< Ayubu 14 >
1 “Mũndũ ũciarĩtwo nĩ mũndũ-wa-nja-rĩ, aikaraga o matukũ manini, namo makaiyũrwo nĩ mathĩĩna.
Life is short and full of trouble,
2 Akũraga ta ihũa na agacooka akooma; ahĩtũkaga na ihenya ta kĩĩruru, na ndatũũraga.
like a flower that blooms and withers, like a passing shadow that soon disappears.
3 Mũndũ ta ũcio wakĩmũkũũrĩra maitho? Mũndũ ta ũcio wamũrehe mbere yaku aciirithio?
Do you even notice me, God, and why do you have to drag me to court?
4 Nũũ ũngĩhota kũruta kĩndũ gĩtheru kuuma harĩ kĩndũ kĩrĩa gĩtarĩ gĩtheru? Gũtirĩ o na ũmwe!
Who can bring something clean of what is unclean? No one.
5 Matukũ ma mũndũ nĩ matare; nĩũtuĩte mũigana wa mĩeri yake, na nĩũmũigĩire mĩhaka ĩrĩa ataangĩkĩra.
You have determined how long we shall live—the number of months, a time limit on our lives.
6 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio tiga kũmũrora, tigana nake, nginya arĩĩkie mĩthenya yake ta mũthũkũmi.
So leave us alone and give us some peace—so like a laborer we could enjoy a few hours of rest at the end of the day.
7 “Mũtĩ-rĩ, nĩwĩrĩgagĩrĩrwo atĩ ũngĩtemwo, no ũthethũke rĩngĩ, na atĩ mathethũka maguo matikaaga.
Even a tree that's cut down has the hope of sprouting again, of sending up shoots and continuing to live.
8 O na mĩri yaguo ĩngĩkũrĩra thĩ na gĩthukĩ kĩaguo kĩũmĩre tĩĩri-inĩ,
Even though its roots grow old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,
9 ũngĩkaguucia maaĩ-rĩ, nĩũgathethũka na ũrute honge ta mũtĩ wa kũhaandwo.
just a trickle of water will make it bud and grow branches like a young plant.
10 No mũndũ akuuaga agathikwo; aatuĩkana-rĩ, ndacookaga kuonwo rĩngĩ.
But human beings die, their strength dwindles away; they perish, and where are they then?
11 O ta ũrĩa maaĩ mahũũaga kũu iria-inĩ, na ta ũrĩa mũtaro wa rũũĩ ũngʼaraga ũkooma-rĩ,
Like water evaporating from a lake and a river that dries up and disappears,
12 ũguo noguo mũndũ akomaga na ndacookaga gũũkĩra rĩngĩ; o nginya rĩrĩa igũrũ rĩgaathira-rĩ, andũ matirĩ hĩndĩ magookĩra kana maarahũrwo mookĩre.
so human beings lie down and don't get up again. Until the heavens cease to exist they will not awake from their sleep.
13 “Naarĩ korwo wahitha thĩinĩ wa mbĩrĩra, na ũnjige hitho-inĩ nginya rĩrĩa marakara maku magaathira! Naarĩ korwo wanduĩra gĩathĩ, ũgaacooka kũndirikana hĩndĩ ĩyo. (Sheol )
I wish you would hide me in Sheol; conceal me there until your anger is gone. Set a definite time for me there, and remember me! (Sheol )
14 Mũndũ akua-rĩ, nĩagatũũra muoyo rĩngĩ? Matukũ makwa mothe ma wĩra mũritũ-rĩ, ngweterera ihinda rĩakwa rĩa kwerũhĩrio hinya rĩkinye.
Will the dead live again? Then I would have hope through all my time of trouble until my release comes.
15 Wee ũgetana, na niĩ nĩngagwĩtĩka; na nĩũkeerirĩria kĩũmbe gĩkĩ wombire na moko maku.
You would call and I would answer you; you would long for me, the being that you made.
16 Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩũgatara makinya makwa, no ndũkarũmbũiya mehia makwa.
Then you would look after me and wouldn't be watching me to see if I sinned.
17 Mahĩtia makwa meekĩrĩtwo mondo-inĩ, ĩkoohwo na ĩkahũũrwo mũhũũri; nĩũkahumbĩra mehia makwa.
My sins would be sealed up in a bag and you would cover my guilt.
18 “No rĩrĩ, o ta ũrĩa kĩrĩma kĩenjekaga na gĩkamomoka, na o ta ũrĩa rwaro rwa ihiga rũeheragio handũ ha ruo,
But just as the mountains crumble and fall, and the rocks tumble down;
19 na o ta ũrĩa maaĩ mamuthũraga mahiga, na o ta ũrĩa mbura nene ĩtwaraga tĩĩri-rĩ, ũguo noguo wanangaga kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro kĩa mũndũ.
as water wears away the stones, as floods wash away the soil, so you destroy the hope people have.
20 Wee ũmũtooragia o rĩmwe rĩa kũigana, nake agathira; ũgarũraga gĩthiithi gĩake ũrĩa kĩhaana, na ũkamũingata.
You continually overpower them and they pass away; you distort their faces in death and send them away.
21 Ariũ ake mangĩheo gĩtĩĩo, ndangĩmenya ũhoro ũcio; mangĩconorithio, we ndoonaga ũndũ ũcio.
Their children may become important or fall from their positions, but they don't know or see any of this.
22 We no ruo rwa mwĩrĩ wake aiguaga, nake atũũraga o ecaayagĩra.”
As people die they only know their own pain and are sad for themselves.”