Job 31
1 “I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
“Me ne mʼani yɛɛ apam sɛ meremfi akɔnnɔ mu, nhwɛ ababaa.
2 For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?
Dɛn ne onipa kyɛfa a efi ɔsoro Nyankopɔn nkyɛn? Dɛn ne nʼagyapade a efi ɔsoro Tumfo no nkyɛn?
3 Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?
Ɛnyɛ ɔsɛe mma amumɔyɛfo, atoyerɛnkyɛm mma wɔn a wɔyɛ bɔne ana?
4 Does not he see my ways, and count all my steps?
Onhu mʼakwan na ɔnkan anammɔn biara a mitu ana?
5 “If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit
“Sɛ manantew wɔ nkontompo mu anaasɛ matu mmirika adi nnaadaasɛm akyi a,
6 (let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
ma Onyankopɔn nkari me wɔ nsania papa so na obehu sɛ me ho nni asɛm;
7 if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,
sɛ mʼanammɔntu afom ɔkwan, sɛ me koma adi mʼani akyi, anaasɛ me nsa ho agu fi a
8 then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
ɛno de ma afoforo nni nea madua, na ma wontutu me nnɔbae ngu.
9 “If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,
“Sɛ ɔbea bi atɔ me koma so, anaasɛ matɛw me yɔnko bi pon akyi a,
10 then let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.
ɛno de, me yere nyam ɔbarima foforo aduan, na mmarima afoforo ne no nna.
11 For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
Efisɛ anka ɛno na ɛbɛyɛ aniwusɛm ne bɔne a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwe aso wɔ so.
12 for it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.
Ɛyɛ ogya a ɛhyew kodu Ɔsɛe mu; na ebetumi atutu me nnɔbae ase.
13 “If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me,
“Sɛ mabu mʼasomfo mmarima ne mmea ntɛnkyew, bere a wɔne me nyaa asɛm,
14 what then will I do when God rises up? When he visits, what will I answer him?
sɛ Onyankopɔn de si mʼanim a dɛn na mɛyɛ? Sɛ wɔfrɛ me akontaabu a, mmuae bɛn na mɛma?
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make him? Did not one fashion us in the womb?
Ɛnyɛ nea ɔbɔɔ me wɔ ɔyafunu mu no na ɔbɔɔ wɔn? Ɛnyɛ onipa koro no na ɔyɛɛ yɛn baanu wɔ yɛn nanom yafunu mu?
16 “If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
“Sɛ mamma ahiafo nea wɔn koma pɛ anaa mama akunafo ani ayɛ wɔn yaw,
17 or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it
sɛ mabɔ mʼaduan ho atirimɔden a mamma ayisaa bi,
18 (no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, I have guided her from my mother’s womb);
nanso efi mmerantebere mu matetew no sɛnea agya bɛyɛ, na efi ɔyafunu mu, mahwɛ akunafo.
19 if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
Sɛ mahu obi a onni adurade na ɔrebrɛ, anaa ohiani bi a onni atade,
20 if his heart has not blessed me, if he has not been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;
na sɛ wɔamfi koma mu anhyira me sɛ mede me nguan ho nwi kaa wɔn hyew,
21 if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate;
sɛ mama me nsa so atia ayisaa bi, esiane sɛ mewɔ tumi wɔ asennii nti a,
22 then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.
ɛno de, ma me basa mpan mfi me mmati, ma emmubu mfi nʼapɔw so.
23 For calamity from God is a terror to me. Because of his majesty, I can do nothing.
Misuroo ɔsɛe a efi Onyankopɔn nkyɛn, na nʼanuonyam ho suro nti mantumi anyɛ saa nneyɛe no.
24 “If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’
“Sɛ mede me werɛ ahyɛ sikakɔkɔɔ mu anaasɛ maka akyerɛ sikakɔkɔɔ ankasa se, ‘Wo na wobɔ me ho ban,’
25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
sɛ masɛpɛw me ho wɔ mʼahode bebrebe nti, ahode a me nsa aka yi,
26 if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor,
sɛ mahwɛ owia ne ne hyerɛn anaa ɔsram a ɔnam anuonyam mu,
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;
ama aka me koma a obiara nnim na me nsa yɛɛ wɔn atuu de nidi maa wɔn a,
28 this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.
ɛno de, na eyinom nso bɛyɛ bɔne a wobu ho atɛn, efisɛ na manni Onyankopɔn a ɔte ɔsoro no nokware.
29 “If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him
“Sɛ mʼani gyee wɔ me tamfo amanehunu nti anaa mesrew no wɔ ɔhaw a aba ne so nti,
30 (I have certainly not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);
memmaa mʼano nyɛɛ bɔne sɛ mɛdome ne nkwa,
31 if the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’
sɛ nnipa a wɔwɔ me fi mu nkaa da sɛ, ‘Hena na Hiob pon so nam mmee no da?’
32 (the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);
Ɔhɔho biara anna abɔnten so da, efisɛ me pon ano daa hɔ da biara maa akwantufo,
33 if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
Makata me bɔne so sɛnea nnipa yɛ de mʼafɔdi ahyɛ me koma mu
34 because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and did not go out of the door—
esiane sɛ misuroo nnipadɔm ne ahohora a efi mmusua hɔ no nti na meyɛɛ komm a mamfi adi.
35 oh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! Let the accuser write my indictment!
(“Ao, sɛ anka mewɔ obi a obetie me. Mede me din ahyɛ mʼanoyi ase, ma Otumfo no mmua me; ma nea ɔbɔ me kwaadu no nkyerɛw ne sobobɔ.
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and I would bind it to me as a crown.
Ampa ara, mɛhyɛ wɔ me mmati, mɛhyɛ sɛ ahenkyɛw.
37 I would declare to him the number of my steps. I would go near to him like a prince.
Mebu mʼanammɔntu biara ho akontaa akyerɛ no; mɛkɔ nʼanim sɛ ɔheneba.)
38 If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;
“Sɛ mʼasase teɛ mu tia me na nusu fɔw ne nkɔ nyinaa,
39 if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,
sɛ madi so aba a mintuaa ka anaasɛ mabu so apaafo no aba mu a,
40 let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
ma nsɔe mfifi nsi awi anan mu na wura mfuw nsi atoko anan mu.” Hiob nsɛm no asi.
