Hiob 31
1 “Me ne mʼani yɛɛ apam sɛ meremfi akɔnnɔ mu, nhwɛ ababaa.
A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, —How then could I gaze upon a virgin?
2 Dɛn ne onipa kyɛfa a efi ɔsoro Nyankopɔn nkyɛn? Dɛn ne nʼagyapade a efi ɔsoro Tumfo no nkyɛn?
Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Ɛnyɛ ɔsɛe mma amumɔyɛfo, atoyerɛnkyɛm mma wɔn a wɔyɛ bɔne ana?
Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?
4 Onhu mʼakwan na ɔnkan anammɔn biara a mitu ana?
Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?
5 “Sɛ manantew wɔ nkontompo mu anaasɛ matu mmirika adi nnaadaasɛm akyi a,
Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —
6 ma Onyankopɔn nkari me wɔ nsania papa so na obehu sɛ me ho nni asɛm;
Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, —and let GOD take note of mine integrity!
7 sɛ mʼanammɔntu afom ɔkwan, sɛ me koma adi mʼani akyi, anaasɛ me nsa ho agu fi a
If my goings have swerved from the way, —and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,
8 ɛno de ma afoforo nni nea madua, na ma wontutu me nnɔbae ngu.
Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!
9 “Sɛ ɔbea bi atɔ me koma so, anaasɛ matɛw me yɔnko bi pon akyi a,
If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,
10 ɛno de, me yere nyam ɔbarima foforo aduan, na mmarima afoforo ne no nna.
Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!
11 Efisɛ anka ɛno na ɛbɛyɛ aniwusɛm ne bɔne a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwe aso wɔ so.
Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!
12 Ɛyɛ ogya a ɛhyew kodu Ɔsɛe mu; na ebetumi atutu me nnɔbae ase.
Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.
13 “Sɛ mabu mʼasomfo mmarima ne mmea ntɛnkyew, bere a wɔne me nyaa asɛm,
If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, when they contended with me,
14 sɛ Onyankopɔn de si mʼanim a dɛn na mɛyɛ? Sɛ wɔfrɛ me akontaabu a, mmuae bɛn na mɛma?
What then could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered him?
15 Ɛnyɛ nea ɔbɔɔ me wɔ ɔyafunu mu no na ɔbɔɔ wɔn? Ɛnyɛ onipa koro no na ɔyɛɛ yɛn baanu wɔ yɛn nanom yafunu mu?
Did not he who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?
16 “Sɛ mamma ahiafo nea wɔn koma pɛ anaa mama akunafo ani ayɛ wɔn yaw,
If I withheld—from pleasure—the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;
17 sɛ mabɔ mʼaduan ho atirimɔden a mamma ayisaa bi,
Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;
18 nanso efi mmerantebere mu matetew no sɛnea agya bɛyɛ, na efi ɔyafunu mu, mahwɛ akunafo.
Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:
19 Sɛ mahu obi a onni adurade na ɔrebrɛ, anaa ohiani bi a onni atade,
If I saw one perishing for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
20 na sɛ wɔamfi koma mu anhyira me sɛ mede me nguan ho nwi kaa wɔn hyew,
If his loins did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;
21 sɛ mama me nsa so atia ayisaa bi, esiane sɛ mewɔ tumi wɔ asennii nti a,
If I shook—against the fatherless—my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,
22 ɛno de, ma me basa mpan mfi me mmati, ma emmubu mfi nʼapɔw so.
Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;
23 Misuroo ɔsɛe a efi Onyankopɔn nkyɛn, na nʼanuonyam ho suro nti mantumi anyɛ saa nneyɛe no.
For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.
24 “Sɛ mede me werɛ ahyɛ sikakɔkɔɔ mu anaasɛ maka akyerɛ sikakɔkɔɔ ankasa se, ‘Wo na wobɔ me ho ban,’
If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!
25 sɛ masɛpɛw me ho wɔ mʼahode bebrebe nti, ahode a me nsa aka yi,
If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;
26 sɛ mahwɛ owia ne ne hyerɛn anaa ɔsram a ɔnam anuonyam mu,
If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;
27 ama aka me koma a obiara nnim na me nsa yɛɛ wɔn atuu de nidi maa wɔn a,
And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed my mouth,
28 ɛno de, na eyinom nso bɛyɛ bɔne a wobu ho atɛn, efisɛ na manni Onyankopɔn a ɔte ɔsoro no nokware.
That too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false to GOD, above.
29 “Sɛ mʼani gyee wɔ me tamfo amanehunu nti anaa mesrew no wɔ ɔhaw a aba ne so nti,
If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; —
30 memmaa mʼano nyɛɛ bɔne sɛ mɛdome ne nkwa,
Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:
31 sɛ nnipa a wɔwɔ me fi mu nkaa da sɛ, ‘Hena na Hiob pon so nam mmee no da?’
If the men of my household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh—we cannot get filled,
32 Ɔhɔho biara anna abɔnten so da, efisɛ me pon ano daa hɔ da biara maa akwantufo,
Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors—to the wayfarer, I threw open.
33 Makata me bɔne so sɛnea nnipa yɛ de mʼafɔdi ahyɛ me koma mu
If I covered, like Adam, my transgressions, by hiding in my bosom mine iniquity,
34 esiane sɛ misuroo nnipadɔm ne ahohora a efi mmusua hɔ no nti na meyɛɛ komm a mamfi adi.
Then let me be made to tremble at a great throng, yea let, the contempt of families, terrify me, so that, keeping silence, I shall not go out of the door!
35 (“Ao, sɛ anka mewɔ obi a obetie me. Mede me din ahyɛ mʼanoyi ase, ma Otumfo no mmua me; ma nea ɔbɔ me kwaadu no nkyerɛw ne sobobɔ.
Oh that I had one to hear me, Lo! my crossmark, May, the Almighty, answer me! And would that, a book, mine opponent had written!
36 Ampa ara, mɛhyɛ wɔ me mmati, mɛhyɛ sɛ ahenkyɛw.
Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;
37 Mebu mʼanammɔntu biara ho akontaa akyerɛ no; mɛkɔ nʼanim sɛ ɔheneba.)
The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.
38 “Sɛ mʼasase teɛ mu tia me na nusu fɔw ne nkɔ nyinaa,
If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;
39 sɛ madi so aba a mintuaa ka anaasɛ mabu so apaafo no aba mu a,
If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;
40 ma nsɔe mfifi nsi awi anan mu na wura mfuw nsi atoko anan mu.” Hiob nsɛm no asi.
Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.
