< Ayubu 4 >

1 Nake Elifazu ũrĩa Mũtemaani agĩcookia, akĩmũũria atĩrĩ:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 “Mũndũ angĩgeria gũkũgwetera koigo kamwe-rĩ, hihi wamũkirĩrĩria? No rĩrĩ, nũũ ũngĩhota kwĩgirĩrĩria kwaria?
“If one ventures a word with you, will you be wearied? Yet who can keep from speaking?
3 Ririkana ũrĩa wanataara andũ aingĩ, na ũrĩa wanekĩra moko marĩa maregeru hinya.
Surely you have instructed many, and have strengthened their feeble hands.
4 Ciugo ciaku cianatiirĩrĩra arĩa manahĩngwo makenda kũgũa; nĩwe wanekĩra maru marĩa magondoku hinya.
Your words have steadied those who stumbled; you have braced the knees that were buckling.
5 No rĩu-rĩ, nĩũkoretwo nĩ thĩĩna, nawe ũkoorwo nĩ hinya; ũhũũrĩtwo, nawe ũkanyiitwo nĩ kĩmako.
But now trouble has come upon you, and you are weary. It strikes you, and you are dismayed.
6 Githĩ wĩtigĩri Ngai waku tiguo wagĩrĩirwo gũtuĩka ũũmĩrĩru waku, nayo mĩthiĩre yaku ĩtarĩ ũcuuke-rĩ, githĩ tiyo mwĩhoko waku?
Is your reverence not your confidence, and the uprightness of your ways your hope?
7 “Ta wĩcũũranie atĩrĩ: Nĩ mũndũ ũrĩkũ wanathĩĩnĩka atekĩte ũũru? Nĩ kũ andũ arĩa arũngĩrĩru marĩ maniinwo?
Consider now, I plead: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Or where have the upright been destroyed?
8 Niĩ ũrĩa nyonete-rĩ, nĩ atĩ andũ arĩa marĩmaga ũũru, na arĩa mahaandaga thĩĩna-rĩ, maũndũ macio no mo magethaga.
As I have observed, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same.
9 Manangagwo nĩ mĩhũmũ ya Ngai; makaniinwo nĩ kĩhuhũkanio kĩa marakara make.
By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are consumed.
10 Mĩrũũthi no ĩrume na ĩrarame, no magego ma mĩrũũthi ĩyo mĩnene nĩmakoinangwo.
The lion may roar, and the fierce lion may growl, yet the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 Mũrũũthi nĩũkuaga nĩ kwaga gĩa kũguĩma, nacio ciana cia mũrũũthi wa mũgoma ikahurunjũka.
The old lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 “Nĩ kũrĩ kohoro karanginyĩire na hitho, namo matũ makwa marakaigua gakĩhehanwo.
Now a word came to me secretly; my ears caught a whisper of it.
13 Ũtukũ ngĩĩcũũrania ũhoro wa cioneki cia kũmakania, ũtukũ rĩrĩa andũ makoragwo marĩ toro mũnene,
In disquieting visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on men,
14 ngĩnyiitwo nĩ guoya na kũinaina, namo mahĩndĩ makwa mothe magĩthingitha.
fear and trembling came over me and made all my bones shudder.
15 O hĩndĩ ĩyo roho ũraahĩtũkĩra o ũthiũ-inĩ wakwa, nacio njuĩrĩ cia mwĩrĩ wakwa irambarara.
Then a spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body bristled.
16 Roho ũcio ũrarũgama, no ndinahota kũmenya ũrĩa ũratariĩ. Mbere yakwa hararũgama mũhianĩre wa kĩndũ, ndĩracooka ndĩraigua gũkĩario na mĩheehũ gũkĩũrio atĩrĩ,
It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; a form loomed before my eyes, and I heard a whispering voice:
17 ‘Mũndũ wa gũkua-rĩ, aahota gũtuĩka mũthingu gũkĩra Ngai? Mũndũ aahota gũtuĩka mũtheru gũkĩra Mũmũũmbi?
‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God, or a man more pure than his Maker?
18 Angĩkorwo Ngai ndangĩhota kwĩhoka ndungata ciake-rĩ, na angĩkorwo nĩonaga araika ake marĩ na mahĩtia-rĩ,
If God puts no trust in His servants, and He charges His angels with error,
19 githĩ to oone mahĩtia maingĩ mũno ma andũ arĩa matũũraga nyũmba cia ndoro, acio mĩthingi yao ĩrĩ rũkũngũ-inĩ, acio mamemendagwo na ihenya gũkĩra kĩĩhuruta!
how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who can be crushed like a moth!
20 Kuuma rũciinĩ nginya hwaĩ-inĩ moinangagwo tũcunjĩ; magathira tene na tene matekũrũmbũiyo.
They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk; unnoticed, they perish forever.
21 Githĩ mĩkanda ya hema yao ndĩmunyũrĩtwo, nĩguo makue matarĩ na ũũgĩ?’
Are not their tent cords pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?’

< Ayubu 4 >