Ayubu 31
1 “Niĩ nĩtwarĩĩkanĩire na maitho makwa ndikanarore mũirĩtu ndĩmwĩrirĩrie.
I vowed to myself never to look with desire at young women.
2 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?
What should people expect to receive from God? What reward should the Almighty on high give them?
3 Githĩ ti kwanangwo kwa arĩa aaganu, na mũtino kũrĩ arĩa meekaga maũndũ mooru?
Isn't it disaster for the wicked and destruction for those who do wrong?
4 Githĩ we ndonaga njĩra ciakwa, na agatara o ikinya o ikinya rĩakwa?
Doesn't God see everything I do—even count every step I take?
5 “Ingĩkorwo thiiaga na njĩra itarĩ cia ma-rĩ, kana kũgũrũ gwakwa gũkahiũha thiĩ ngaheenanie-rĩ,
Have I lived a deceitful life? Have I been eager to tell lies?
6 Ngai nĩathime na ratiri cia kĩhooto, nake nĩekũmenya atĩ niĩ ndirĩ ũcuuke;
No! Let God weigh me on the scales of his justice and let him discover my integrity.
7 makinya makwa mangĩkorwo nĩmahũkĩte makoima njĩra-inĩ, nayo ngoro yakwa ĩngĩkorwo nĩĩtongoretio nĩ maitho makwa, kana moko makwa makorwo nĩmathaahĩtio-rĩ,
If I have wandered from God's way, if I have let what I see become my desires, if there's any stain of sin on my hands,
8 hĩndĩ ĩyo kĩrĩa haandĩte kĩrorĩĩo nĩ andũ angĩ, nacio irio cia mĩgũnda yakwa iromunywo.
then let someone else eat what I have sown, and all that I have grown be uprooted.
9 “Ngoro yakwa ĩngĩkorwo yanaheenererio nĩ mũndũ-wa-nja, kana ngorwo ndanaceema mũrango-inĩ wa mũndũ wa itũũra,
If a woman has seduced me, or if I have looked for an opportunity to sleep with my neighbor's wife,
10 hĩndĩ ĩyo mũtumia wakwa arothĩa ngano ya mũndũ ũngĩ, na arũme angĩ tiga niĩ marokoma nake.
then let my wife serve another, let other men sleep with her.
11 Nĩgũkorwo ũndũ ũcio nĩ ũmaramari wa thoni, na nĩ rĩĩhia rĩa gũtuĩrwo ciira nĩ kĩama.
For that would be wicked, a sin deserving punishment,
12 Tondũ ũcio nĩ mwaki ũrĩa ũcinaga nginya ũkaananga; na nĩũngĩamunyĩte magetha makwa mothe.
for this sin is like a fire that leads to destruction, destroying everything I have.
13 “Ingĩkorwo nĩnyimĩte ndungata ciakwa cia arũme na cia andũ-a-nja kĩhooto rĩrĩa manateta nĩ ũndũ wakwa-rĩ,
If I had refused to listen to my menservants or maidservants when they brought their complaints to me,
14 niĩ ngeeka atĩa rĩrĩa Mũrungu akaanjũkĩrĩra? Ngaacookia atĩa rĩrĩa ngeetwo ndĩĩtetere ũhoro-inĩ ũcio?
what would I do when God came to judge me? How would I reply if he investigated me?
15 Githĩ ũcio wanyũũmbire kũu nda ya maitũ to we wamoombire? Githĩ tiwe watũthondekire tũrĩ kũu nda cia aa maitũ?
Didn't the same God make all of us?
16 “Ingĩkorwo ndanaima athĩĩni kĩrĩa maanerirĩria, kana ngareka maitho ma mũtũmia wa ndigwa morwo nĩ hinya-rĩ,
Have I refused to give the poor what they needed, or caused widows to despair?
17 ingĩkorwo ndĩĩaga irio ciakwa nyiki, ngaaga kũgayana na ũrĩa ũtarĩ ithe-rĩ,
Have I even eaten just a piece of bread by myself? Haven't I always shared my food with orphans?
18 (no niĩ kuuma ũnini wakwa, mwana ta ũcio ndaamũreraga o ta ũrĩa angĩarerirwo nĩ ithe, na kuuma gũciarwo gwakwa ndũire ndongoragia mũtumia wa ndigwa)
From when I was young I was a father to orphans and took care of widows.
19 ingĩkorwo ndanoona mũndũ agĩkua nĩ ũndũ wa kwaga nguo, kana ngoona mũndũ mũbatari atarĩ kĩndũ gĩa kwĩhumba,
If ever I saw someone needing clothes, the poor without anything to wear,
20 na ngoro yake ndĩandathimire nĩ ũndũ wa kũmũiguithia ũrugarĩ na guoya wa ngʼondu ciakwa-rĩ,
they always thanked me for the wool clothing that kept them warm.
