Hiob 31
1 “Me ne mʼani yɛɛ apam sɛ meremfiri akɔnnɔ mu nhwɛ ababaawa.
“I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?
2 Ɛdeɛn ne onipa kyɛfa a ɛfiri ɔsoro Onyankopɔn nkyɛn? Ɛdeɛn ne nʼagyapadeɛ a ɛfiri ɔsoro Otumfoɔ no nkyɛn?
For what is the allotment of God from above, or the heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Ɛnyɛ ɔsɛeɛ mma amumuyɛfoɔ? Ɛnyɛ asiane mma wɔn a wɔyɛ bɔne?
Does not disaster come to the unjust and calamity to the workers of iniquity?
4 Ɔnhunu mʼakwan na ɔnkan anammɔn biara a metuo anaa?
Does He not see my ways and count my every step?
5 “Sɛ manante wɔ nkontompo mu anaasɛ matu mmirika adi nnaadaasɛm akyi a,
If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit,
6 ma Onyankopɔn nkari me wɔ nsania papa so na ɔbɛhunu sɛ me ho nni asɛm.
let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity.
7 Sɛ mʼanammɔntuo afom ɛkwan, sɛ mʼakoma adi mʼani akyi, anaasɛ me nsa ho agu fi a
If my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has followed my eyes, or if impurity has stuck to my hands,
8 ɛnneɛ ma afoforɔ nni deɛ madua, na ma wɔntutu me mfudeɛ ngu.
then may another eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.
9 “Sɛ ɔbaa bi atɔ mʼakoma so, anaasɛ matɛ me yɔnko bi ɛpono akyi a,
If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife, or I have lurked at his door,
10 ɛnneɛ, me yere nyam ɔbarima foforɔ aduane, na mmarima afoforɔ ne no nna.
then may my own wife grind grain for another, and may other men sleep with her.
11 Ɛfiri sɛ, anka ɛno na ɛbɛyɛ aniwusɛm ne bɔne a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwe aso wɔ so.
For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged.
12 Ɛyɛ ogya a ɛhye kɔduru ɔsɛeɛ mu na ɛbɛtumi atutu mʼagyapadeɛ nyinaa ase.
For it is a fire that burns down to Abaddon; it would root out my entire harvest.
13 “Sɛ mabu mʼasomfoɔ mmarima ne mmaa ntɛnkyea ɛberɛ a wɔ ne me nyaa asɛm,
If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,
14 na sɛ Onyankopɔn de si mʼanim a, ɛdeɛn na mɛyɛ? Sɛ wɔfrɛ me akontabuo a, mmuaeɛ bɛn na mɛma?
what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account?
15 Ɛnyɛ deɛ ɔbɔɔ me wɔ yafunu mu no na ɔbɔɔ wɔn? Ɛnyɛ onipa korɔ no na ɔbɔɔ yɛn nyinaa wɔ yɛn maamenom yafunu mu?
Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?
16 “Ohiani bi wɔ hɔ a ɔhia mmoa a mammoa no? Anaa mabu akunafoɔ bi abasa mu?
If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail,
17 Mabɔ mʼaduane ho atirimuɔden a mamma nwisiaa bi?
if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless—
18 Dabi, ɛfiri me mmeranteberɛ mu, matete wɔn sɛdeɛ agya bɛyɛ, na me nkwa nna nyinaa mu, mahwɛ akunafoɔ.
though from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow—
19 Sɛ mahunu obi a ɔnni aduradeɛ na ɔrebrɛ, anaa ohiani bi a ɔnni atadeɛ,
if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak,
20 na sɛ wamfiri akoma mu anhyira me wɔ ɛberɛ a mede me nnwan ho nwi kaa no hye,
if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,
21 sɛ mama me nsa so atia awisiaa bi, ɛsiane sɛ mewɔ tumi wɔ asɛnniiɛ enti a,
if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless because I saw that I had support in the gate,
22 ɛnneɛ ma mʼabasa mpan mfiri mʼabatiri, ma ɛmmubu mfiri ne pɔ so.
then may my arm fall from my shoulder and be torn from its socket.
23 Mesuroo ɔsɛeɛ a ɛfiri Onyankopɔn nkyɛn, na nʼanimuonyam ho suro enti mantumi anyɛ saa nneɛma yi.
For calamity from God terrifies me, and His splendor I cannot overpower.
24 “Sɛ mede me werɛ ahyɛ sikakɔkɔɔ mu anaasɛ maka akyerɛ sikakɔkɔɔ amapa sɛ, ‘Wo na wobɔ me ho ban,’
If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security,
25 sɛ masɛpɛ me ho wɔ mʼahodeɛ bebrebe enti, ahodeɛ a me nsa aka yi,
if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much,
26 sɛ mahwɛ owia a ɛhyerɛn anaa ɔsrane a ɛnam animuonyam mu,
if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,
27 ama aka mʼakoma a obiara nnim na me nsa yɛɛ wɔn atuu de anidie maa wɔn a,
so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
28 ɛnneɛ na yeinom nso bɛyɛ bɔne a wɔbu ho atɛn, ɛfiri sɛ na manni Onyankopɔn a ɔte ɔsoro no nokorɛ.
this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high.
29 “Mʼani nnyee wɔ me ɔtamfoɔ amanehunu ho anaa menseree no wɔ ɔhaw a aba ne so.
If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—
30 Memmaa mʼano nyɛɛ bɔne sɛ mɛdome obi nkwa.
I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse—
31 Mʼasomfoɔ a wɔwɔ me fidua mu nkaa da sɛ, ‘Ɔma ɛkɔm de yɛn.’
if the men of my house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’—
32 Ɔhɔhoɔ biara anna abɔntene so da, ɛfiri sɛ me ɛpono ano daa hɔ da biara maa akwantufoɔ,
but no stranger had to lodge on the street, for my door has been open to the traveler—
33 Makata me bɔne so sɛdeɛ nnipa yɛ de mʼafɔdie ahyɛ mʼakoma mu?
if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart,
34 Suro a mesuro nnipadɔm ne ahohora a ɛfiri mmusua hɔ no enti meyɛɛ komm a mamfiri adi?
because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside—
35 (“Ao, sɛ anka mewɔ obi a ɔbɛtie me. Mede me din ahyɛ mʼanoyie ase, ma Otumfoɔ no mmua me; ma deɛ ɔbɔ me kwaadu no ntwerɛ ne soboɔbɔ.
(Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment.
36 Ampa ara, anka mede bɛhyɛ mʼabatiri, anka mede bɛhyɛ sɛ ahenkyɛ.
Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown.
37 Anka mɛbu mʼanammɔntuo biara ho akonta akyerɛ no; anka mɛkɔ nʼanim sɛ ɔheneba.)
I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)—
38 “Sɛ mʼasase team tia me na nisuo fɔ nʼakofie nyinaa,
if my land cries out against me and its furrows weep together,
39 sɛ madi so aba a mentuaa ka anaasɛ mabu ɛso apaafoɔ no abamu a,
if I have devoured its produce without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,
40 ma nkasɛɛ mfifiri nsi ayuo anan mu na wira mfu nsi atokoɔ anan mu.” Hiob nsɛm no asi.
then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.
