< Ayubu 31 >
1 “Niĩ nĩtwarĩĩkanĩire na maitho makwa ndikanarore mũirĩtu ndĩmwĩrirĩrie.
“I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
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 from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty 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?
Doesn’t he see my ways, and count all my steps?
5 “Ingĩkorwo thiiaga na njĩra itarĩ cia ma-rĩ, kana kũgũrũ gwakwa gũkahiũha thiĩ ngaheenanie-rĩ,
“If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried 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 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 my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,
8 hĩndĩ ĩyo kĩrĩa haandĩte kĩrorĩĩo nĩ andũ angĩ, nacio irio cia mĩgũnda yakwa iromunywo.
then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, 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 my heart has been enticed to 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 for another, and let others sleep with her.
11 Nĩgũkorwo ũndũ ũcio nĩ ũmaramari wa thoni, na nĩ rĩĩhia rĩa gũtuĩrwo ciira nĩ kĩama.
For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be 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 consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.
13 “Ingĩkorwo nĩnyimĩte ndungata ciakwa cia arũme na cia andũ-a-nja kĩhooto rĩrĩa manateta nĩ ũndũ wakwa-rĩ,
“If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me,
14 niĩ ngeeka atĩa rĩrĩa Mũrungu akaanjũkĩrĩra? Ngaacookia atĩa rĩrĩa ngeetwo ndĩĩtetere ũhoro-inĩ ũcio?
what then will I do when God rises up? When he visits, what will I answer him?
15 Githĩ ũcio wanyũũmbire kũu nda ya maitũ to we wamoombire? Githĩ tiwe watũthondekire tũrĩ kũu nda cia aa maitũ?
Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t 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 has not eaten of it
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)
(no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, I have guided her 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 heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;
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 my 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 is a terror to me. Because of his majesty, I can 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, ‘You are my confidence;’
25 ingĩkorwo ndanakenera ũtonga wakwa mũnene, kana ngakenera uumithio ũrĩa moko makwa mecarĩirie-rĩ,
If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
26 ingĩkorwo ndanarũmbũiya riũa rĩarĩte, kana mweri ũgĩthiĩ ũcangararĩte,
if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendour,
27 na ngoro yakwa ĩkĩheenererio nĩcio na hitho, kana guoko gwakwa gũgĩcikinyĩria kĩmumunyano gĩa gũcitĩĩa-rĩ,
and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;
28 o na macio mangĩtuĩka mehia ma gũtuĩrwo ciira, nĩgũkorwo ingĩtuĩkĩte mũndũ ũtarĩ mwĩhokeku harĩ Mũrungu ũrĩa ũrĩ igũrũ.
this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.
29 “Ingĩkorwo ndaanakena nĩ thũ yakwa kuona mũtino, kana ngĩmĩthekerera rĩrĩa thĩĩna wamĩkora,
“If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who 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,
(I have certainly not allowed 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 have not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’
32 no gũtirĩ mũgeni wanaraara njĩra-inĩ, nĩ ũndũ mũrango wa mũciĩ wakwa ũtũire ũhingũrĩirwo mũgendi,
(the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have 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 have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
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 didn’t 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! Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! Let the accuser write my indictment!
36 Ti-itherũ marũa macio ingĩmaigĩrĩra kĩande, ndĩmehumbe taarĩ thũmbĩ.
Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and I would bind it to me as a crown.
37 Njooke ndĩmũhe ũhoro wakwa ikinya gwa ikinya; ndĩmũkuhĩrĩrie ta ndĩ mũnene.)
I would declare to him the number of my steps. I would go near to him like a prince.
38 “Korwo mũgũnda wakwa wakaya, ũnjũkĩrĩre, nayo mĩtaro yaguo yothe ĩkorwo ĩkĩrĩra maithori,
If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;
39 ingĩkorwo ndanarĩa maciaro maguo iteekũrĩha, kana ngoraga ngoro cia ene guo-rĩ,
if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,
40 hĩndĩ ĩyo congʼe ũrokũra kuo handũ ha ngano, na riya handũ ha cairi.” Ndeto cia Ayubu nĩciathira.
let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.