Hiob 31

1 “Me ne mʼani yɛɛ apam sɛ meremfi akɔnnɔ mu, nhwɛ ababaa.

“I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?

2 Dɛn ne onipa kyɛfa a efi ɔsoro Nyankopɔn nkyɛn? Dɛn ne nʼagyapade a efi ɔsoro Tumfo no nkyɛn?

For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?

3 Ɛnyɛ ɔsɛe mma amumɔyɛfo, atoyerɛnkyɛm mma wɔn a wɔyɛ bɔne ana?

Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?

4 Onhu mʼakwan na ɔnkan anammɔn biara a mitu ana?

Doesn’t he see my ways, and count all my steps?

5 “Sɛ manantew wɔ nkontompo mu anaasɛ matu mmirika adi nnaadaasɛm akyi a,

“If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit

6 ma Onyankopɔn nkari me wɔ nsania papa so na obehu sɛ me ho nni asɛm;

(let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);

7 sɛ mʼanammɔntu afom ɔkwan, sɛ me koma adi mʼani akyi, anaasɛ me nsa ho agu fi a

if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,

8 ɛno de ma afoforo nni nea madua, na ma wontutu me nnɔbae ngu.

then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

9 “Sɛ ɔbea bi atɔ me koma so, anaasɛ matɛw me yɔnko bi pon akyi a,

“If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,

10 ɛno de, me yere nyam ɔbarima foforo aduan, na mmarima afoforo ne no nna.

then let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.

11 Efisɛ anka ɛno na ɛbɛyɛ aniwusɛm ne bɔne a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwe aso wɔ so.

For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,

12 Ɛyɛ ogya a ɛhyew kodu Ɔsɛe mu; na ebetumi atutu me nnɔbae ase.

for it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.

13 “Sɛ mabu mʼasomfo mmarima ne mmea ntɛnkyew, bere a wɔne me nyaa asɛm,

“If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, 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 will I do when God rises up? When he visits, what will I answer 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?

Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t one fashion us in the womb?

16 “Sɛ mamma ahiafo nea wɔn koma pɛ anaa mama akunafo ani ayɛ wɔn yaw,

“If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

17 sɛ mabɔ mʼaduan ho atirimɔden a mamma ayisaa bi,

or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it

18 nanso efi mmerantebere mu matetew no sɛnea agya bɛyɛ, na efi ɔyafunu mu, mahwɛ akunafo.

(no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, I have guided her from my mother’s womb);

19 Sɛ mahu obi a onni adurade na ɔrebrɛ, anaa ohiani bi a onni atade,

if I have seen any perish for want 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 heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;

21 sɛ mama me nsa so atia ayisaa bi, esiane sɛ mewɔ tumi wɔ asennii nti a,

if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate;

22 ɛno de, ma me basa mpan mfi me mmati, ma emmubu mfi nʼapɔw so.

then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.

23 Misuroo ɔsɛe a efi Onyankopɔn nkyɛn, na nʼanuonyam ho suro nti mantumi anyɛ saa nneyɛe no.

For calamity from God is a terror to me. Because of his majesty, I can do nothing.

24 “Sɛ mede me werɛ ahyɛ sikakɔkɔɔ mu anaasɛ maka akyerɛ sikakɔkɔɔ ankasa se, ‘Wo na wobɔ me ho ban,’

“If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’

25 sɛ masɛpɛw me ho wɔ mʼahode bebrebe nti, ahode a me nsa aka yi,

If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;

26 sɛ mahwɛ owia ne ne hyerɛn anaa ɔsram a ɔnam anuonyam mu,

if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor,

27 ama aka me koma a obiara nnim na me nsa yɛɛ wɔn atuu de nidi maa wɔn a,

and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;

28 ɛno de, na eyinom nso bɛyɛ bɔne a wobu ho atɛn, efisɛ na manni Onyankopɔn a ɔte ɔsoro no nokware.

this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.

29 “Sɛ mʼani gyee wɔ me tamfo amanehunu nti anaa mesrew no wɔ ɔhaw a aba ne so nti,

“If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him

30 memmaa mʼano nyɛɛ bɔne sɛ mɛdome ne nkwa,

(I have certainly not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);

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 tent have not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’

32 Ɔhɔho biara anna abɔnten so da, efisɛ me pon ano daa hɔ da biara maa akwantufo,

(the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);

33 Makata me bɔne so sɛnea nnipa yɛ de mʼafɔdi ahyɛ me koma mu

if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,

34 esiane sɛ misuroo nnipadɔm ne ahohora a efi mmusua hɔ no nti na meyɛɛ komm a mamfi adi.

because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and didn’t 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! Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! Let the accuser write my indictment!

36 Ampa ara, mɛhyɛ wɔ me mmati, mɛhyɛ sɛ ahenkyɛw.

Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and I would bind it to me as a crown.

37 Mebu mʼanammɔntu biara ho akontaa akyerɛ no; mɛkɔ nʼanim sɛ ɔheneba.)

I would declare to him the number of my steps. I would go near to him like a prince.

38 “Sɛ mʼasase teɛ mu tia me na nusu fɔw ne nkɔ nyinaa,

If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;

39 sɛ madi so aba a mintuaa ka anaasɛ mabu so apaafo no aba mu a,

if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,

40 ma nsɔe mfifi nsi awi anan mu na wura mfuw nsi atoko anan mu.” Hiob nsɛm no asi.

let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.