Yobu 31
1 “Nakola endagaano n’amaaso gange; obutatunuulira muwala n’amaaso ag’obukaba.
“I solemnly promised myself that I would not look at a young woman with a desire [to have sex with her].
2 Kiki Katonda kye yandinsasudde okuva waggulu, omugabo ogwandivudde eri oyo Ayinzabyonna ali waggulu?
[If I did not do what I promised, ] what would God who is in heaven [MTY] do to me [RHQ]? Almighty [God] would certainly not [RHQ] give me any reward!
3 Emitawaana tegijjira abo abatali batukuvu, n’okulaba ennaku ne kujjira abakola eby’obujeemu?
[Previously I thought that] surely [RHQ] it was unrighteous people who would experience calamities, and that it was those who do what is wrong who would experience disasters.
4 Amakubo gange gonna tagalaba, era tamanyi ntambula yange?
God certainly sees [RHQ] everything that I do, [so why is he causing me to suffer?] [It is as though] he counts every step that I take.
5 Obanga natambulira mu bulimba era nga n’ekigere kyange kyayanguyiriza okukola obukuusa;
[“I solemnly declare that] I have never acted wickedly and have never tried to deceive people.
6 leka mpimibwe ku minzaani ya Katonda amanye obutuukirivu bwange.
I request only that God judge me fairly [MET], and if he does that, he will know that I (am innocent/have not done what is wrong).
7 Obanga ekigere kyange kyali kikyamye okuva mu kkubo, n’omutima gwange ne gugoberera amaaso gange, engalo zange ne zibaako ebbala lyonna;
If [it were true that] I have stopped living righteously, or [that] I [SYN] have desired the things that I look at [MTY], or [that] I am guilty of any other sin,
8 kale nsige, omulala abirye, weewaawo ebirime byange bikuulibwe.
then I hope/wish that when I plant [seeds], someone else will [harvest the crops and] eat [them] and that others will uproot the [fruit trees] that I planted.
9 Obanga omutima gwange gwali gusendeddwasendeddwa omukazi, oba ne mmuteegera ku mulyango gwa muliraanwa,
“If [it were true that] I [SYN] have been attracted by some other man’s wife, or [that] I have hidden myself and waited outside [the] door [to] her [house],
10 kale omukazi wange ase eŋŋaano y’omusajja omulala, n’abasajja abalala beebake naye.
I hope/desire that my wife will become the servant/slave of another man and have sex [EUP] with him.
11 Kubanga ekyo kyandibadde kya kivve, ekibi ekiŋŋwanira okubonerezebwa.
[For me to do] that would be a terrible sin, and the judges would decide that I should be punished.
12 Ogwo gwandibadde muliro ogwokya okutuusa mu kuzikirira, ogwandyokezza ebyange byonna bye nasimba.”
My [committing adultery] would [produce in me a fire like] [MET] the fire that burns people in hell, and it would burn up everything that I own. (questioned)
13 “Obanga nnali nnyoomye ensonga y’omuddu wange oba omuddu wange omukazi, bwe banninaako ensonga,
“And, if [it were true that] I have ever refused to listen to one of my male or female servants when they complained to me about something,
14 kale ndikola ntya Katonda bw’alinnyimukiramu? Era bw’alimbuuza, ndimuddamu ki?
God would arise [and declare that he would punish me]; and when he would do that, what would I do? If he would ask me [about what I have done], (what would I answer?/I would not be able to answer.) [RHQ]
15 Eyantonda mu lubuto nabo si ye yabatonda? Ffenna si ye yatukola mu mbuto za bannyaffe?
God, who created me, certainly also created my servants [RHQ]; surely he is the one who formed them and me in our mothers’ wombs [RHQ]; [so we all should behave toward each other equally].
16 “Obanga nnamma omwavu ekintu kyonna, era obanga nakaabya nnamwandu;
“I have guided orphans from the time that they were born; I have taken care of them since they were young. So, if [it were true that] I ate all my food myself and did not share some of it with orphans, or [that] I refused to give poor people the things that they wanted, or [that] I caused widows to live (in despair/without hope [that they would receive any help from anyone]),
17 obanga nnali ndidde akamere kange nzekka atalina kitaawe n’atalyako,
18 kubanga okuva mu buto bwange namulera nga kitaawe, era okuva mu lubuto lwa mmange nayamba nnamwandu.
19 Obanga nnali ndabye omuntu yenna ng’afa olw’okubulwa ebyambalo, oba ali mu kwetaaga atalina kye yeebikka;
or [that] I had seen people die [from cold] because they had no clothes, or [that] I had seen poor people who did not have clothes [to keep them warm],
20 mpozzi omutima gwe, gwe gutansiima, olw’okumubugumya n’ebyoya by’endiga zange;
and they were not able to become warm [from clothes made] from the wool of my sheep with the result that they thanked me for [giving them clothes, ]
21 obanga nayimusa omukono gwange eri abatalina bakitaabwe, kubanga mmanyi nti, mmanyiganye n’ab’obuyinza,
or if [it were true that] I threatened to strike any orphan because I knew that the elders at the city gates would (decide in my favor);
22 kale omukono gwange gukutuke ku kibegabega kyange, leka gukutukireyo mu kinywa we guyungira.
