Job 31
1 I vowed to myself never to look with desire at young women.
“Me ne mʼani yɛɛ apam sɛ meremfiri akɔnnɔ mu nhwɛ ababaawa.
2 What should people expect to receive from God? What reward should the Almighty on high give them?
Ɛdeɛn ne onipa kyɛfa a ɛfiri ɔsoro Onyankopɔn nkyɛn? Ɛdeɛn ne nʼagyapadeɛ a ɛfiri ɔsoro Otumfoɔ no nkyɛn?
3 Isn't it disaster for the wicked and destruction for those who do wrong?
Ɛnyɛ ɔsɛeɛ mma amumuyɛfoɔ? Ɛnyɛ asiane mma wɔn a wɔyɛ bɔne?
4 Doesn't God see everything I do—even count every step I take?
Ɔnhunu mʼakwan na ɔnkan anammɔn biara a metuo anaa?
5 Have I lived a deceitful life? Have I been eager to tell lies?
“Sɛ manante wɔ nkontompo mu anaasɛ matu mmirika adi nnaadaasɛm akyi a,
6 No! Let God weigh me on the scales of his justice and let him discover my integrity.
ma Onyankopɔn nkari me wɔ nsania papa so na ɔbɛhunu sɛ me ho nni asɛm.
7 If I have wandered from God's way, if I have let what I see become my desires, if there's any stain of sin on my hands,
Sɛ mʼanammɔntuo afom ɛkwan, sɛ mʼakoma adi mʼani akyi, anaasɛ me nsa ho agu fi a
8 then let someone else eat what I have sown, and all that I have grown be uprooted.
ɛnneɛ ma afoforɔ nni deɛ madua, na ma wɔntutu me mfudeɛ ngu.
9 If a woman has seduced me, or if I have looked for an opportunity to sleep with my neighbor's wife,
“Sɛ ɔbaa bi atɔ mʼakoma so, anaasɛ matɛ me yɔnko bi ɛpono akyi a,
10 then let my wife serve another, let other men sleep with her.
ɛnneɛ, me yere nyam ɔbarima foforɔ aduane, na mmarima afoforɔ ne no nna.
11 For that would be wicked, a sin deserving punishment,
Ɛfiri sɛ, anka ɛno na ɛbɛyɛ aniwusɛm ne bɔne a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwe aso wɔ so.
12 for this sin is like a fire that leads to destruction, destroying everything I have.
Ɛyɛ ogya a ɛhye kɔduru ɔsɛeɛ mu na ɛbɛtumi atutu mʼagyapadeɛ nyinaa ase.
13 If I had refused to listen to my menservants or maidservants when they brought their complaints to me,
“Sɛ mabu mʼasomfoɔ mmarima ne mmaa ntɛnkyea ɛberɛ a wɔ ne me nyaa asɛm,
14 what would I do when God came to judge me? How would I reply if he investigated me?
na sɛ Onyankopɔn de si mʼanim a, ɛdeɛn na mɛyɛ? Sɛ wɔfrɛ me akontabuo a, mmuaeɛ bɛn na mɛma?
15 Didn't the same God make all of us?
Ɛnyɛ deɛ ɔbɔɔ me wɔ yafunu mu no na ɔbɔɔ wɔn? Ɛnyɛ onipa korɔ no na ɔbɔɔ yɛn nyinaa wɔ yɛn maamenom yafunu mu?
16 Have I refused to give the poor what they needed, or caused widows to despair?
“Ohiani bi wɔ hɔ a ɔhia mmoa a mammoa no? Anaa mabu akunafoɔ bi abasa mu?
17 Have I even eaten just a piece of bread by myself? Haven't I always shared my food with orphans?
Mabɔ mʼaduane ho atirimuɔden a mamma nwisiaa bi?
18 From when I was young I was a father to orphans and took care of widows.
Dabi, ɛfiri me mmeranteberɛ mu, matete wɔn sɛdeɛ agya bɛyɛ, na me nkwa nna nyinaa mu, mahwɛ akunafoɔ.
19 If ever I saw someone needing clothes, the poor without anything to wear,
Sɛ mahunu obi a ɔnni aduradeɛ na ɔrebrɛ, anaa ohiani bi a ɔnni atadeɛ,
20 they always thanked me for the wool clothing that kept them warm.
na sɛ wamfiri akoma mu anhyira me wɔ ɛberɛ a mede me nnwan ho nwi kaa no hye,
21 If I raised my hand to hit an orphan, confident that if it came to court the judges would be on my side,
sɛ mama me nsa so atia awisiaa bi, ɛsiane sɛ mewɔ tumi wɔ asɛnniiɛ enti a,
22 then let my shoulder be pulled from its joint, my arm wrenched out of its socket.
