Hiob 7
1 “Ɖe menye dɔ sesẽ mee amegbetɔ le le anyigba dzi oa? Ɖe eƒe ŋkekewo mele abe agbatetsɔla tɔ ene oa?
“People need to work hard on this earth, like soldiers do; all during the time that we are alive, we work hard [RHQ], like laborers/servants do.
2 Abe ale si kluvi dina be zã nedo kaba alo agbatetsɔla kpɔa mɔ na eƒe fetu vevie ene la,
We are like [SIM] slaves who keep wanting to be in the cool shade, and we are like [SIM] workers who are waiting to be paid.
3 nenemae wotsɔ ɣleti siwo me fukpekpe le kple zã siwo me hiãtuame le la nam.
God has given me many months [in which I think that it is] useless [to remain alive]; he has allotted/given to me many nights during which I feel miserable.
4 Ne memlɔ anyi la, nye susu gblɔna be, ‘Ɣe ka ɣi gɔ̃e mele fɔfɔ ge?’ Zã didina eye meƒoa togotogoe le aba dzi va se ɖe fɔŋli.
When I lie down [at night] I say, ‘How long will it be until morning?’ But nights are long, and I (toss/turn over and over) [on my bed] until dawn.
5 Nye ŋutilã dze abi kple nyẽ helé dzɔbu eye nye ŋutigbalẽ wó gblogblogblo hele tsi ƒaƒã tsyɔm.
My body is covered with maggots and scabs; pus oozes out of my open sores.
6 “Nye ŋkekewo le du ɖim wu avɔlɔ̃ʋu eye wowua enu mɔkpɔkpɔmanɔmee.
My days pass as quickly as a weaver’s (shuttle/stick that takes the thread back and forth), and they end without my confidently expecting [that things will be better the next day].
7 O Mawu, ɖo ŋku edzi be, nye agbe la, ƒuƒu ko wònye, nye ŋkuwo magakpɔ dzidzɔŋkekewo akpɔ o.
God, do not forget that my life is [as short as] a breath [MET]; I [think that] I [SYN] will never again be happy.
8 Ŋku si le kpɔyem fifia la magakpɔm akpɔ o, miadim eye nyemanɔ anyi o.
God, you [SYN] see me now, but [some day] you will not see me any more. You will search for me, but I will be gone [because I will be dead].
9 Abe ale si lilikpo buna eye enu va yinae ene la, nenemae ame si yi tsiẽƒe la megagbɔna o. (Sheol h7585)
Like [SIM] clouds (disperse/break up) and then disappear, people [die and] descend to the place where dead people are, and they do not return; (Sheol h7585)
10 Magatrɔ ava eƒe aƒe me akpɔ o, eye eƒe nɔƒe hã magadze sii o.
they never return to their houses, and people among whom they lived do not remember them any more.
11 “Eya ta nyemazi ɖoɖoe o, maƒo nu tso nye gbɔgbɔ ƒe vevesese me, eye mafa konyi le nye luʋɔ ƒe nuxaxa me.
So, I will not be silent; while I am suffering I will speak; I will complain [to God about what has happened to me] because I [SYN] am very angry.
12 Nyee nye atsiaƒu alo lã dziŋɔ si le atsiaƒu ƒe gogloƒe be, nèɖe dzɔlawo ɖo ŋunyea?
[God, ] why do you watch closely what I am doing? [Do you think that] I am a [dangerous] sea monster?
13 Ne mebu be nye aba afa akɔ nam eye suɖi aɖe nye konyifafa dzi akpɔtɔ la,
When [I lie down at night, ] I think, ‘I will be comforted here on my bed; my pain will be less while I am sleeping.’
14 ekema ètsɔa drɔ̃ewo doa vɔvɔ̃ nam eye nètsɔa ŋutegawo doa ŋɔdzi nam.
But then you give me dreams that cause me to be afraid; you give me visions that terrify me,
15 Ale be melɔ̃ kudɔƒoƒo kple ku wu nye ŋutilã sia.
with the result that I would prefer to be strangled to death than to continue to [be alive] being only a bunch of bones.
16 Menyɔ ŋu nye agbe, nyemanɔ agbe ɖaa o. Ɖe asi le ŋunye, viɖe mele nye ŋkekewo ŋu o.
I detest continuing to be alive; I do not want to live for many years [HYP]. Allow me to be alone, [because I will be alive] for only a very short remaining time [HYP].
17 “Nu kae nye amegbetɔ be nèdo kɔkɔe alea, be nètsɔ ɖe le eme nɛ nenema gbegbe,
“We human beings are not [very important]; so, why do you pay a lot of attention to us [DOU]?
18 be nèléa ŋku ɖe eŋu ŋdi sia ŋdi eye nèdonɛ kpɔ aɖabaƒoƒo ɖe sia ɖe?
You look at us every morning [to see what we are doing], and examine us every moment [to see if we are doing what is right].
19 Ɖe màgaɖe ŋku ɖa le ŋunye alo ana gbɔdzɔem aɖabaƒoƒo ɖeka hɔ̃ɔ gɔ̃ hã oa?
(When will you stop looking at me and leave me alone [for a little time], long enough to swallow my spit?/Please stop looking at me and leave me alone [for a little time], long enough to swallow my spit.) [RHQ]
20 Ne mewɔ nu vɔ̃ ɖe, O amegbetɔwo ŋu dzɔla, nu ka mehewɔ ɖe ŋutiwò? Nu ka ŋuti nède dzesim heɖe ŋku tɔm ale? Ɖe mezu agba ɖe dziwòa?
[Why do] you watch me constantly? If I sin, that certainly does not harm you! Why have you set me up like a target to shoot at? Do you consider me to be a heavy load that you are forced to carry?
21 Nu ka ta mèɖe ŋku ɖa le nye dzidadawo ŋu eye mètsɔ nye nu vɔ̃wo kem o? Elabena esusɔ vie mamlɔ ke me, àdim gake nyemaganɔ anyii o.”
[If I have sinned, ] are you not able to forgive me for my sins— the things that I have done that are wrong? Soon I will lie in my grave; you will search for me, but [you will not find me because] I will be [dead and] gone.”
