayo kĩrumi,
31 If the men of my household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh—we cannot get filled,
kũngĩkorwo andũ a nyũmba yakwa matirĩ moiga atĩrĩ, ‘Nũũ ũtarĩ warĩa nyama cia Ayubu akahũũna?’
32 Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors—to the wayfarer, I threw open.
no gũtirĩ mũgeni wanaraara njĩra-inĩ, nĩ ũndũ mũrango wa mũciĩ wakwa ũtũire ũhingũrĩirwo mũgendi,
33 If I covered, like Adam, my transgressions, by hiding in my bosom mine iniquity,
ingĩkorwo ndaanahitha mehia makwa, ta ũrĩa andũ meekaga, na ũndũ wa kũhitha mahĩtia ngoro-inĩ yakwa
34 Then let me be made to tremble at a great throng, yea let, the contempt of families, terrify me, so that, keeping silence, I shall not go out of the door!
tondũ wa gwĩtigĩra kĩrĩndĩ, o na gwĩtigĩra kũmenwo nĩ mĩhĩrĩga ngagĩkira ki na ndiume nja-rĩ,
35 Oh that I had one to hear me, Lo! my crossmark, May, the Almighty, answer me! And would that, a book, mine opponent had written!
(“Naarĩ korwo ndaarĩ na mũndũ wa kũnjigua! Rĩu nĩndekĩra rũũri rwa kwĩyarĩrĩria: reke Mwene-Hinya-Wothe anjookerie ũhoro; reke mũũthitangi andĩke marũa ma thitango yake.
36 Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;
Ti-itherũ marũa macio ingĩmaigĩrĩra kĩande, ndĩmehumbe taarĩ thũmbĩ.
37 The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.
Njooke ndĩmũhe ũhoro wakwa ikinya gwa ikinya; ndĩmũkuhĩrĩrie ta ndĩ mũnene.)
38 If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;
“Korwo mũgũnda wakwa wakaya, ũnjũkĩrĩre, nayo mĩtaro yaguo yothe ĩkorwo ĩkĩrĩra maithori,
39 If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;
ingĩkorwo ndanarĩa maciaro maguo iteekũrĩha, kana ngoraga ngoro cia ene guo-rĩ,
40 Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.
hĩndĩ ĩyo congʼe ũrokũra kuo handũ ha ngano, na riya handũ ha cairi.” Ndeto cia Ayubu nĩciathira.