[if those things were true about me], I hope/desire that my shoulder blade would be torn out and my arm be torn from my shoulder.
23 Olw’okutya okuzikirizibwa Katonda n’olw’obukulu bwe, nnali sisobola kukola bintu ng’ebyo.
I always feared that God would cause me to experience a great disaster [if I did any of those evil things], and I would not have been able to endure the powerful [things that he would do to punish me].
24 “Obanga nateeka obweyamo bwange mu zaabu oba ne ŋŋamba zaabu ennongoose nti, ‘Ggwe bwesige bwange;’
“If [it were true that] I trusted in my gold/money [DOU],
25 obanga neeyagala olw’okuba n’obugagga obungi, oba olw’okuba emikono gyange gy’ali ginfunyisizza bingi;
or that I rejoiced because I had acquired many things and had become very rich,
26 obanga nnali ntunuulidde enjuba, oba omwezi nga byaka mu kitiibwa,
or that I looked at the sun when it was shining or looked at the beautiful moon
27 omutima gwange ne gusendebwasendebwa mu kyama, ne mbinywegera nga mbisaamu ekitiibwa,
and I [SYN] had been tempted [to worship them] by kissing my hand to revere them,
28 era n’ekyo kyandibadde kibi ekiŋŋwanyiza okusalirwa omusango olw’obutaba mwesigwa eri Katonda ali waggulu.”
those things also would be sins for which the judges would say that I must be punished, because I would have been rejecting God [by doing those things].
29 “Obanga nasanyuka ng’omulabe wange afunye emitawaana oba ne njaguza olw’ebizibu ebyamutuukako,
“[It is not true that] I [SYN] sinned by requesting God to curse people who hated me with the result that God would cause them to die. It is also not true that I was glad when they were ruined or that I rejoiced when they experienced disasters [DOU].
30 sakkiriza kamwa kange kwonoona nga nkolimira obulamu bwe.
31 Abantu b’omu nnyumba yange bwe baba tebabuuzanga nti, ‘Ani atakkuse nnyama?’
[It is also not true that] I never welcomed travelers to stay in my tent or that I did not open my doors to them, but [forced them to] sleep in the streets. [All] the men who work for me certainly know that [RHQ]!
32 Tewali mutambuze yasula ku kkubo, kubanga oluggi lwange lwali luggule eri buli muyise.
33 Obanga nakweka ekibi kyange ng’abantu bwe bakola, nga nkweka obutali butuukirivu bwange mu mutima gwange,
Some people try to hide their sins, but I have never done that;
34 olw’okutya ekibiina, nga ntya okuswala mu kika, ne nsirika ne ntya n’okufuluma ebweru,
and I never remained silent and refused to go outside of my home because I was very (afraid of/worried about) what people would say [about me], and that they would hate/scorn me.
35 so nga waliwo ayinza okumpulira, leka nteekeko omukono ku mpoza yange, leka Ayinzabyonna anziremu; n’oyo ampawaabira abiteeke mu buwandiike.
“I wish/desire that there was someone who would hear what I am saying! I solemnly declare [that all that I have said is true]. I wish that those who oppose me would write down [on a scroll] the evil things that they say that I did.
36 “Ddala ddala nandibyambadde ku kibegabega kyange, nandibyambadde ku mutwe ng’engule.
[If they did that, ] I would wear that scroll on my shoulder, or wear it on top of my head, [in order that everyone could see it].
37 Nandimunnyonnyodde buli kifo we nalinnya ekigere, nandimusemberedde ng’omulangira.
I would tell [God] everything that I have done, and I would approach him [confidently], like a ruler would.
38 “Singa ettaka lyange linkaabirira, n’ebinnya byalyo bye nsimye ne bitotobala n’amaziga;
If [it were true that] I have stolen land, with the result that [it was as though] its furrows cried out to accuse me of stealing;
39 obanga ndiddemu ebibala awatali kusasula, era ne ndeetera bannannyini lyo okufa,
or [if it were true that] I have eaten the crops that grew in someone else’s fields without paying [for those crops], with the result that those farmers who grew those crops died [from hunger];
40 leka omwennyango gumere mu kifo ky’eŋŋaano, n’omuddo oguwunya gumere mu kifo kya sayiri.” Ebigambo bya Yobu byakoma wano.
then I wish/desire that thorns would grow [in my fields] instead of wheat. May bad weeds grow instead of barley!” That is the end of what Job said [to his three friends].
