Hiob 29
1 Hiob toaa so sɛ,
Job also added to this, using figures of speech, and he said:
2 “Mafe abosome a atwam no, nna a Onyankopɔn hwɛɛ me soɔ no,
Who will grant to me that I might be as I was in former months, according to the days when God kept watch over me?
3 ɛberɛ a ne kanea hyerɛn mʼatifi na mede ne kanea menantee esum mu no!
At that time, his lamp shined over my head, and by his light, I walked through the darkness.
4 Ao, ɛnna a mesii soɔ no, ɛberɛ a Onyankopɔn adamfofa a emu yɛ den hyiraa me fie,
I was then just as in the days of my youth, when God was privately in my tabernacle.
5 ɛberɛ a na Otumfoɔ da so ka me ho na me mma atwa me ho ahyia,
At that time, the Almighty was with me and my children surrounded me.
6 ɛberɛ a na nufosuo mu sradeɛ afɔ mʼakwan na abotan hwiee ngo sɛ nsuo maa me.
Then, I washed my feet with butter, and a boulder poured out rivers of oil for me.
7 “Ɛberɛ a na mekɔ kuropɔn ɛpono ano mekɔtena mʼadwa so wɔ ɔmanfoɔ adwaberem,
When I went to the gate of the city, or to the main street, they prepared a chair for me.
8 mmeranteɛ hunu me a, wɔgyina nkyɛn na mpanimfoɔ sɔre gyina hɔ;
The youths saw me and hid themselves, and the elders, rising up, remained standing.
9 atitire gyae kasa na wɔde wɔn nsa kata wɔn ano;
The leaders stopped talking, and they placed a finder over their mouth.
10 mmapɔmma tɛm dinn, na wɔn tɛkrɛma ka wɔn dodom.
The commanders subdued their voice, and their tongue adhered to their throat.
11 Wɔn a wɔte me nka nyinaa ka me ho asɛmpa, na wɔn a wɔhunu me nyinaa kamfo me,
The ear that heard me, blessed me, and the eye that saw me, gave testimony for me.
12 ɛfiri sɛ, meboaa ahiafoɔ a wɔsu pɛɛ mmoa, ne nwisiaa a wɔnni aboafoɔ.
This was because I had freed the poor, who cried out, and the orphan, who had no helper.
13 Onipa a na ɔrewuo no hyiraa me; na memaa akunafoɔ ani gyee wɔn akoma mu.
The blessing of him who would have been destroyed came upon me, and I consoled the heart of the widow.
14 Mede tenenee firaa sɛ mʼaduradeɛ; atɛntenenee yɛɛ me nkatasoɔ ne mʼabotire.
I put on justice, and I clothed myself with my judgment, like a robe and a diadem.
15 Meyɛɛ aniwa maa anifirafoɔ, ne ɛnan maa abubuafoɔ.
I was an eye for the blind and a foot for the lame.
16 Meyɛɛ ahiafoɔ agya; na mekaa ahɔhoɔ asɛm maa wɔn.
I was the father of the poor; and if I lacked knowledge about any case, I investigated very diligently.
17 Mebubuu amumuyɛfoɔ se na mehwim wɔn a wɔdi wɔn nya no firii wɔn anom.
I crushed the jaws of the impious, and I took away prey from his teeth.
18 “Medwenee sɛ, ‘Mɛwu wɔ mʼankasa me fie mu, na me nna adɔɔso sɛ anwea.
And I said, “I will die in my little nest, and like a palm tree, I will multiply my days.
19 Me nhini bɛduru nsuo ano, na obosuo agugu me mman so anadwo mu nyinaa.
My root has been spread beside the waters, and the dew will remain with my harvest.
20 Mʼanimuonyam bɛkɔ so ayɛ frɔmm wɔ me so, na mʼahoɔden ayɛ foforɔ.’
My glory will always be restored, and my bow will be restored to my hand.”
21 “Nnipa hwehwɛɛ sɛ wɔtie me, wɔyɛɛ dinn, twɛnee mʼafotuo.
Those who heard me, expected vindication, and they listened closely in silence to my counsel.
22 Sɛ mekasa wie a wɔnnkasa bio, ɛfiri sɛ me nsɛm tɔɔ wɔn asom yie.
To my words, they dared to add nothing, and my eloquence poured over them.
23 Wɔtwɛnee me sɛdeɛ wɔtwɛne osutɔ, na wɔmenee me nsɛm sɛ osutɔ berɛ nsuo.
They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for belated rains.
24 Wɔn abasa mu buiɛ no, mesere kyerɛɛ wɔn; mʼanimteɛ som bo ma wɔn.
If I had ever laughed at them, they would not have believed it, and the light of my face was not cast down towards the ground.
25 Mebɔɔ ɛkwan maa wɔn na metenaa ase sɛ wɔn ɔhene; metenaa ase sɛ ɔhene a ɔwɔ nʼakodɔm mu; meyɛɛ sɛ obi a ɔkyekyere agyaadwotwafoɔ werɛ.
If I wished to go to them, I sat down first, and, though I sat like a king surrounded by an army, yet I was a comforter to those who mourned.