ɛnneɛ ma mʼabasa mpan mfiri mʼabatiri, ma ɛmmubu mfiri ne pɔ so.
23 Since I'm terrified of what punishment God may have in store for me, and because of his majesty, I could never do this.
Mesuroo ɔsɛeɛ a ɛfiri Onyankopɔn nkyɛn, na nʼanimuonyam ho suro enti mantumi anyɛ saa nneɛma yi.
24 Have I put my trust in gold, calling fine gold, ‘My security’?
“Sɛ mede me werɛ ahyɛ sikakɔkɔɔ mu anaasɛ maka akyerɛ sikakɔkɔɔ amapa sɛ, ‘Wo na wobɔ me ho ban,’
25 Have I delighted in being rich, happy at all my wealth I had gained?
sɛ masɛpɛ me ho wɔ mʼahodeɛ bebrebe enti, ahodeɛ a me nsa aka yi,
26 Have I looked at the sun shining so brilliantly or the moon moving in majesty across the sky
sɛ mahwɛ owia a ɛhyerɛn anaa ɔsrane a ɛnam animuonyam mu,
27 and been tempted to secretly worship them by kissing my hand to them in devotion?
ama aka mʼakoma a obiara nnim na me nsa yɛɛ wɔn atuu de anidie maa wɔn a,
28 This too would be a sin deserving punishment for it would mean I had denied God above.
ɛnneɛ na yeinom nso bɛyɛ bɔne a wɔbu ho atɛn, ɛfiri sɛ na manni Onyankopɔn a ɔte ɔsoro no nokorɛ.
29 Have I ever been happy when disaster destroyed those who hated me, or celebrated when evil took them down?
“Mʼani nnyee wɔ me ɔtamfoɔ amanehunu ho anaa menseree no wɔ ɔhaw a aba ne so.
30 I have never allowed my mouth to sin by putting a curse on someone's life.
Memmaa mʼano nyɛɛ bɔne sɛ mɛdome obi nkwa.
31 Haven't my family asked, ‘Is there anyone who has not eaten as much as they wanted of his food?’
Mʼasomfoɔ a wɔwɔ me fidua mu nkaa da sɛ, ‘Ɔma ɛkɔm de yɛn.’
32 I have never let strangers sleep in the street; I have opened my doors to travelers.
Ɔhɔhoɔ biara anna abɔntene so da, ɛfiri sɛ me ɛpono ano daa hɔ da biara maa akwantufoɔ,
33 Have I concealed my sins from others, hiding my wrongdoing deep inside me?
Makata me bɔne so sɛdeɛ nnipa yɛ de mʼafɔdie ahyɛ mʼakoma mu?
34 Was I afraid of what everybody else would think, scared of the contempt families would show me, so that I kept quiet and didn't go outside?
Suro a mesuro nnipadɔm ne ahohora a ɛfiri mmusua hɔ no enti meyɛɛ komm a mamfiri adi?
35 Why won't anyone listen to what I'm saying! I'm signing my name to endorse everything I've said. Let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write down what he is charging me with.
(“Ao, sɛ anka mewɔ obi a ɔbɛtie me. Mede me din ahyɛ mʼanoyie ase, ma Otumfoɔ no mmua me; ma deɛ ɔbɔ me kwaadu no ntwerɛ ne soboɔbɔ.
36 I would hold them up high; I would wear them on my head like a crown.
Ampa ara, anka mede bɛhyɛ mʼabatiri, anka mede bɛhyɛ sɛ ahenkyɛ.
37 I would explain to him everything I'd done; I would hold my head high before him.
Anka mɛbu mʼanammɔntuo biara ho akonta akyerɛ no; anka mɛkɔ nʼanim sɛ ɔheneba.)
38 If my land has cried out against me; if her furrows have wept over me;
“Sɛ mʼasase team tia me na nisuo fɔ nʼakofie nyinaa,
39 if I have taken its crops without payment or if I have caused harm to the farmers;
sɛ madi so aba a mentuaa ka anaasɛ mabu ɛso apaafoɔ no abamu a,
40 then let thorns grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
ma nkasɛɛ mfifiri nsi ayuo anan mu na wira mfu nsi atokoɔ anan mu.” Hiob nsɛm no asi.
