Hiob 24
1 “Adɛn nti na Onyankopɔn nhyɛ bere mma atemmu? Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn a wonim no no hwɛ saa da no anim nanso ɛmma da?
“(Why does Almighty [God] not set a time when he will judge [evil people]?/I do not understand why Almighty [God does] not set a time when he will judge [evil people].) [RHQ] Those who know him never [RHQ] see him do that!
2 Nnipa yiyi abo a wɔde ato ɔhye; na wɔde nguankuw a wɔawia kɔ hɔ adidi.
[Some evil people] remove the markers of boundaries of [other people’s] land, [in order to steal their land]; they seize/steal [other people’s] sheep and put them in their own pastures.
3 Wɔpam ayisaa mfurum na wogye akunafo anantwi sɛ awowaside.
[Some] (take away/steal) the donkeys that belong to orphans, and they take widow’s oxen to guarantee that the widows will pay back the money that they loaned to those widows.
4 Wosum ahiafo fi kwan so na wɔhyɛ asase no so ahiafo ma wɔkɔtetɛw.
[Some] shove poor people off the road (OR, prevent poor people from (obtaining their rights/being treated justly)), and they force poor people to find places to hide from them.
5 Sɛnea sare so mfurum yɛ no saa ara na ahiafo no yɛ wɔn adwuma de pɛ aduan; asase kesee no so na wonya aduan ma wɔn mma.
The result is that poor people have to search for food in the desert like wild donkeys do.
6 Wɔboaboa mmoa aduan ano wɔ mfuw no so na wodi mpɛpɛ wɔ amumɔyɛfo bobe nturo mu.
The poor people harvest left-over grain in other people’s fields, and gather grapes from vineyards that belong to wicked men.
7 Wonni ntama, na wɔda adagyaw anadwo; wonni hwee a wɔde kata wɔn ho wɔ awɔw mu.
During the night they have nothing to cover their bodies, nothing to keep them warm.
8 Mmepɔw so osu tɔ fɔw wɔn kyam na wɔtetare abotan no ho, efisɛ wonni nnae.
When it rains on the mountains, the poor people become very wet, so they huddle under the rock ledges to be protected [from the rain].
9 Wɔtew ayisaa fi nufu ano; na wɔfa ohiani abotafowa de si ne ka anan mu.
[Some evil men] snatch infants away from their widowed mothers [SYN], and they say ‘I will return your babies to you when you repay the money that I lent to you.’
10 Wɔnenam adagyaw a wonni ntama; wɔsoa awi afiafi, nanso ɔkɔm de wɔn ara.
But the poor people walk around with no clothes on; they are hungry while they are working to carry [other people’s] bundles of grain [to the places where their grain will be threshed].
11 Wokyi ngo wɔn adan mu; wotiatia nsakyiamoa mu, nanso osukɔm de wɔn.
Poor people press olives to make [olive] oil; they tread on grapes [to make juice for wine], but [they are not allowed to drink any of it when] they become thirsty.
12 Wɔn a wɔrewuwu no apinisi fi kuropɔn no mu, na apirafo kra su pɛ mmoa. Nanso Onyankopɔn mfa bɔne nto obiara so.
In the cities, people who are wounded and dying cry out [to God for help], but God does not heed their prayers.
13 “Ebinom wɔ hɔ a wɔsɔre tia hann no, wɔn a wonnim nʼakwan anaasɛ wɔnnantew nʼatempɔn so no.
Some wicked people avoid the light [because they do evil things in the dark]; they do not walk on roads that are lighted.
14 Sɛ adekyee hann no kɔ a, owudifo no sɔre na okum ohiani ne mmɔborɔni; anadwo, mu owiawia ne ho sɛ ɔkorɔmfo.
Murderers steal things during the night, and then they arise before dawn in order that they may [go out again and] kill needy [DOU] people.
15 Ɔwaresɛefo twɛn bere a anim rebiribiri; ɔka se, ‘obiara renhu me,’ na ɔde nʼanim hintaw.
Those who want to commit adultery wait for twilight/evening; they say ‘I do not want anyone to see me,’ so they keep their faces covered.
16 Sum mu na nnipa bubu apon wura afi mu, na adekyee, wɔtoto wɔn ho apon mu; wɔne hann nni hwee yɛ.
It is during the night that robbers break into houses [to steal things], but during the day they hide because they want to avoid [being seen in] the light.
17 Sum kabii yɛ adekyee ma wɔn nyinaa; wɔne sum mu nneɛma a ɛyɛ hu fa nnamfo.
All of those [people] want to do their evil things at night, not in the morning [when it is light], because they are not afraid of [the things that happen during the] night that terrify others.”
18 “Nanso wɔte sɛ ahuru a ɛte nsu ani; wɔadome wɔn kyɛfa wɔ asase no so, enti obiara nkɔ bobe nturo no mu.
“[But it is wicked people] who are swept/carried away by floods, and God curses the land that they own, and no one goes to work in their vineyards.
19 Sɛnea ɔhyew ne ɔpɛ hwim sukyerɛmma a anan kɔ no, saa ara na ɔda de wɔn a wɔayɛ bɔne kɔ ne no. (Sheol h7585)
Just like the snow melts away when it is hot and there is no rain, those who have sinned disappear into the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
20 Awotwaa werɛ fi wɔn, na osunson di wɔn nam; nnipa bɔne de wɔnnkae wɔn bio na mmom wobubu te sɛ dua.
Not even their mothers remember them now; wicked people are destroyed like trees that are cut down, and maggots eat their corpses.
21 Wɔde ɔbea bonin a onni ba yɛ hanam, na wonhu akunafo mmɔbɔ.
They mistreat women who have been unable to give birth to children and women who no longer have children [to take care of them], and they never do good things for widows.
22 Onyankopɔn nam ne tumi so twe atumfo kɔ; ɛwɔ mu sɛ wonya asetena pa de, nanso wonni nkwa ho bɔhyɛ.
But God, by his power, gets rid of mighty/influential people. God acts and causes the wicked people to die.
23 Otumi ma wɔn tena ase asomdwoe mu, nanso nʼani wɔ wɔn akwan so.
God allows them to think that they are secure and safe, but he is watching [MTY] them all the time.
24 Wɔma wɔn so bere tiaa bi, na afei wonni hɔ bio; wɔbrɛ wɔn ase boaboa wɔn ano sɛ nnipa nyinaa; wotwitwa wɔn gu te sɛ aburow ti.
They prosper for a little while, and then [suddenly] they are gone; they disappear like weeds wither and die; they are like [SIM] stalks of grain that have been cut off.
25 “Sɛ eyi nte saa a, hena na obetumi agye me akyinnye na ama nea maka no ayɛ nsɛnhunu?”
If this is not true, is there [RHQ] anyone who will show that I am a liar and prove that what I have said is not true?”