21 ingĩkorwo ndanoya guoko gwakwa ngookĩrĩra mwana ũtarĩ ithe, nĩkũmenya atĩ no nyone wa kũndeithia kwagĩa ciira igooti-inĩ-rĩ,
If I raised my hand to hit an orphan, confident that if it came to court the judges would be on my side,
22 hĩndĩ ĩyo guoko gwakwa kũroahũkĩra kĩande-inĩ kũgwe, kũroinĩkĩra o irũngo-inĩ.
then let my shoulder be pulled from its joint, my arm wrenched out of its socket.
23 Nĩ ũndũ nĩndetigagĩra mwanangĩko uumĩte kũrĩ Mũrungu, na nĩ ũndũ wa gwĩtigĩra riiri wake, ndingĩekire maũndũ ta macio.
Since I'm terrified of what punishment God may have in store for me, and because of his majesty, I could never do this.
24 “Ingĩkorwo nĩnjigĩte mwĩhoko wakwa harĩ thahabu, kana ngeera thahabu ĩrĩa therie mũno atĩrĩ, ‘Wee nĩwe ũgitĩri wakwa,’
Have I put my trust in gold, calling fine gold, ‘My security’?
25 ingĩkorwo ndanakenera ũtonga wakwa mũnene, kana ngakenera uumithio ũrĩa moko makwa mecarĩirie-rĩ,
Have I delighted in being rich, happy at all my wealth I had gained?
26 ingĩkorwo ndanarũmbũiya riũa rĩarĩte, kana mweri ũgĩthiĩ ũcangararĩte,
Have I looked at the sun shining so brilliantly or the moon moving in majesty across the sky
27 na ngoro yakwa ĩkĩheenererio nĩcio na hitho, kana guoko gwakwa gũgĩcikinyĩria kĩmumunyano gĩa gũcitĩĩa-rĩ,
and been tempted to secretly worship them by kissing my hand to them in devotion?
28 o na macio mangĩtuĩka mehia ma gũtuĩrwo ciira, nĩgũkorwo ingĩtuĩkĩte mũndũ ũtarĩ mwĩhokeku harĩ Mũrungu ũrĩa ũrĩ igũrũ.
This too would be a sin deserving punishment for it would mean I had denied God above.
29 “Ingĩkorwo ndaanakena nĩ thũ yakwa kuona mũtino, kana ngĩmĩthekerera rĩrĩa thĩĩna wamĩkora,
Have I ever been happy when disaster destroyed those who hated me, or celebrated when evil took them down?
30 no niĩ ndirĩ ndetĩkĩra kanua gakwa keehie na ũndũ wa kũhoera muoyo wayo kĩrumi,
I have never allowed my mouth to sin by putting a curse on someone's life.
31 kũngĩkorwo andũ a nyũmba yakwa matirĩ moiga atĩrĩ, ‘Nũũ ũtarĩ warĩa nyama cia Ayubu akahũũna?’
Haven't my family asked, ‘Is there anyone who has not eaten as much as they wanted of his food?’
32 no gũtirĩ mũgeni wanaraara njĩra-inĩ, nĩ ũndũ mũrango wa mũciĩ wakwa ũtũire ũhingũrĩirwo mũgendi,
I have never let strangers sleep in the street; I have opened my doors to travelers.
33 ingĩkorwo ndaanahitha mehia makwa, ta ũrĩa andũ meekaga, na ũndũ wa kũhitha mahĩtia ngoro-inĩ yakwa
Have I concealed my sins from others, hiding my wrongdoing deep inside me?
34 tondũ wa gwĩtigĩra kĩrĩndĩ, o na gwĩtigĩra kũmenwo nĩ mĩhĩrĩga ngagĩkira ki na ndiume nja-rĩ,
Was I afraid of what everybody else would think, scared of the contempt families would show me, so that I kept quiet and didn't go outside?
35 (“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.
Why won't anyone listen to what I'm saying! I'm signing my name to endorse everything I've said. Let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write down what he is charging me with.
36 Ti-itherũ marũa macio ingĩmaigĩrĩra kĩande, ndĩmehumbe taarĩ thũmbĩ.
I would hold them up high; I would wear them on my head like a crown.
37 Njooke ndĩmũhe ũhoro wakwa ikinya gwa ikinya; ndĩmũkuhĩrĩrie ta ndĩ mũnene.)
I would explain to him everything I'd done; I would hold my head high before him.
38 “Korwo mũgũnda wakwa wakaya, ũnjũkĩrĩre, nayo mĩtaro yaguo yothe ĩkorwo ĩkĩrĩra maithori,
If my land has cried out against me; if her furrows have wept over me;
39 ingĩkorwo ndanarĩa maciaro maguo iteekũrĩha, kana ngoraga ngoro cia ene guo-rĩ,
if I have taken its crops without payment or if I have caused harm to the farmers;
40 hĩndĩ ĩyo congʼe ũrokũra kuo handũ ha ngano, na riya handũ ha cairi.” Ndeto cia Ayubu nĩciathira.
then let thorns grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
