Hiob 31
1 “Me ne mʼani yɛɛ apam sɛ meremfiri akɔnnɔ mu nhwɛ ababaawa.
A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, —How then could I gaze upon a virgin?
2 Ɛdeɛn ne onipa kyɛfa a ɛfiri ɔsoro Onyankopɔn nkyɛn? Ɛdeɛn ne nʼagyapadeɛ a ɛfiri ɔsoro Otumfoɔ no nkyɛn?
Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Ɛnyɛ ɔsɛeɛ mma amumuyɛfoɔ? Ɛnyɛ asiane mma wɔn a wɔyɛ bɔne?
Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?
4 Ɔnhunu mʼakwan na ɔnkan anammɔn biara a metuo anaa?
Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?
5 “Sɛ manante wɔ nkontompo mu anaasɛ matu mmirika adi nnaadaasɛm akyi a,
Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —
6 ma Onyankopɔn nkari me wɔ nsania papa so na ɔbɛhunu sɛ me ho nni asɛm.
Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, —and let GOD take note of mine integrity!
7 Sɛ mʼanammɔntuo afom ɛkwan, sɛ mʼakoma adi mʼani akyi, anaasɛ me nsa ho agu fi a
If my goings have swerved from the way, —and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,
8 ɛnneɛ ma afoforɔ nni deɛ madua, na ma wɔntutu me mfudeɛ ngu.
Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!
9 “Sɛ ɔbaa bi atɔ mʼakoma so, anaasɛ matɛ me yɔnko bi ɛpono akyi a,
If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,
10 ɛnneɛ, me yere nyam ɔbarima foforɔ aduane, na mmarima afoforɔ ne no nna.
Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!
11 Ɛfiri sɛ, anka ɛno na ɛbɛyɛ aniwusɛm ne bɔne a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwe aso wɔ so.
Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!
12 Ɛyɛ ogya a ɛhye kɔduru ɔsɛeɛ mu na ɛbɛtumi atutu mʼagyapadeɛ nyinaa ase.
Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.
13 “Sɛ mabu mʼasomfoɔ mmarima ne mmaa ntɛnkyea ɛberɛ a wɔ ne me nyaa asɛm,
If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, 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 could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered 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 who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?
16 “Ohiani bi wɔ hɔ a ɔhia mmoa a mammoa no? Anaa mabu akunafoɔ bi abasa mu?
If I withheld—from pleasure—the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;
17 Mabɔ mʼaduane ho atirimuɔden a mamma nwisiaa bi?
Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;
18 Dabi, ɛfiri me mmeranteberɛ mu, matete wɔn sɛdeɛ agya bɛyɛ, na me nkwa nna nyinaa mu, mahwɛ akunafoɔ.
Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:
19 Sɛ mahunu obi a ɔnni aduradeɛ na ɔrebrɛ, anaa ohiani bi a ɔnni atadeɛ,
If I saw one perishing for lack 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 did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;
21 sɛ mama me nsa so atia awisiaa bi, ɛsiane sɛ mewɔ tumi wɔ asɛnniiɛ enti a,
If I shook—against the fatherless—my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,
22 ɛnneɛ ma mʼabasa mpan mfiri mʼabatiri, ma ɛmmubu mfiri ne pɔ so.
Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;
23 Mesuroo ɔsɛeɛ a ɛfiri Onyankopɔn nkyɛn, na nʼanimuonyam ho suro enti mantumi anyɛ saa nneɛma yi.
For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.
24 “Sɛ mede me werɛ ahyɛ sikakɔkɔɔ mu anaasɛ maka akyerɛ sikakɔkɔɔ amapa sɛ, ‘Wo na wobɔ me ho ban,’
If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!
25 sɛ masɛpɛ me ho wɔ mʼahodeɛ bebrebe enti, ahodeɛ a me nsa aka yi,
If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;
26 sɛ mahwɛ owia a ɛhyerɛn anaa ɔsrane a ɛnam animuonyam mu,
If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;
27 ama aka mʼakoma a obiara nnim na me nsa yɛɛ wɔn atuu de anidie maa wɔn a,
And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed my mouth,
28 ɛnneɛ na yeinom nso bɛyɛ bɔne a wɔbu ho atɛn, ɛfiri sɛ na manni Onyankopɔn a ɔte ɔsoro no nokorɛ.
That too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false to GOD, above.
29 “Mʼani nnyee wɔ me ɔtamfoɔ amanehunu ho anaa menseree no wɔ ɔhaw a aba ne so.
If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; —
30 Memmaa mʼano nyɛɛ bɔne sɛ mɛdome obi nkwa.
Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:
31 Mʼasomfoɔ a wɔwɔ me fidua mu nkaa da sɛ, ‘Ɔma ɛkɔm de yɛn.’
If the men of my household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh—we cannot get filled,
32 Ɔhɔhoɔ biara anna abɔntene so da, ɛfiri sɛ me ɛpono ano daa hɔ da biara maa akwantufoɔ,
Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors—to the wayfarer, I threw open.
33 Makata me bɔne so sɛdeɛ nnipa yɛ de mʼafɔdie ahyɛ mʼakoma mu?
If I covered, like Adam, my transgressions, by hiding in my bosom mine iniquity,
34 Suro a mesuro nnipadɔm ne ahohora a ɛfiri mmusua hɔ no enti meyɛɛ komm a mamfiri adi?
Then let me be made to tremble at a great throng, yea let, the contempt of families, terrify me, so that, keeping silence, I shall not go 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! my crossmark, May, the Almighty, answer me! And would that, a book, mine opponent had written!
36 Ampa ara, anka mede bɛhyɛ mʼabatiri, anka mede bɛhyɛ sɛ ahenkyɛ.
Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;
37 Anka mɛbu mʼanammɔntuo biara ho akonta akyerɛ no; anka mɛkɔ nʼanim sɛ ɔheneba.)
The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.
38 “Sɛ mʼasase team tia me na nisuo fɔ nʼakofie nyinaa,
If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;
39 sɛ madi so aba a mentuaa ka anaasɛ mabu ɛso apaafoɔ no abamu a,
If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;
40 ma nkasɛɛ mfifiri nsi ayuo anan mu na wira mfu nsi atokoɔ anan mu.” Hiob nsɛm no asi.
Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.
