Job 31
1 “I made a covenant for my eyes, And how do I attend to a virgin?
“Me ne mʼani yɛɛ apam sɛ meremfiri akɔnnɔ mu nhwɛ ababaawa.
2 And what [is] the portion of God from above? And the inheritance of the Mighty from the heights?
Ɛdeɛn ne onipa kyɛfa a ɛfiri ɔsoro Onyankopɔn nkyɛn? Ɛdeɛn ne nʼagyapadeɛ a ɛfiri ɔsoro Otumfoɔ no nkyɛn?
3 Is not calamity to the perverse? And strangeness to workers of iniquity?
Ɛnyɛ ɔsɛeɛ mma amumuyɛfoɔ? Ɛnyɛ asiane mma wɔn a wɔyɛ bɔne?
4 Does He not see my ways, And number all my steps?
Ɔnhunu mʼakwan na ɔnkan anammɔn biara a metuo anaa?
5 If I have walked with vanity, And my foot hurries to deceit,
“Sɛ manante wɔ nkontompo mu anaasɛ matu mmirika adi nnaadaasɛm akyi a,
6 He weighs me in righteous balances, And God knows my integrity.
ma Onyankopɔn nkari me wɔ nsania papa so na ɔbɛhunu sɛ me ho nni asɛm.
7 If my step turns aside from the way, And my heart has gone after my eyes, And blemish has cleaved to my hands,
Sɛ mʼanammɔntuo afom ɛkwan, sɛ mʼakoma adi mʼani akyi, anaasɛ me nsa ho agu fi a
8 Let me sow—and another eat, And let my products be rooted out.
ɛnneɛ ma afoforɔ nni deɛ madua, na ma wɔntutu me mfudeɛ ngu.
9 If my heart has been enticed by a woman, And I laid wait by the opening of my neighbor,
“Sɛ ɔbaa bi atɔ mʼakoma so, anaasɛ matɛ me yɔnko bi ɛpono akyi a,
10 Let my wife grind to another, And let others bend over her.
ɛnneɛ, me yere nyam ɔbarima foforɔ aduane, na mmarima afoforɔ ne no nna.
11 For it [is] a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity;
Ɛfiri sɛ, anka ɛno na ɛbɛyɛ aniwusɛm ne bɔne a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwe aso wɔ so.
12 For it [is] a fire, it consumes to destruction, And takes root among all my increase,
Ɛyɛ ogya a ɛhye kɔduru ɔsɛeɛ mu na ɛbɛtumi atutu mʼagyapadeɛ nyinaa ase.
13 If I despise the cause of my manservant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me,
“Sɛ mabu mʼasomfoɔ mmarima ne mmaa ntɛnkyea ɛberɛ a wɔ ne me nyaa asɛm,
14 Then what do I do when God arises? And when He inspects, What do I answer Him?
na sɛ Onyankopɔn de si mʼanim a, ɛdeɛn na mɛyɛ? Sɛ wɔfrɛ me akontabuo a, mmuaeɛ bɛn na mɛma?
15 Did He that made me in the womb not make him? Indeed, One prepares us in the womb.
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 If I withhold the poor from pleasure, And consume the eyes of the widow,
“Ohiani bi wɔ hɔ a ɔhia mmoa a mammoa no? Anaa mabu akunafoɔ bi abasa mu?
17 And I eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan has nothing [to] eat of it,
Mabɔ mʼaduane ho atirimuɔden a mamma nwisiaa bi?
18 (But from my youth He grew up with me as [with] a father, And from the belly of my mother I am led),
Dabi, ɛfiri me mmeranteberɛ mu, matete wɔn sɛdeɛ agya bɛyɛ, na me nkwa nna nyinaa mu, mahwɛ akunafoɔ.
