Hiob 24
1 “Adɛn enti na Onyankopɔn nhyɛ berɛ mma atemmuo? Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn a wɔnim noɔ no hwɛ saa da no anim ɛnso 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 aboɔ a wɔde ato hyeɛ; na wɔde nnwankuo 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 nwisiaa mfunumu na wɔgye akunafoɔ anantwie sɛ awowasideɛ.
[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 Wɔsum ahiafoɔ firi ɛkwan so na wɔhyɛ asase no so ahiafoɔ ma wɔkɔtetɛ.
[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 Ahiafoɔ no yɛ wɔn adwuma pɛ aduane te sɛ ɛserɛ so mfunumu no; asase wesee no so na wɔnya aduane ma wɔn mma.
The result is that poor people have to search for food in the desert like wild donkeys do.
6 Wɔboaboa mmoa aduane ano wɔ mfuo no so na wɔdi mpɛpɛ wɔ amumuyɛfoɔ 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 Wɔnni ntoma, na wɔda kwaterekwa; wɔnni hwee a wɔde kata wɔn ho wɔ awɔ mu.
During the night they have nothing to cover their bodies, nothing to keep them warm.
8 Mmepɔ so osutɔ fɔ wɔn twɔnn na wɔfomfam mmotan no ho ɛfiri sɛ wɔnni ahatasoɔ.
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 Wɔte awisiaa firi nufoɔ ano; na wɔfa ohiani abotafoa 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 adagya a wɔnni ntoma; wɔsoa ayuo afiafi, nanso ɛkɔm 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 Wɔkyi ngo wɔn adan mu; wɔtiatia nsakyimena 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 wɔrewuwuo no apinisie firi kuropɔn no mu, na apirafoɔ 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 wɔnnim nʼakwan anaasɛ wɔnnante nʼatempɔn so.
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 adekyeɛ hann no kɔ a, owudifoɔ no sɔre na ɔkum ohiani ne mmɔborɔni; adesaeɛ mu, ɔwiawia ne ho sɛ ɔkorɔmfoɔ.
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 Ɔwaresɛefoɔ twɛn ɛberɛ a adeɛ resa; ɔka sɛ, ‘obiara renhunu me,’ na ɔde nʼanim hinta.
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 Esum mu na nnipa bubu apono wura afie mu, na awiaberɛ mu no, wɔtoto wɔn ho ɛpono 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 Esum kabii yɛ adekyeɛ ma wɔn nyinaa; wɔne esum 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 ahuro a ɛtɛ nsuo ani; wɔadome wɔn kyɛfa wɔ asase no so, enti obiara nnkɔ 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 Sɛdeɛ ɔhyew ne ɔpɛ de sukyerɛmma a anane korɔ no, saa ara na damena de wɔn a wɔayɛ bɔne korɔ. (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 firi wɔn, na ɔsonsono di wɔn nam; nnipa bɔne deɛ, wɔnnkae wɔn bio na mmom wɔbubu 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 ɔbaa bonini a ɔnni ba yɛ haboa, na wɔnhunu akunafoɔ 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 atumfoɔ kɔ; ɛwom sɛ wɔnya asetena pa deɛ, nanso wɔnni nkwa ho bɔhyɛ.
But God, by his power, gets rid of mighty/influential people. God acts and causes the wicked people to die.
23 Ɔtumi ma wɔn tena ase asomdwoeɛ 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 berɛ tiawa bi, na afei wɔnni hɔ bio; wɔbrɛ wɔn ase boaboa wɔn ano sɛ nnipa nyinaa; wɔtwitwa wɔn gu te sɛ aburoo 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 yei nte saa a, hwan na ɔbɛtumi agye me akyinnyeɛ na ama deɛ maka 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?”
