Hiob 31

1 “Me ne mʼani yɛɛ apam sɛ meremfiri akɔnnɔ mu nhwɛ ababaawa.

I MADE a covenant with mine eyes; how then should I look upon a maid?

2 Ɛdeɛn ne onipa kyɛfa a ɛfiri ɔsoro Onyankopɔn nkyɛn? Ɛdeɛn ne nʼagyapadeɛ a ɛfiri ɔsoro Otumfoɔ no nkyɛn?

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

3 Ɛnyɛ ɔsɛeɛ mma amumuyɛfoɔ? Ɛnyɛ asiane mma wɔn a wɔyɛ bɔne?

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

4 Ɔnhunu mʼakwan na ɔnkan anammɔn biara a metuo anaa?

Doth not he see my ways, and number all my steps?

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

If I have walked with vanity, and my foot hath hasted to deceit;

6 ma Onyankopɔn nkari me wɔ nsania papa so na ɔbɛhunu sɛ me ho nni asɛm.

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

7 Sɛ mʼanammɔntuo afom ɛkwan, sɛ mʼakoma adi mʼani akyi, anaasɛ me nsa ho agu fi a

If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any spot hath cleaved to mine hands:

8 ɛnneɛ ma afoforɔ nni deɛ madua, na ma wɔntutu me mfudeɛ ngu.

Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

9 “Sɛ ɔbaa bi atɔ mʼakoma so, anaasɛ matɛ me yɔnko bi ɛpono akyi a,

If mine heart have been enticed unto a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door:

10 ɛnneɛ, me yere nyam ɔbarima foforɔ aduane, na mmarima afoforɔ ne no nna.

Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.

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

For that were an heinous crime; yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges:

12 Ɛyɛ ogya a ɛhye kɔduru ɔsɛeɛ mu na ɛbɛtumi atutu mʼagyapadeɛ nyinaa ase.

For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

13 “Sɛ mabu mʼasomfoɔ mmarima ne mmaa ntɛnkyea ɛberɛ a wɔ ne me nyaa asɛm,

If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me:

14 na sɛ Onyankopɔn de si mʼanim a, ɛdeɛn na mɛyɛ? Sɛ wɔfrɛ me akontabuo a, mmuaeɛ bɛn na mɛma?

What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

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 that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

16 “Ohiani bi wɔ hɔ a ɔhia mmoa a mammoa no? Anaa mabu akunafoɔ bi abasa mu?

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

17 Mabɔ mʼaduane ho atirimuɔden a mamma nwisiaa bi?

Or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

18 Dabi, ɛfiri me mmeranteberɛ mu, matete wɔn sɛdeɛ agya bɛyɛ, na me nkwa nna nyinaa mu, mahwɛ akunafoɔ.

(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and I have been her guide from my mother’s womb; )

19 Sɛ mahunu obi a ɔnni aduradeɛ na ɔrebrɛ, anaa ohiani bi a ɔnni atadeɛ,

If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;

20 na sɛ wamfiri akoma mu anhyira me wɔ ɛberɛ a mede me nnwan ho nwi kaa no hye,

If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed 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 my help in the gate:

22 ɛnneɛ ma mʼabasa mpan mfiri mʼabatiri, ma ɛmmubu mfiri ne pɔ so.

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

23 Mesuroo ɔsɛeɛ a ɛfiri Onyankopɔn nkyɛn, na nʼanimuonyam ho suro enti mantumi anyɛ saa nneɛma yi.

For calamity from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his excellency I could do nothing.

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

If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, [Thou art] my confidence;

25 sɛ masɛpɛ me ho wɔ mʼahodeɛ bebrebe enti, ahodeɛ a me nsa aka yi,

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

26 sɛ mahwɛ owia a ɛhyerɛn anaa ɔsrane a ɛnam animuonyam mu,

If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;

27 ama aka mʼakoma a obiara nnim na me nsa yɛɛ wɔn atuu de anidie maa wɔn a,

And my heart hath been secretly enticed, and my mouth hath kissed my hand:

28 ɛnneɛ na yeinom nso bɛyɛ bɔne a wɔbu ho atɛn, ɛfiri sɛ na manni Onyankopɔn a ɔte ɔsoro no nokorɛ.

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges: for I should have lied to God that is above.

29 “Mʼani nnyee wɔ me ɔtamfoɔ amanehunu ho anaa menseree no wɔ ɔhaw a aba ne so.

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him;

30 Memmaa mʼano nyɛɛ bɔne sɛ mɛdome obi nkwa.

(Yea, I suffered not my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse; )

31 Mʼasomfoɔ a wɔwɔ me fidua mu nkaa da sɛ, ‘Ɔma ɛkɔm de yɛn.’

If the men of my tent said not, Who can find one that hath not been satisfied with his flesh?

32 Ɔhɔhoɔ biara anna abɔntene so da, ɛfiri sɛ me ɛpono ano daa hɔ da biara maa akwantufoɔ,

The stranger did not lodge in the street; but I opened my doors to the traveller;

33 Makata me bɔne so sɛdeɛ nnipa yɛ de mʼafɔdie ahyɛ mʼakoma mu?

If like Adam I covered my transgressions, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom;

34 Suro a mesuro nnipadɔm ne ahohora a ɛfiri mmusua hɔ no enti meyɛɛ komm a mamfiri adi?

Because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and went not out of the door—

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! (lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me; ) and [that I had] the indictment which mine adversary hath written!

36 Ampa ara, anka mede bɛhyɛ mʼabatiri, anka mede bɛhyɛ sɛ ahenkyɛ.

Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown.

37 Anka mɛbu mʼanammɔntuo biara ho akonta akyerɛ no; anka mɛkɔ nʼanim sɛ ɔheneba.)

I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.

38 “Sɛ mʼasase team tia me na nisuo fɔ nʼakofie nyinaa,

If my land cry out against me, and the furrows thereof weep together;

39 sɛ madi so aba a mentuaa ka anaasɛ mabu ɛso apaafoɔ no abamu a,

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

40 ma nkasɛɛ mfifiri nsi ayuo anan mu na wira mfu nsi atokoɔ anan mu.” Hiob nsɛm no asi.

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.