Hiob 31
1 “Mebla nu kple nye ŋku be megakpɔ ɖetugbi aɖeke ahiãdzetɔe o.
I vowed to myself never to look with desire at young women.
2 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?
What should people expect to receive from God? What reward should the Almighty on high give them?
3 Ɖe menye gbegblẽ wònye na ame vɔ̃ɖiwo kple dzɔgbevɔ̃e na nu tovo wɔlawo oa?
Isn't it disaster for the wicked and destruction for those who do wrong?
4 Ɖe mekpɔ nye mɔwo eye wòxlẽ nye afɔɖeɖe ɖe sia ɖe oa?
Doesn't God see everything I do—even count every step I take?
5 “Nenye be mezɔ le aʋatsokaka me alo nye afɔ ɖe abla ɖe amebeble ŋuti la,
Have I lived a deceitful life? Have I been eager to tell lies?
6 ekema Mawu nedam le nudanu nyuitɔ dzi eye wòanya be nyemeɖi fɔ o.
No! Let God weigh me on the scales of his justice and let him discover my integrity.
7 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,
If I have wandered from God's way, if I have let what I see become my desires, if there's any stain of sin on my hands,
8 ekema ame bubuwo neɖu nu siwo meƒã eye woneho nye nukuwo le bo dzi.
then let someone else eat what I have sown, and all that I have grown be uprooted.
9 “Ne nyɔnu aɖe flu nye dzi alo mede xa ɖe nye aƒelika ƒe ʋɔtru nu la,
If a woman has seduced me, or if I have looked for an opportunity to sleep with my neighbor's wife,
10 ekema srɔ̃nye netu bli na ŋutsu bubu eye ŋutsu bubuwo nedɔ kplii.
then let my wife serve another, let other men sleep with her.
11 Elabena esia anye ŋukpenanu kple nu vɔ̃ si dze na ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃.
For that would be wicked, a sin deserving punishment,
12 Enye dzo si bina hena gbegblẽ, eye wòaho nye nukuwo akɔ ɖi.
for this sin is like a fire that leads to destruction, destroying everything I have.
13 “Ne nyemetso afia nyui na nye dɔlaŋutsuwo kple dɔlanyɔnuwo ne wotsɔ nya ɖe ŋunye o la,
If I had refused to listen to my menservants or maidservants when they brought their complaints to me,
14 nu ka mawɔ ne Mawu bia gbem? Ŋuɖoɖo ka mana ne eyɔm be mana akɔnta?
what would I do when God came to judge me? How would I reply if he investigated me?
15 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?
Didn't the same God make all of us?
16 “Nenye be mete hiãtɔwo woƒe didiwo alo mena nu te ahosiwo ƒe ŋkuwo ŋu,
Have I refused to give the poor what they needed, or caused widows to despair?
17 nenye be nye ɖeɖe meɖu nye abolo heku ŋɔ tsyɔ̃evi la, eya ko woagblɔ nya aɖe,
Have I even eaten just a piece of bread by myself? Haven't I always shared my food with orphans?
18 evɔ la tso nye ɖekakpuime ke, menyi tyɔẽviwo abe fofo ene eye tso nye ɖevime ke, mefia mɔ ahosiwo.
From when I was young I was a father to orphans and took care of widows.
19 Ne mekpɔ ame aɖe wòle tsɔtsrɔ̃m le avɔmanɔamesi ta alo hiãtɔ si mekpɔ awu ne wòado o
If ever I saw someone needing clothes, the poor without anything to wear,
20 eye eƒe dzi meyram be metsɔ avɔ si wowɔ kple nye alẽwo ƒe fu nɛ be wòade dzo lãme nɛ o,
they always thanked me for the wool clothing that kept them warm.
21 ne mekɔ nye asi dzi ɖe tsyɔ̃evi ŋu, evɔa menya be woxɔa nye nya le ʋɔnu la,
If I raised my hand to hit an orphan, confident that if it came to court the judges would be on my side,
22 ekema na be nye abɔ nage le abɔgba ŋu eye wòaŋe le ekpeƒe.
then let my shoulder be pulled from its joint, my arm wrenched out of its socket.
