Ayubu 31
1 “Nimefanya agano na macho yangu yasimtazame msichana kwa kumtamani.
“I solemnly promised myself that I would not look at a young woman with a desire [to have sex with her].
2 Kwa kuwa fungu la mwanadamu ni gani kutoka kwa Mungu juu, urithi wake kutoka kwa Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Aliye juu?
[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 Je, si uharibifu kwa watu waovu, maangamizi kwa wale watendao mabaya?
[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 Je, yeye hazioni njia zangu na kuihesabu kila hatua yangu?
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 “Kama nimeishi katika uongo au mguu wangu umekimbilia udanganyifu,
[“I solemnly declare that] I have never acted wickedly and have never tried to deceive people.
6 Mungu na anipime katika mizani za uaminifu, naye atajua kwamba sina hatia:
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 kama hatua zangu zimepotoka kutoka kwenye njia, kama moyo wangu umeongozwa na macho yangu, au kama mikono yangu imetiwa unajisi,
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 basi wengine na wale nilichokipanda, nayo yale yote niliyootesha na yangʼolewe.
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 “Kama moyo wangu umeshawishiwa na mwanamke, au kama nimevizia mlangoni mwa jirani yangu,
“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 basi mke wangu na asage nafaka ya mwanaume mwingine, nao wanaume wengine walale naye.
I hope/desire that my wife will become the servant/slave of another man and have sex [EUP] with him.
11 Kwa kuwa hilo lingekuwa aibu, naam, dhambi ya kuhukumiwa.
[For me to do] that would be a terrible sin, and the judges would decide that I should be punished.
12 Ni moto uwakao kwa Uharibifu; ungekuwa umengʼoa mavuno yangu.
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 “Kama ningewanyima haki watumishi wangu wanaume au vijakazi wangu, walipokuwa na manungʼuniko dhidi yangu,
“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 nitafanya nini Mungu atakaponikabili? Nitamjibu nini nitakapoitwa kutoa hesabu?
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 Je, yeye aliyeniumba tumboni mwa mama yangu, si ndiye aliwaumba? Je, si ni yeye huyo mmoja aliyetuumba sote ndani ya mama zetu?
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 “Ikiwa nimewanyima maskini haja zao, au kuyaacha macho ya wajane yadhoofike,
“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 kama nimekula chakula changu mwenyewe, bila kuwashirikisha yatima;
18 lakini tangu ujana wangu nimemlea yatima kama ambavyo baba angefanya, nami tangu kuzaliwa kwangu nimewaongoza wajane:
19 kama nilimwona yeyote akiteseka kwa kukosa nguo, au mtu mhitaji asiye na mavazi
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 ambaye wala moyo wake haukunibariki kwa kumpatia joto kwa mavazi ya manyoya ya kondoo zangu,
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 na kama nimeinua mkono wangu dhidi ya yatima, nikijua kuwa nina ushawishi mahakamani,
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 basi mkono wangu na unyofoke toka begani mwangu, nao na uvunjike kutoka kiungio chake.
[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 Kwa kuwa niliogopa uharibifu kutoka kwa Mungu, nami kwa kuuogopa utukufu wake sikuweza kufanya mambo kama hayo.
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 “Kama nimeweka tumaini langu kwenye dhahabu, au kuiambia dhahabu safi, ‘Wewe ndiwe salama yangu,’
“If [it were true that] I trusted in my gold/money [DOU],
25 kama nimefurahia wingi wa utajiri wangu, ustawi ambao mikono yangu ilikuwa imepata,
or that I rejoiced because I had acquired many things and had become very rich,
26 kama nimelitazama jua katika kungʼaa kwake au mwezi ukienda kwa fahari yake,
or that I looked at the sun when it was shining or looked at the beautiful moon
27 hivyo moyo wangu kushawishiwa kwa siri, au kubusu mkono wangu kwa kuviheshimu,
and I [SYN] had been tempted [to worship them] by kissing my hand to revere them,
28 basi hiyo pia ingekuwa dhambi ya kuhukumiwa, kwa kuwa ningekuwa si mwaminifu kwa Mungu aishiye juu sana.
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 “Kama nimeshangilia msiba wa adui yangu, au kutazama kwa furaha taabu iliyomjia,
“[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 lakini sikuruhusu kinywa changu kufanya dhambi kwa kuomba laana dhidi ya maisha yake;
31 kama watu wa nyumbani mwangu kamwe hawakusema, ‘Ni nani ambaye hajashibishwa na nyama ya Ayubu?’
[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 Lakini hakuna mgeni aliyelala njiani, kwa maana mlango wangu ulikuwa wazi kwa msafiri;
33 kama nimeifunika dhambi yangu kama wanadamu wengine wafanyavyo, kwa kuficha hatia yangu moyoni mwangu,
Some people try to hide their sins, but I have never done that;
34 kwa sababu ya kuogopa umati wa watu, na hivyo kuwa na hofu ya kudharauliwa na jamaa, nikanyamaza kimya nisitoke nje ya mlango:
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 (“Laiti kama angekuwepo mtu wa kunisikia! Tazama sasa ninatia sahihi kwenye utetezi wangu: Mwenyezi na anijibu; mshtaki wangu na aweke mashtaka yake kwenye maandishi.
“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 Hakika ningeyavaa begani mwangu, ningeyavaa kama taji.
[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 Ningempa hesabu ya kila hatua yangu, ningemwendea kama mwana wa mfalme.)
I would tell [God] everything that I have done, and I would approach him [confidently], like a ruler would.
38 “Kama nchi yangu inalia dhidi yangu, na mifereji yake yote imelowana kwa machozi,
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 kama nimekula mazao yake bila malipo, au kuvunja mioyo ya wapangaji wake,
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 basi miiba na iote badala ya ngano, na magugu badala ya shayiri.” Mwisho wa maneno ya Ayubu.
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].
