Job 31
1 A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, —How then could I gaze upon a virgin?
“Mebla nu kple nye ŋku be megakpɔ ɖetugbi aɖeke ahiãdzetɔe o.
2 Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
Elabena nu kae nye amegbetɔ tɔ gome tso Mawu si le dziƒo la gbɔ kple eƒe domenyinu tso Ŋusẽkatãtɔ si le dziƒo ʋĩi la gbɔ?
3 Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?
Ɖe menye gbegblẽ wònye na ame vɔ̃ɖiwo kple dzɔgbevɔ̃e na nu tovo wɔlawo oa?
4 Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?
Ɖe mekpɔ nye mɔwo eye wòxlẽ nye afɔɖeɖe ɖe sia ɖe oa?
5 Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —
“Nenye be mezɔ le aʋatsokaka me alo nye afɔ ɖe abla ɖe amebeble ŋuti la,
6 Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, —and let GOD take note of mine integrity!
ekema Mawu nedam le nudanu nyuitɔ dzi eye wòanya be nyemeɖi fɔ o.
7 If my goings have swerved from the way, —and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,
Nenye be nye afɔ tra le mɔ la dzi, nenye be nye dzi kplɔ nu si nye ŋkuwo kpɔ la ɖo alo nye asiwo ƒo ɖi la,
8 Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!
ekema ame bubuwo neɖu nu siwo meƒã eye woneho nye nukuwo le bo dzi.
9 If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,
“Ne nyɔnu aɖe flu nye dzi alo mede xa ɖe nye aƒelika ƒe ʋɔtru nu la,
10 Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!
ekema srɔ̃nye netu bli na ŋutsu bubu eye ŋutsu bubuwo nedɔ kplii.
11 Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!
Elabena esia anye ŋukpenanu kple nu vɔ̃ si dze na ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃.
12 Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.
Enye dzo si bina hena gbegblẽ, eye wòaho nye nukuwo akɔ ɖi.
13 If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, when they contended with me,
“Ne nyemetso afia nyui na nye dɔlaŋutsuwo kple dɔlanyɔnuwo ne wotsɔ nya ɖe ŋunye o la,
14 What then could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered him?
nu ka mawɔ ne Mawu bia gbem? Ŋuɖoɖo ka mana ne eyɔm be mana akɔnta?
15 Did not he who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?
Ɖe menye ame si wɔm ɖe vidzidɔ me lae wɔ woawo hã oa? Ɖe menye eya koe wɔ mí ame evea katã ɖe mía dadawo ƒe dɔ me oa?
16 If I withheld—from pleasure—the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;
“Nenye be mete hiãtɔwo woƒe didiwo alo mena nu te ahosiwo ƒe ŋkuwo ŋu,
17 Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;
nenye be nye ɖeɖe meɖu nye abolo heku ŋɔ tsyɔ̃evi la, eya ko woagblɔ nya aɖe,
18 Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:
evɔ la tso nye ɖekakpuime ke, menyi tyɔẽviwo abe fofo ene eye tso nye ɖevime ke, mefia mɔ ahosiwo.
19 If I saw one perishing for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
Ne mekpɔ ame aɖe wòle tsɔtsrɔ̃m le avɔmanɔamesi ta alo hiãtɔ si mekpɔ awu ne wòado o
20 If his loins did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;
eye eƒe dzi meyram be metsɔ avɔ si wowɔ kple nye alẽwo ƒe fu nɛ be wòade dzo lãme nɛ o,
21 If I shook—against the fatherless—my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,
ne mekɔ nye asi dzi ɖe tsyɔ̃evi ŋu, evɔa menya be woxɔa nye nya le ʋɔnu la,
22 Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;
ekema na be nye abɔ nage le abɔgba ŋu eye wòaŋe le ekpeƒe.
23 For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.
Elabena gbegblẽ si tso Mawu gbɔ la le ŋɔ dzim nam, eye vɔvɔ̃ na eƒe atsyɔ̃ mana mawɔ nu mawo o.
24 If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!
“Nenye ɖe meɖo dzi ɖe sika ŋu alo megblɔ na sika nyuitɔ be, ‘Wòe nye nye sitsoƒe,’
25 If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;
nenye ɖe mekpɔ dzidzɔ le nye kesinɔnu gbogboawo ta, nu siwo nye alɔ wɔ dɔ kpɔ,
26 If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;
nenye ɖe mede bubu ɣe ŋuti le ale si wòle keklẽm alo ɣleti le ale si wòle yiyim kple atsyɔ̃,
27 And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed my mouth,
ale be woflu nye dzi le adzame eye metsɔ nye asi wɔ dzesi na wo be melɔ̃ wo, de bubu wo ŋu la,
28 That too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false to GOD, above.
ekema esiawo hã anye nu vɔ̃ siwo wòle be woahe ayi ʋɔnu, elabena adze ƒãa be nyemeto nyateƒe na Mawu le dziƒo o.
29 If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; —
“Nenye ɖe mekpɔ dzidzɔ le nye futɔ ƒe dzɔgbevɔ̃e me dzedze ŋu alo dzɔ dzi le hiã siwo tui ta la, eya ko magblɔ nya aɖe.
30 Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:
Gake nyemeɖe mɔ na nye nu be wòawɔ nu vɔ̃ to ɖiŋudodo na eƒe agbe me o.
31 If the men of my household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh—we cannot get filled,
Nenye ɖe ame siwo le aƒenye me la se megblɔ kpɔ be, ‘Ame kae meɖu Hiob ƒe abolo ɖi ƒo kpɔ o?’ la, anye ne enye nya bubu
32 Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors—to the wayfarer, I threw open.
elabena mele na amedzro aɖeke be wòatsi mɔto adɔ o elabena nye ʋɔtru le ʋuʋu ɖi ɣe sia ɣi na mɔzɔlawo.
33 If I covered, like Adam, my transgressions, by hiding in my bosom mine iniquity,
Nenye ɖe meɣla nye nu vɔ̃ abe ale si amewo wɔna ene, be meɣla nye dzidada ɖe nye dzi me,
34 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!
elabena mevɔ̃ na ameha la ŋutɔ eye mevɔ̃ na dukɔ la ƒe vlododo ale gbegbe be, mezi ɖoɖoe hegbe gododo ɖe gota la, anye ne enye nya bubu kura.
35 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!
“O, ɖe ame aɖe le asinye aɖo tom ɖe! Kpɔ ɖa mede asi ɖokuinyetaʋlinyawo te, azɔ la, Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la neɖo eŋu nam, ame si le nunye tsom la hã neŋlɔ nunyetsonyawo ɖe agbalẽ dzi.
36 Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;
Vavã malée ɖe nye abɔta eye maɖɔe ɖe ta abe fiakuku ene.
37 The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.
Mana nutsotsoe tso nye afɔɖeɖe ɖe sia ɖe ŋuti eye mate ɖe eŋu abe fiavi ene.
38 If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;
“Nenye ɖe nye anyigba fa avi ɖe ŋutinye eye eƒe boliƒowo yɔ kple aɖatsi,
39 If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;
nenye be meɖu eƒe kutsetsewo femaxee alo mena dɔwɔla siwo le agblea dzi la ƒe gbɔgbɔ gbã gudugudugudu la,
40 Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.
ekema aŋɔkawo nemie nam ɖe lu teƒe eye gbe wuwluiwo nemie ɖe ƒo teƒe.” Esiae nye Hiob ƒe nyawo ƒe nuwuwu.
