Job 31
1 A covenant I made for mine eyes, And what — 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 Doth not He see my ways, And all my steps number?
Ɔnhunu mʼakwan na ɔnkan anammɔn biara a metuo anaa?
5 If I have walked with vanity, And my foot doth hasten to deceit,
“Sɛ manante wɔ nkontompo mu anaasɛ matu mmirika adi nnaadaasɛm akyi a,
6 He doth weigh me in righteous balances, And God doth know my integrity.
ma Onyankopɔn nkari me wɔ nsania papa so na ɔbɛhunu sɛ me ho nni asɛm.
7 If my step doth turn aside from the way, And after mine eyes hath my heart gone, And to my hands cleaved hath blemish,
Sɛ mʼanammɔntuo afom ɛkwan, sɛ mʼakoma adi mʼani akyi, anaasɛ me nsa ho agu fi a
8 Let me sow — and another eat, And my products let be rooted out.
ɛnneɛ ma afoforɔ nni deɛ madua, na ma wɔntutu me mfudeɛ ngu.
9 If my heart hath been enticed by woman, And by the opening of my neighbour I laid wait,
“Sɛ ɔbaa bi atɔ mʼakoma so, anaasɛ matɛ me yɔnko bi ɛpono akyi a,
10 Grind to another let my wife, And over her let others bend.
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 a fire it [is], to destruction it consumeth, And among all mine increase doth take root,
Ɛyɛ ogya a ɛhye kɔduru ɔsɛeɛ mu na ɛbɛtumi atutu mʼagyapadeɛ nyinaa ase.
13 If I despise the cause of my man-servant, 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 ariseth? And when He doth inspect, 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 not He that made me in the womb make him? Yea, prepare us in the womb doth One.
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 from pleasure the poor, And the eyes of the widow do consume,
“Ohiani bi wɔ hɔ a ɔhia mmoa a mammoa no? Anaa mabu akunafoɔ bi abasa mu?
17 And I do eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan hath not 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 to 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 doth 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 at the fatherless my hand, When I see in [him] the gate of my court,
sɛ mama me nsa so atia awisiaa bi, ɛsiane sɛ mewɔ tumi wɔ asɛnniiɛ enti a,
22 My shoulder from its blade let fall, And mine arm from the bone be broken.
ɛnneɛ ma mʼabasa mpan mfiri mʼabatiri, ma ɛmmubu mfiri ne pɔ so.
23 For a dread unto me [is] calamity [from] God, And because of His excellency 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 great [is] my wealth, And because abundance hath my hand found,
sɛ masɛpɛ me ho wɔ mʼahodeɛ bebrebe enti, ahodeɛ a me nsa aka yi,
26 If I see the light when it shineth, 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 doth kiss 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 Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.
Memmaa mʼano nyɛɛ bɔne sɛ mɛdome obi nkwa.
31 If not — say ye, 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 In the street doth not lodge a stranger, My doors to the traveller I open.
Ɔhɔhoɔ biara anna abɔntene so da, ɛfiri sɛ me ɛpono ano daa hɔ da biara maa akwantufoɔ,
33 If I have covered as Adam my transgressions, To hide in my bosom mine iniquity,
Makata me bɔne so sɛdeɛ nnipa yɛ de mʼafɔdie ahyɛ mʼakoma mu?
34 Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families doth affright me, Then I am silent, I go not out of the opening.
Suro a mesuro nnipadɔm ne ahohora a ɛfiri mmusua hɔ no enti meyɛɛ komm a mamfiri adi?
35 Who giveth to me a hearing? lo, my mark. The Mighty One doth answer me, And a bill hath mine adversary written.
(“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 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 against me my land doth cry out, And together its furrows weep,
“Sɛ mʼasase team tia me na nisuo fɔ nʼakofie nyinaa,
39 If its strength I consumed 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.
