Job 31
1 “I solemnly promised myself that I would not look at a young woman with a desire [to have sex with her].
“Me ne mʼani yɛɛ apam sɛ meremfiri akɔnnɔ mu nhwɛ ababaawa.
2 [If I did not do what I promised, ] what would God who is in heaven [MTY] do to me [RHQ]? Almighty [God] would certainly not [RHQ] give me any reward!
Ɛdeɛn ne onipa kyɛfa a ɛfiri ɔsoro Onyankopɔn nkyɛn? Ɛdeɛn ne nʼagyapadeɛ a ɛfiri ɔsoro Otumfoɔ no nkyɛn?
3 [Previously I thought that] surely [RHQ] it was unrighteous people who would experience calamities, and that it was those who do what is wrong who would experience disasters.
Ɛnyɛ ɔsɛeɛ mma amumuyɛfoɔ? Ɛnyɛ asiane mma wɔn a wɔyɛ bɔne?
4 God certainly sees [RHQ] everything that I do, [so why is he causing me to suffer?] [It is as though] he counts every step that I take.
Ɔnhunu mʼakwan na ɔnkan anammɔn biara a metuo anaa?
5 [“I solemnly declare that] I have never acted wickedly and have never tried to deceive people.
“Sɛ manante wɔ nkontompo mu anaasɛ matu mmirika adi nnaadaasɛm akyi a,
6 I request only that God judge me fairly [MET], and if he does that, he will know that I (am innocent/have not done what is wrong).
ma Onyankopɔn nkari me wɔ nsania papa so na ɔbɛhunu sɛ me ho nni asɛm.
7 If [it were true that] I have stopped living righteously, or [that] I [SYN] have desired the things that I look at [MTY], or [that] I am guilty of any other sin,
Sɛ mʼanammɔntuo afom ɛkwan, sɛ mʼakoma adi mʼani akyi, anaasɛ me nsa ho agu fi a
8 then I hope/wish that when I plant [seeds], someone else will [harvest the crops and] eat [them] and that others will uproot the [fruit trees] that I planted.
ɛnneɛ ma afoforɔ nni deɛ madua, na ma wɔntutu me mfudeɛ ngu.
9 “If [it were true that] I [SYN] have been attracted by some other man’s wife, or [that] I have hidden myself and waited outside [the] door [to] her [house],
“Sɛ ɔbaa bi atɔ mʼakoma so, anaasɛ matɛ me yɔnko bi ɛpono akyi a,
10 I hope/desire that my wife will become the servant/slave of another man and have sex [EUP] with him.
ɛnneɛ, me yere nyam ɔbarima foforɔ aduane, na mmarima afoforɔ ne no nna.
11 [For me to do] that would be a terrible sin, and the judges would decide that I should be punished.
Ɛfiri sɛ, anka ɛno na ɛbɛyɛ aniwusɛm ne bɔne a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwe aso wɔ so.
12 My [committing adultery] would [produce in me a fire like] [MET] the fire that burns people in hell, and it would burn up everything that I own. (questioned)
Ɛyɛ ogya a ɛhye kɔduru ɔsɛeɛ mu na ɛbɛtumi atutu mʼagyapadeɛ nyinaa ase.
13 “And, if [it were true that] I have ever refused to listen to one of my male or female servants when they complained to me about something,
“Sɛ mabu mʼasomfoɔ mmarima ne mmaa ntɛnkyea ɛberɛ a wɔ ne me nyaa asɛm,
14 God would arise [and declare that he would punish me]; and when he would do that, what would I do? If he would ask me [about what I have done], (what would I answer?/I would not be able to answer.) [RHQ]
na sɛ Onyankopɔn de si mʼanim a, ɛdeɛn na mɛyɛ? Sɛ wɔfrɛ me akontabuo a, mmuaeɛ bɛn na mɛma?
15 God, who created me, certainly also created my servants [RHQ]; surely he is the one who formed them and me in our mothers’ wombs [RHQ]; [so we all should behave toward each other equally].
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 “I have guided orphans from the time that they were born; I have taken care of them since they were young. So, if [it were true that] I ate all my food myself and did not share some of it with orphans, or [that] I refused to give poor people the things that they wanted, or [that] I caused widows to live (in despair/without hope [that they would receive any help from anyone]),
“Ohiani bi wɔ hɔ a ɔhia mmoa a mammoa no? Anaa mabu akunafoɔ bi abasa mu?
Mabɔ mʼaduane ho atirimuɔden a mamma nwisiaa bi?
Dabi, ɛfiri me mmeranteberɛ mu, matete wɔn sɛdeɛ agya bɛyɛ, na me nkwa nna nyinaa mu, mahwɛ akunafoɔ.
