Ayubu 31

1 “Niĩ nĩtwarĩĩkanĩire na maitho makwa ndikanarore mũirĩtu ndĩmwĩrirĩrie.

I MADE a covenant with mine eyes; how then should I look upon a maid?

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?

For what [is] the portion of God from above, and the heritage of the Almighty from on high?

3 Githĩ ti kwanangwo kwa arĩa aaganu, na mũtino kũrĩ arĩa meekaga maũndũ mooru?

Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?

4 Githĩ we ndonaga njĩra ciakwa, na agatara o ikinya o ikinya rĩakwa?

Doth not he see my ways, and number all my steps?

5 “Ingĩkorwo thiiaga na njĩra itarĩ cia ma-rĩ, kana kũgũrũ gwakwa gũkahiũha thiĩ ngaheenanie-rĩ,

If I have walked with vanity, and my foot hath hasted to deceit;

6 Ngai nĩathime na ratiri cia kĩhooto, nake nĩekũmenya atĩ niĩ ndirĩ ũcuuke;

(Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity; )

7 makinya makwa mangĩkorwo nĩmahũkĩte makoima njĩra-inĩ, nayo ngoro yakwa ĩngĩkorwo nĩĩtongoretio nĩ maitho makwa, kana moko makwa makorwo nĩmathaahĩtio-rĩ,

If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any spot hath cleaved to mine hands:

8 hĩndĩ ĩyo kĩrĩa haandĩte kĩrorĩĩo nĩ andũ angĩ, nacio irio cia mĩgũnda yakwa iromunywo.

Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

9 “Ngoro yakwa ĩngĩkorwo yanaheenererio nĩ mũndũ-wa-nja, kana ngorwo ndanaceema mũrango-inĩ wa mũndũ wa itũũra,

If mine heart have been enticed unto a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door:

10 hĩndĩ ĩyo mũtumia wakwa arothĩa ngano ya mũndũ ũngĩ, na arũme angĩ tiga niĩ marokoma nake.

Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.

11 Nĩgũkorwo ũndũ ũcio nĩ ũmaramari wa thoni, na nĩ rĩĩhia rĩa gũtuĩrwo ciira nĩ kĩama.

For that were an heinous crime; yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges:

12 Tondũ ũcio nĩ mwaki ũrĩa ũcinaga nginya ũkaananga; na nĩũngĩamunyĩte magetha makwa mothe.

For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

13 “Ingĩkorwo nĩnyimĩte ndungata ciakwa cia arũme na cia andũ-a-nja kĩhooto rĩrĩa manateta nĩ ũndũ wakwa-rĩ,

If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me:

14 niĩ ngeeka atĩa rĩrĩa Mũrungu akaanjũkĩrĩra? Ngaacookia atĩa rĩrĩa ngeetwo ndĩĩtetere ũhoro-inĩ ũcio?

What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

15 Githĩ ũcio wanyũũmbire kũu nda ya maitũ to we wamoombire? Githĩ tiwe watũthondekire tũrĩ kũu nda cia aa maitũ?

Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

16 “Ingĩkorwo ndanaima athĩĩni kĩrĩa maanerirĩria, kana ngareka maitho ma mũtũmia wa ndigwa morwo nĩ hinya-rĩ,

If I have withheld the poor from [their] desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

17 ingĩkorwo ndĩĩaga irio ciakwa nyiki, ngaaga kũgayana na ũrĩa ũtarĩ ithe-rĩ,

Or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

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)

(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and I have been her guide from my mother’s womb; )

19 ingĩkorwo ndanoona mũndũ agĩkua nĩ ũndũ wa kwaga nguo, kana ngoona mũndũ mũbatari atarĩ kĩndũ gĩa kwĩhumba,

If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;

20 na ngoro yake ndĩandathimire nĩ ũndũ wa kũmũiguithia ũrugarĩ na guoya wa ngʼondu ciakwa-rĩ,

If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

21 ingĩkorwo ndanoya guoko gwakwa ngookĩrĩra mwana ũtarĩ ithe, nĩkũmenya atĩ no nyone wa kũndeithia kwagĩa ciira igooti-inĩ-rĩ,

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate:

22 hĩndĩ ĩyo guoko gwakwa kũroahũkĩra kĩande-inĩ kũgwe, kũroinĩkĩra o irũngo-inĩ.

Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.

23 Nĩ ũndũ nĩndetigagĩra mwanangĩko uumĩte kũrĩ Mũrungu, na nĩ ũndũ wa gwĩtigĩra riiri wake, ndingĩekire maũndũ ta macio.

For calamity from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his excellency I could do nothing.

24 “Ingĩkorwo nĩnjigĩte mwĩhoko wakwa harĩ thahabu, kana ngeera thahabu ĩrĩa therie mũno atĩrĩ, ‘Wee nĩwe ũgitĩri wakwa,’

If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, [Thou art] my confidence;

25 ingĩkorwo ndanakenera ũtonga wakwa mũnene, kana ngakenera uumithio ũrĩa moko makwa mecarĩirie-rĩ,

If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;

26 ingĩkorwo ndanarũmbũiya riũa rĩarĩte, kana mweri ũgĩthiĩ ũcangararĩte,

If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;

27 na ngoro yakwa ĩkĩheenererio nĩcio na hitho, kana guoko gwakwa gũgĩcikinyĩria kĩmumunyano gĩa gũcitĩĩa-rĩ,

And my heart hath been secretly enticed, and my mouth hath kissed my hand:

28 o na macio mangĩtuĩka mehia ma gũtuĩrwo ciira, nĩgũkorwo ingĩtuĩkĩte mũndũ ũtarĩ mwĩhokeku harĩ Mũrungu ũrĩa ũrĩ igũrũ.

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges: for I should have lied to God that is above.

29 “Ingĩkorwo ndaanakena nĩ thũ yakwa kuona mũtino, kana ngĩmĩthekerera rĩrĩa thĩĩna wamĩkora,

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him;

30 no niĩ ndirĩ ndetĩkĩra kanua gakwa keehie na ũndũ wa kũhoera muoyo wayo kĩrumi,

(Yea, I suffered not my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse; )

31 kũngĩkorwo andũ a nyũmba yakwa matirĩ moiga atĩrĩ, ‘Nũũ ũtarĩ warĩa nyama cia Ayubu akahũũna?’

If the men of my tent said not, Who can find one that hath not been satisfied with his flesh?

32 no gũtirĩ mũgeni wanaraara njĩra-inĩ, nĩ ũndũ mũrango wa mũciĩ wakwa ũtũire ũhingũrĩirwo mũgendi,

The stranger did not lodge in the street; but I opened my doors to the traveller;

33 ingĩkorwo ndaanahitha mehia makwa, ta ũrĩa andũ meekaga, na ũndũ wa kũhitha mahĩtia ngoro-inĩ yakwa

If like Adam I covered my transgressions, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom;

34 tondũ wa gwĩtigĩra kĩrĩndĩ, o na gwĩtigĩra kũmenwo nĩ mĩhĩrĩga ngagĩkira ki na ndiume nja-rĩ,

Because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and went not out of the door—

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.

Oh that I had one to hear me! (lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me; ) and [that I had] the indictment which mine adversary hath written!

36 Ti-itherũ marũa macio ingĩmaigĩrĩra kĩande, ndĩmehumbe taarĩ thũmbĩ.

Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown.

37 Njooke ndĩmũhe ũhoro wakwa ikinya gwa ikinya; ndĩmũkuhĩrĩrie ta ndĩ mũnene.)

I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.

38 “Korwo mũgũnda wakwa wakaya, ũnjũkĩrĩre, nayo mĩtaro yaguo yothe ĩkorwo ĩkĩrĩra maithori,

If my land cry out against me, and the furrows thereof weep together;

39 ingĩkorwo ndanarĩa maciaro maguo iteekũrĩha, kana ngoraga ngoro cia ene guo-rĩ,

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

40 hĩndĩ ĩyo congʼe ũrokũra kuo handũ ha ngano, na riya handũ ha cairi.” Ndeto cia Ayubu nĩciathira.

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.