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