19 or [that] I had seen people die [from cold] because they had no clothes, or [that] I had seen poor people who did not have clothes [to keep them warm],
Sɛ mahunu obi a ɔnni aduradeɛ na ɔrebrɛ, anaa ohiani bi a ɔnni atadeɛ,
20 and they were not able to become warm [from clothes made] from the wool of my sheep with the result that they thanked me for [giving them clothes, ]
na sɛ wamfiri akoma mu anhyira me wɔ ɛberɛ a mede me nnwan ho nwi kaa no hye,
21 or if [it were true that] I threatened to strike any orphan because I knew that the elders at the city gates would (decide in my favor);
sɛ mama me nsa so atia awisiaa bi, ɛsiane sɛ mewɔ tumi wɔ asɛnniiɛ enti a,
22 [if those things were true about me], I hope/desire that my shoulder blade would be torn out and my arm be torn from my shoulder.
ɛnneɛ ma mʼabasa mpan mfiri mʼabatiri, ma ɛmmubu mfiri ne pɔ so.
23 I always feared that God would cause me to experience a great disaster [if I did any of those evil things], and I would not have been able to endure the powerful [things that he would do to punish me].
Mesuroo ɔsɛeɛ a ɛfiri Onyankopɔn nkyɛn, na nʼanimuonyam ho suro enti mantumi anyɛ saa nneɛma yi.
24 “If [it were true that] I trusted in my gold/money [DOU],
“Sɛ mede me werɛ ahyɛ sikakɔkɔɔ mu anaasɛ maka akyerɛ sikakɔkɔɔ amapa sɛ, ‘Wo na wobɔ me ho ban,’
25 or that I rejoiced because I had acquired many things and had become very rich,
sɛ masɛpɛ me ho wɔ mʼahodeɛ bebrebe enti, ahodeɛ a me nsa aka yi,
26 or that I looked at the sun when it was shining or looked at the beautiful moon
sɛ mahwɛ owia a ɛhyerɛn anaa ɔsrane a ɛnam animuonyam mu,
27 and I [SYN] had been tempted [to worship them] by kissing my hand to revere them,
ama aka mʼakoma a obiara nnim na me nsa yɛɛ wɔn atuu de anidie maa wɔn a,
28 those things also would be sins for which the judges would say that I must be punished, because I would have been rejecting God [by doing those things].
ɛnneɛ na yeinom nso bɛyɛ bɔne a wɔbu ho atɛn, ɛfiri sɛ na manni Onyankopɔn a ɔte ɔsoro no nokorɛ.
29 “[It is not true that] I [SYN] sinned by requesting God to curse people who hated me with the result that God would cause them to die. It is also not true that I was glad when they were ruined or that I rejoiced when they experienced disasters [DOU].
“Mʼani nnyee wɔ me ɔtamfoɔ amanehunu ho anaa menseree no wɔ ɔhaw a aba ne so.
Memmaa mʼano nyɛɛ bɔne sɛ mɛdome obi nkwa.
31 [It is also not true that] I never welcomed travelers to stay in my tent or that I did not open my doors to them, but [forced them to] sleep in the streets. [All] the men who work for me certainly know that [RHQ]!
Mʼasomfoɔ a wɔwɔ me fidua mu nkaa da sɛ, ‘Ɔma ɛkɔm de yɛn.’
Ɔhɔhoɔ biara anna abɔntene so da, ɛfiri sɛ me ɛpono ano daa hɔ da biara maa akwantufoɔ,
33 Some people try to hide their sins, but I have never done that;
Makata me bɔne so sɛdeɛ nnipa yɛ de mʼafɔdie ahyɛ mʼakoma mu?
34 and I never remained silent and refused to go outside of my home because I was very (afraid of/worried about) what people would say [about me], and that they would hate/scorn me.
Suro a mesuro nnipadɔm ne ahohora a ɛfiri mmusua hɔ no enti meyɛɛ komm a mamfiri adi?
35 “I wish/desire that there was someone who would hear what I am saying! I solemnly declare [that all that I have said is true]. I wish that those who oppose me would write down [on a scroll] the evil things that they say that I did.
(“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 they did that, ] I would wear that scroll on my shoulder, or wear it on top of my head, [in order that everyone could see it].
Ampa ara, anka mede bɛhyɛ mʼabatiri, anka mede bɛhyɛ sɛ ahenkyɛ.
37 I would tell [God] everything that I have done, and I would approach him [confidently], like a ruler would.
Anka mɛbu mʼanammɔntuo biara ho akonta akyerɛ no; anka mɛkɔ nʼanim sɛ ɔheneba.)
38 If [it were true that] I have stolen land, with the result that [it was as though] its furrows cried out to accuse me of stealing;
“Sɛ mʼasase team tia me na nisuo fɔ nʼakofie nyinaa,
39 or [if it were true that] I have eaten the crops that grew in someone else’s fields without paying [for those crops], with the result that those farmers who grew those crops died [from hunger];
sɛ madi so aba a mentuaa ka anaasɛ mabu ɛso apaafoɔ no abamu a,
40 then I wish/desire that thorns would grow [in my fields] instead of wheat. May bad weeds grow instead of barley!” That is the end of what Job said [to his three friends].
ma nkasɛɛ mfifiri nsi ayuo anan mu na wira mfu nsi atokoɔ anan mu.” Hiob nsɛm no asi.
