Hiob 3

1 Akyiri no Hiob kasae, na ɔdomee da a wɔwoo no.

Finally, Job spoke, and he cursed the day that he was born.

2 Ɔkae se,

He said,

3 “Ma da a wɔwoo me no nyera, ne anadwo a wɔkae se, ‘Wɔawo ɔbabarima no!’

“I wish that the day when I was born could be eradicated, and also the night when I was conceived.

4 Saa da no nnuru sum; mma Ɔsoro Nyankopɔn nhwehwɛ akyi kwan; mma hann biara ntɔ ngu so.

I wish that the day when I was born would have been covered in darkness. I wish that God who is in heaven [MTY] would have forgotten about that day, and that the sun would not have shone on it.

5 Ma sum ne owusum nnye no mfa; ma omununkum nkata so; na sum mmunkam ne hann so.

I wish that thick/intense darkness would have filled that day, and that a black cloud would have come over it and blotted out all light and caused people to be terrified.

6 Ma sum kabii nnye saa anadwo no mfa; ma wonyi saa anadwo no mfi asranna so na wɔmmfa nhyɛ ɔsram biara mu.

I wish that the night when I was conceived would be erased from the calendar, with the result that it would never again appear as one night in any month, and that it would not be included in any calendar.

7 Saa anadwo no nyɛ obonin; mma wɔnnte anigye nteɛmu wɔ mu.

I wish that no child would again be conceived on that night of the month [MET], and that no one would again be happy on that night.

8 Ma wɔn a wɔdome nna no nnome saa da no; wɔn a wɔayɛ krado sɛ wɔbɛkanyan dɛnkyɛmmirampɔn no.

I want those people who (curse/put evil spells on) days—those who know how to arouse/awaken the great sea monster—to curse that day.

9 Ma nʼanɔpa nsoromma nnuru sum; na ɔntwɛn adekyee kwa a onhu anɔpawia nsensanee a edi kan no,

I wish that the stars that shone early in the morning on that day [after I was conceived] will not shine again. I want those stars to have wished in vain for light to shine; and that they would not have shone on that day.

10 efisɛ anto nea ɔwoo me no awotwaa mu ama wawo me na anka mʼani renhu saa abɛbrɛsɛ yi.

[That was an evil day] because my mother was able to conceive; instead, I was born, and I have now experienced all these terrible things.

11 “Adɛn nti na manwu awoe hɔ, bere a mifi me na awotwaa mu no?

“I wish that I had died [RHQ] when I was born— at the time I emerged from my mother’s womb.

12 Adɛn nti na nkotodwe gyee me ne nufu sɛ minnum?

I wish that my mother had not [RHQ] allowed me to live. I wish that she had not nursed me.

13 Anka sesɛɛ meda hɔ asomdwoe mu; anka mada regye mʼahome

If I had died at the time when I was born, I would be asleep, resting peacefully [in the place where the dead people are].

14 me ne wiase ahemfo ne fotufo, wɔn a wosisii adan maa wɔn ho na nnɛ yi abubu no,

I would be resting with kings whose [beautiful palaces] that they built are now in ruins (OR, who rebuilt [palaces] that had previously been destroyed), and I would be resting with their officials [who have also died].

15 me ne ahenemma a na wɔwɔ sika kɔkɔɔ, wɔn a wɔde dwetɛ hyɛɛ wɔn afi mu ma.

I would be resting with princes who were wealthy, whose palaces were filled with gold and silver.

16 Anaasɛ adɛn nti na wɔansie me sɛ ɔpɔnba, te sɛ akokoaa a wanhu adekyee hann da?

I wish that I had been buried like a child who died in its mother’s womb and never lived to see the light.

17 Ɛhɔ na amumɔyɛfo gyae basabasayɛ, na abrɛfo nya ahomegye.

After wicked people die, they do not cause any more troubles; those who are very tired now will rest.

18 Nneduafo nso nya wɔn ahofadi; na wɔnte nnommumfo wuranom ateɛteɛ bio.

Those who were in prison rest peacefully [after they die]; they no longer have slave-drivers who curse them.

19 Nketewa ne akɛse wɔ hɔ, na akoa de ne ho fi ne wura nsam.

Rich people and poor people are alike after they die, and those who were slaves are no longer controlled by their masters.

20 “Adɛn nti na wɔma mmɔborɔfo hann, na ɔkra mu ahohiahiafo nya nkwa,

(“Why does God allow those who are suffering greatly [like me] to continue to remain alive?/I do not understand why God allows those who are suffering greatly [like me] to continue to remain alive.) [RHQ] Why does he allow those who are very miserable/distressed to keep living [RHQ]?

21 wɔn a wɔn kɔn dɔ owu nanso ɛmma, wɔn a wɔbrɛ hwehwɛ owu sen sɛnea wɔhwehwɛ nnwetɛbona,

They long/want to die, but they do not die. They desire to die more than people desire to find a hidden treasure.

22 wɔn a anigye ahyɛ wɔn ma na wodu ɔda mu a wodi ahurusi.

When they finally die and are buried, they are very happy.

23 Adɛn nti na wɔde nkwa ma onipa a ne kwan ahintaw, nea Onyankopɔn aka no ahyɛ mu?

Those who do not know where they are [eventually] going when they die [RHQ], people whom God has forced [MET] to continue to live in misery, (it is not right that they continue to live./why do they continue to live?) [RHQ]

24 Ahomekokogu adan mʼaduan; na mʼapinisi gu te sɛ nsu.

I continually cry very much; as a result, I cannot eat; and I can never stop groaning.

25 Nea na misuro no aba me so; nea na ɛbɔ me hu no ato me.

Things that I always worried might happen to me, have happened to me; things that I always dreaded have happened to me.

26 Minni ahotɔ, minni asomdwoe; minni ahomegye na mmom, ɔhaw nko ara.”

Now I have no peace [in my inner being], I have no peace; I cannot rest; instead, I have only troubles.”