Job 31
1 A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, —How then could I gaze upon a virgin?
“Me ne mʼani yɛɛ apam sɛ meremfi akɔnnɔ mu, nhwɛ ababaa.
2 Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
Dɛn ne onipa kyɛfa a efi ɔsoro Nyankopɔn nkyɛn? Dɛn ne nʼagyapade a efi ɔsoro Tumfo no nkyɛn?
3 Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?
Ɛnyɛ ɔsɛe mma amumɔyɛfo, atoyerɛnkyɛm mma wɔn a wɔyɛ bɔne ana?
4 Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?
Onhu mʼakwan na ɔnkan anammɔn biara a mitu ana?
5 Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —
“Sɛ manantew wɔ nkontompo mu anaasɛ matu mmirika adi nnaadaasɛm akyi a,
6 Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, —and let GOD take note of mine integrity!
ma Onyankopɔn nkari me wɔ nsania papa so na obehu sɛ me ho nni asɛm;
7 If my goings have swerved from the way, —and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,
sɛ mʼanammɔntu afom ɔkwan, sɛ me koma adi mʼani akyi, anaasɛ me nsa ho agu fi a
8 Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!
ɛno de ma afoforo nni nea madua, na ma wontutu me nnɔbae ngu.
9 If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,
“Sɛ ɔbea bi atɔ me koma so, anaasɛ matɛw me yɔnko bi pon akyi a,
10 Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!
ɛno de, me yere nyam ɔbarima foforo aduan, na mmarima afoforo ne no nna.
11 Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!
Efisɛ anka ɛno na ɛbɛyɛ aniwusɛm ne bɔne a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwe aso wɔ so.
12 Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.
Ɛyɛ ogya a ɛhyew kodu Ɔsɛe mu; na ebetumi atutu me nnɔbae ase.
13 If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, when they contended with me,
“Sɛ mabu mʼasomfo mmarima ne mmea ntɛnkyew, bere a wɔne me nyaa asɛm,
14 What then could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered him?
sɛ Onyankopɔn de si mʼanim a dɛn na mɛyɛ? Sɛ wɔfrɛ me akontaabu a, mmuae bɛn na mɛma?
15 Did not he who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?
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 withheld—from pleasure—the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;
“Sɛ mamma ahiafo nea wɔn koma pɛ anaa mama akunafo ani ayɛ wɔn yaw,
17 Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;
sɛ mabɔ mʼaduan ho atirimɔden a mamma ayisaa bi,
18 Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:
nanso efi mmerantebere mu matetew no sɛnea agya bɛyɛ, na efi ɔyafunu mu, mahwɛ akunafo.
19 If I saw one perishing for lack 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 loins did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;
na sɛ wɔamfi koma mu anhyira me sɛ mede me nguan ho nwi kaa wɔn hyew,
21 If I shook—against the fatherless—my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,
sɛ mama me nsa so atia ayisaa bi, esiane sɛ mewɔ tumi wɔ asennii nti a,
22 Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;
ɛno de, ma me basa mpan mfi me mmati, ma emmubu mfi nʼapɔw so.
23 For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.
Misuroo ɔsɛe a efi Onyankopɔn nkyɛn, na nʼanuonyam ho suro nti mantumi anyɛ saa nneyɛe no.
24 If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!
“Sɛ mede me werɛ ahyɛ sikakɔkɔɔ mu anaasɛ maka akyerɛ sikakɔkɔɔ ankasa se, ‘Wo na wobɔ me ho ban,’
25 If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;
sɛ masɛpɛw me ho wɔ mʼahode bebrebe nti, ahode a me nsa aka yi,
26 If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;
sɛ mahwɛ owia ne ne hyerɛn anaa ɔsram a ɔnam anuonyam mu,
27 And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed my mouth,
ama aka me koma a obiara nnim na me nsa yɛɛ wɔn atuu de nidi maa wɔn a,
28 That too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false to GOD, above.
ɛno de, na eyinom nso bɛyɛ bɔne a wobu ho atɛn, efisɛ na manni Onyankopɔn a ɔte ɔsoro no nokware.
29 If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; —
“Sɛ mʼani gyee wɔ me tamfo amanehunu nti anaa mesrew no wɔ ɔhaw a aba ne so nti,
30 Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:
memmaa mʼano nyɛɛ bɔne sɛ mɛdome ne nkwa,
31 If the men of my household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh—we cannot get filled,
sɛ nnipa a wɔwɔ me fi mu nkaa da sɛ, ‘Hena na Hiob pon so nam mmee no da?’
32 Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors—to the wayfarer, I threw open.
Ɔhɔho biara anna abɔnten so da, efisɛ me pon ano daa hɔ da biara maa akwantufo,
33 If I covered, like Adam, my transgressions, by hiding in my bosom mine iniquity,
Makata me bɔne so sɛnea nnipa yɛ de mʼafɔdi ahyɛ me koma mu
34 Then let me be made to tremble at a great throng, yea let, the contempt of families, terrify me, so that, keeping silence, I shall 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, Lo! my crossmark, May, the Almighty, answer me! And would that, a book, mine opponent had written!
(“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 Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;
Ampa ara, mɛhyɛ wɔ me mmati, mɛhyɛ sɛ ahenkyɛw.
37 The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.
Mebu mʼanammɔntu biara ho akontaa akyerɛ no; mɛkɔ nʼanim sɛ ɔheneba.)
38 If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;
“Sɛ mʼasase teɛ mu tia me na nusu fɔw ne nkɔ nyinaa,
39 If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;
sɛ madi so aba a mintuaa ka anaasɛ mabu so apaafo no aba mu a,
40 Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.
ma nsɔe mfifi nsi awi anan mu na wura mfuw nsi atoko anan mu.” Hiob nsɛm no asi.