23 Elabena gbegblẽ si tso Mawu gbɔ la le ŋɔ dzim nam, eye vɔvɔ̃ na eƒe atsyɔ̃ mana mawɔ nu mawo o.
Since I'm terrified of what punishment God may have in store for me, and because of his majesty, I could never do this.
24 “Nenye ɖe meɖo dzi ɖe sika ŋu alo megblɔ na sika nyuitɔ be, ‘Wòe nye nye sitsoƒe,’
Have I put my trust in gold, calling fine gold, ‘My security’?
25 nenye ɖe mekpɔ dzidzɔ le nye kesinɔnu gbogboawo ta, nu siwo nye alɔ wɔ dɔ kpɔ,
Have I delighted in being rich, happy at all my wealth I had gained?
26 nenye ɖe mede bubu ɣe ŋuti le ale si wòle keklẽm alo ɣleti le ale si wòle yiyim kple atsyɔ̃,
Have I looked at the sun shining so brilliantly or the moon moving in majesty across the sky
27 ale be woflu nye dzi le adzame eye metsɔ nye asi wɔ dzesi na wo be melɔ̃ wo, de bubu wo ŋu la,
and been tempted to secretly worship them by kissing my hand to them in devotion?
28 ekema esiawo hã anye nu vɔ̃ siwo wòle be woahe ayi ʋɔnu, elabena adze ƒãa be nyemeto nyateƒe na Mawu le dziƒo o.
This too would be a sin deserving punishment for it would mean I had denied God above.
29 “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.
Have I ever been happy when disaster destroyed those who hated me, or celebrated when evil took them down?
30 Gake nyemeɖe mɔ na nye nu be wòawɔ nu vɔ̃ to ɖiŋudodo na eƒe agbe me o.
I have never allowed my mouth to sin by putting a curse on someone's life.
31 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
Haven't my family asked, ‘Is there anyone who has not eaten as much as they wanted of his food?’
32 elabena mele na amedzro aɖeke be wòatsi mɔto adɔ o elabena nye ʋɔtru le ʋuʋu ɖi ɣe sia ɣi na mɔzɔlawo.
I have never let strangers sleep in the street; I have opened my doors to travelers.
33 Nenye ɖe meɣla nye nu vɔ̃ abe ale si amewo wɔna ene, be meɣla nye dzidada ɖe nye dzi me,
Have I concealed my sins from others, hiding my wrongdoing deep inside me?
34 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.
Was I afraid of what everybody else would think, scared of the contempt families would show me, so that I kept quiet and didn't go outside?
35 “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.
Why won't anyone listen to what I'm saying! I'm signing my name to endorse everything I've said. Let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write down what he is charging me with.
36 Vavã malée ɖe nye abɔta eye maɖɔe ɖe ta abe fiakuku ene.
I would hold them up high; I would wear them on my head like a crown.
37 Mana nutsotsoe tso nye afɔɖeɖe ɖe sia ɖe ŋuti eye mate ɖe eŋu abe fiavi ene.
I would explain to him everything I'd done; I would hold my head high before him.
38 “Nenye ɖe nye anyigba fa avi ɖe ŋutinye eye eƒe boliƒowo yɔ kple aɖatsi,
If my land has cried out against me; if her furrows have wept over me;
39 nenye be meɖu eƒe kutsetsewo femaxee alo mena dɔwɔla siwo le agblea dzi la ƒe gbɔgbɔ gbã gudugudugudu la,
if I have taken its crops without payment or if I have caused harm to the farmers;
40 ekema aŋɔkawo nemie nam ɖe lu teƒe eye gbe wuwluiwo nemie ɖe ƒo teƒe.” Esiae nye Hiob ƒe nyawo ƒe nuwuwu.
then let thorns grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