19 If I see [any] perishing without clothing, And there is no covering for the needy,
Sɛ mahunu obi a ɔnni aduradeɛ na ɔrebrɛ, anaa ohiani bi a ɔnni atadeɛ,
20 If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He does not warm himself,
na sɛ wamfiri akoma mu anhyira me wɔ ɛberɛ a mede me nnwan ho nwi kaa no hye,
21 If I have waved my hand at the fatherless, When I see [him] in the gate of my court,
sɛ mama me nsa so atia awisiaa bi, ɛsiane sɛ mewɔ tumi wɔ asɛnniiɛ enti a,
22 Let my shoulder fall from its blade, And the bone from my arm be broken.
ɛnneɛ ma mʼabasa mpan mfiri mʼabatiri, ma ɛmmubu mfiri ne pɔ so.
23 For calamity [from] God [is] a dread to me, And because of His excellence I am not able.
Mesuroo ɔsɛeɛ a ɛfiri Onyankopɔn nkyɛn, na nʼanimuonyam ho suro enti mantumi anyɛ saa nneɛma yi.
24 If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, My trust;
“Sɛ mede me werɛ ahyɛ sikakɔkɔɔ mu anaasɛ maka akyerɛ sikakɔkɔɔ amapa sɛ, ‘Wo na wobɔ me ho ban,’
25 If I rejoice because my wealth [is] great, And because my hand has found abundance,
sɛ masɛpɛ me ho wɔ mʼahodeɛ bebrebe enti, ahodeɛ a me nsa aka yi,
26 If I see the light when it shines, And the precious moon walking,
sɛ mahwɛ owia a ɛhyerɛn anaa ɔsrane a ɛnam animuonyam mu,
27 And my heart is enticed in secret, And my hand kisses my mouth,
ama aka mʼakoma a obiara nnim na me nsa yɛɛ wɔn atuu de anidie maa wɔn a,
28 It also [is] a judicial iniquity, For I had lied to God above.
ɛnneɛ na yeinom nso bɛyɛ bɔne a wɔbu ho atɛn, ɛfiri sɛ na manni Onyankopɔn a ɔte ɔsoro no nokorɛ.
29 If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil found him,
“Mʼani nnyee wɔ me ɔtamfoɔ amanehunu ho anaa menseree no wɔ ɔhaw a aba ne so.
30 Indeed, I have not permitted my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.
Memmaa mʼano nyɛɛ bɔne sɛ mɛdome obi nkwa.
31 If not, say, O men of my tent: O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.
Mʼasomfoɔ a wɔwɔ me fidua mu nkaa da sɛ, ‘Ɔma ɛkɔm de yɛn.’
32 A stranger does not lodge in the street, I open my doors to the traveler.
Ɔhɔhoɔ biara anna abɔntene so da, ɛfiri sɛ me ɛpono ano daa hɔ da biara maa akwantufoɔ,
33 If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, To hide my iniquity in my bosom,
Makata me bɔne so sɛdeɛ nnipa yɛ de mʼafɔdie ahyɛ mʼakoma mu?
34 Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families frightens me, Then I am silent, I do not go out of the opening.
Suro a mesuro nnipadɔm ne ahohora a ɛfiri mmusua hɔ no enti meyɛɛ komm a mamfiri adi?
35 Who gives to me a hearing? Behold, my mark. The Mighty One answers me, And my adversary has written a bill.
(“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 If not—on my shoulder I take it up, I bind it [as] a crown on myself.
Ampa ara, anka mede bɛhyɛ mʼabatiri, anka mede bɛhyɛ sɛ ahenkyɛ.
37 The number of my steps I tell Him, As a leader I approach Him.
Anka mɛbu mʼanammɔntuo biara ho akonta akyerɛ no; anka mɛkɔ nʼanim sɛ ɔheneba.)
38 If my land cries out against me, And together its furrows weep,
“Sɛ mʼasase team tia me na nisuo fɔ nʼakofie nyinaa,
39 If I consumed its strength without money, And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out,
sɛ madi so aba a mentuaa ka anaasɛ mabu ɛso apaafoɔ no abamu a,
40 Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed!” The words of Job are finished.
ma nkasɛɛ mfifiri nsi ayuo anan mu na wira mfu nsi atokoɔ anan mu.” Hiob nsɛm no asi.
