< Job 24 >

1 Why doesn't the Almighty set a definite time to punish the wicked? Why don't those who follow him never see him act in judgment?
“Nĩ kĩĩ kĩgiragia Mwene-Hinya-Wothe araarĩrie mahinda ma ciira? Nĩ kĩĩ gĩtũmaga arĩa mamũũĩ meterere mĩthenya ta ĩyo o tũhũ?
2 The wicked move boundary stones; they seize other people's flocks and move them to their own pastures.
Kũrĩ andũ meeheragia mahiga ma mũhaka, na makarĩithia ndũũru cia mahiũ iria maiyĩte.
3 They steal the orphan's donkey; they take the widow's ox as security for a debt.
Moyaga ndigiri ya mwana wa ngoriai, na magakuua ndegwa ya mũtumia wa ndigwa ĩtuĩke ya kũrũgamĩrĩra thiirĩ wao.
4 They push the poor out of their way; the destitute are forced to hide from them.
Nĩ meeheragia andũ arĩa abatari njĩra-inĩ, na makahatĩrĩria athĩĩni othe a bũrũri magatũma mathiĩ makehithe.
5 Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor have to scavenge for their food, looking for anything to feed their children in the wasteland.
O ta njagĩ cia werũ, noguo andũ arĩa athĩĩni marokagĩra wĩra wa kũhaara kĩndũ gĩa kũrĩa; kũu bũrũri ũrĩa ũtagĩaga kĩndũ nĩkuo marutaga irio cia kũhe ciana ciao.
6 They are forced to find what they can in other people's fields, to glean among the vineyards of the wicked.
Monganagia ngaragatha mĩgũnda-inĩ, na makahaara matigari mĩgũnda ya mĩthabibũ ya arĩa aaganu.
7 They spend the night naked because they have no clothes; they have nothing to cover themselves against the cold.
Maraaraga njaga nĩ kwaga nguo; matirĩ kĩndũ gĩa kwĩhumbĩra rĩrĩa kwagĩa heho.
8 They are soaked by the cold mountain storms, and huddle beside the rocks for shelter.
Maconjoragio nĩ mbura ya irĩma-inĩ, nao makenyiitĩrĩra mahiga nĩ ũndũ wa kwaga ha kwĩyũa.
9 Fatherless children are snatched from their mother's breasts, taking the babies of the poor as security for a debt.
Mahuragia mwana wa ngoriai kuuma nyondo-inĩ; nako gakenge ka mũthĩĩni gatahagwo nĩ ũndũ wa thiirĩ.
10 Because they have no clothes to wear they have to go naked, harvesting sheaves of grain while they themselves are hungry.
Mathiiaga njaga nĩ kwaga nguo; makuuaga itĩĩa cia ngano, no magatigwo marĩ o ahũtu.
11 In the olive groves they work to produce oil, but do not taste it; they tread the winepress, but are thirsty.
Mahihagĩra ndamaiyũ mĩtaro-inĩ; nĩo makinyangaga ihihĩro cia ndibei o magĩkuaga nĩ nyoota.
12 In the city the dying groan, and the wounded cry for help, but God ignores their prayers.
Mũcaayo wa arĩa marakua nĩũraiguuo ũkiuma itũũra inene, nayo mĩoyo ya arĩa agurarie no gũkaya ĩrakaya ĩkĩenda ũteithio. No Ngai gũtirĩ mũndũ aratuĩra ciira nĩ ũndũ wa gwĩka ũũru.
13 These are people who rebel against the light. They do not want to know its ways, or to stay on its paths.
“Nĩ kũrĩ andũ arĩa mareganaga na ũtheri, na matiũĩ njĩra ciaguo, o na kana magaikara tũcĩra-inĩ twaguo.
14 The murderer gets up at dawn to kill the poor and needy, and when night falls he becomes a thief.
Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa gwatuka-rĩ, mũũragani ookagĩra akooraga athĩĩni na abatari; ningĩ ũtukũ agatuĩka ta mũici.
15 The adulterer waits for dusk, saying to himself, ‘No one will see me now,’ and he covers his face.
Riitho rĩa gĩtharia rĩetagĩrĩra kũgĩe mairia; kĩĩraga atĩrĩ, ‘Gũtirĩ riitho o na rĩmwe rĩngĩnyona,’ na gĩgaikara kĩĩhithĩte ũthiũ.
16 Thieves break into houses during the night and they sleep during the day. They don't even know what the light is like!
Rĩrĩa kũrĩ nduma-rĩ, nĩguo andũ matuaga nyũmba, no mũthenya magatinda mehingĩire; matiendaga ũndũ wa ũtheri.
17 Total darkness is like light to them, for they are familiar with the night.
Nĩgũkorwo andũ acio othe-rĩ, nduma ĩrĩa ndumanu nĩyo rũciinĩ rwao; magĩaga ũrata na imakania cia nduma.
18 Like bubbles on the surface of a river they are quickly carried away. The land they own is cursed by God. They don't enter their own vineyards.
“No rĩrĩ, o nĩ mũhũũyũ ũrĩa ũrerete igũrũ rĩa maaĩ; igai rĩao bũrũri-inĩ nĩ irume, na nĩ ũndũ ũcio gũtirĩ mũndũ ũthiiaga mĩgũnda-inĩ ya mĩthabibũ.
19 Just as heat and drought dry up snowmelt, so Sheol takes away those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
O ta ũrĩa riũa na ũrugarĩ iniinaga maaĩ ma tharunji-rĩ, ũguo noguo mbĩrĩra ĩhuragia arĩa mehĩtie. (Sheol h7585)
20 Even their mothers forget them, maggots feast on them, they are no longer remembered, and their wickedness becomes like a tree that is broken into pieces.
Nayo nda ĩrĩa yamaciarire ĩkariganĩrwo nĩo, igunyũ nacio ikamarĩa; andũ arĩa aaganu maticookaga kũririkanwo, no moinangagwo ta mũtĩ.
21 They mistreat childless women and are mean to widows.
Marĩĩaga indo cia mũtumia thaata na ũrĩa ũtarĩ kaana, na matiiguagĩra mũtumia wa ndigwa tha.
22 God prolongs the life of the wicked by his power; but when they arise, they have no assurance of life.
No Ngai, nĩ ũndũ wa ũhoti wake, nĩakururagia arĩa marĩ hinya; o na mangĩĩhaanda wega-rĩ, matirĩ na mwĩhoko atĩ nĩmagatũũra muoyo.
23 He supports them and gives them security, but he is always watching what they're doing.
We no ametĩkĩrie maikare mahurũkĩte makĩĩiguaga ta matarĩ na ũgwati, no maitho make nĩmacũthagĩrĩria njĩra ciao.
24 Though they may be illustrious for a while, soon they are gone. They are brought down like all others, cut off like the heads of grain.
Nĩgũkorwo matũũgagĩrio o kahinda kanini, magacooka makeehera; maikũrũkagio na magakua o ta andũ arĩa angĩ othe; makeeheragio o ta igira cia ngano.
25 If this isn't so, who can prove I'm a liar and there's nothing to what I say?”
“Akorwo ũguo tiguo gũtariĩ-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩonania atĩ nĩndaheenania, na agĩtue ciugo ciakwa cia tũhũ?”

< Job 24 >