1“Adɛn enti na Onyankopɔn nhyɛ berɛ mma atemmuo?
Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn a wɔnim noɔ no hwɛ saa da no anim ɛnso ɛmma da?
2Nnipa yiyi aboɔ a wɔde ato hyeɛ;
na wɔde nnwankuo a wɔawia kɔ hɔ adidi.
3Wɔpam nwisiaa mfunumu
na wɔgye akunafoɔ anantwie sɛ awowasideɛ.
4Wɔsum ahiafoɔ firi ɛkwan so
na wɔhyɛ asase no so ahiafoɔ ma wɔkɔtetɛ.
5Ahiafoɔ no yɛ wɔn adwuma pɛ aduane
te sɛ ɛserɛ so mfunumu no;
asase wesee no so na wɔnya aduane ma wɔn mma.
6Wɔboaboa mmoa aduane ano wɔ mfuo no so
na wɔdi mpɛpɛ wɔ amumuyɛfoɔ bobe nturo mu.
7Wɔnni ntoma, na wɔda kwaterekwa;
wɔnni hwee a wɔde kata wɔn ho wɔ awɔ mu.
8Mmepɔ so osutɔ fɔ wɔn twɔnn
na wɔfomfam mmotan no ho ɛfiri sɛ wɔnni ahatasoɔ.
9Wɔte awisiaa firi nufoɔ ano;
na wɔfa ohiani abotafoa de si ne ka anan mu.
10Wɔnenam adagya a wɔnni ntoma;
wɔsoa ayuo afiafi, nanso ɛkɔm de wɔn ara.
11Wɔkyi ngo wɔn adan mu;
wɔtiatia nsakyimena mu, nanso osukɔm de wɔn.
12Wɔn a wɔrewuwuo no apinisie firi kuropɔn no mu,
na apirafoɔ kra su pɛ mmoa.
Nanso Onyankopɔn mfa bɔne nto obiara so.
13“Ebinom wɔ hɔ a wɔsɔre tia hann no,
wɔn a wɔnnim nʼakwan
anaasɛ wɔnnante nʼatempɔn so.
14Sɛ adekyeɛ hann no kɔ a, owudifoɔ no sɔre
na ɔkum ohiani ne mmɔborɔni;
adesaeɛ mu, ɔwiawia ne ho sɛ ɔkorɔmfoɔ.
15Ɔwaresɛefoɔ twɛn ɛberɛ a adeɛ resa;
ɔka sɛ, ‘obiara renhunu me,’
na ɔde nʼanim hinta.
16Esum mu na nnipa bubu apono wura afie mu,
na awiaberɛ mu no, wɔtoto wɔn ho ɛpono mu;
wɔne hann nni hwee yɛ.
17Esum kabii yɛ adekyeɛ ma wɔn nyinaa;
wɔne esum mu nneɛma a ɛyɛ hu fa nnamfo.
18“Nanso wɔte sɛ ahuro a ɛtɛ nsuo ani;
wɔadome wɔn kyɛfa wɔ asase no so,
enti obiara nnkɔ bobe nturo no mu.
19Sɛdeɛ ɔhyew ne ɔpɛ de sukyerɛmma a anane korɔ no,
saa ara na damena de wɔn a wɔayɛ bɔne korɔ.
20Awotwaa werɛ firi wɔn,
na ɔsonsono di wɔn nam;
nnipa bɔne deɛ, wɔnnkae wɔn bio
na mmom wɔbubu te sɛ dua.
21Wɔde ɔbaa bonini a ɔnni ba yɛ haboa,
na wɔnhunu akunafoɔ mmɔbɔ.
22Onyankopɔn nam ne tumi so twe atumfoɔ kɔ;
ɛwom sɛ wɔnya asetena pa deɛ, nanso wɔnni nkwa ho bɔhyɛ.
23Ɔtumi ma wɔn tena ase asomdwoeɛ mu,
nanso nʼani wɔ wɔn akwan so.
24Wɔma wɔn so berɛ tiawa bi, na afei wɔnni hɔ bio;
wɔbrɛ wɔn ase boaboa wɔn ano sɛ nnipa nyinaa;
wɔtwitwa wɔn gu te sɛ aburoo ti.
25“Sɛ yei nte saa a, hwan na ɔbɛtumi agye me akyinnyeɛ
na ama deɛ maka ayɛ nsɛnhunu?”
1“Why doesn’t the Mighty One set a time for judging sinful people?
Why do those who know him have to keep waiting for that day?
2People move their neighbor’s boundary stones.
They steal their neighbor’s flocks.
3They take away the donkeys
that belong to children whose fathers have died.
They take a widow’s ox until she has paid what she owes.
4They push those who are needy out of their way.
They force all the poor people in the land to go into hiding.
5The poor are like wild donkeys in the desert.
They have to go around looking for food.
The dry and empty land provides the only food for their children.
6The poor go to the fields and get a little grain.
They gather up what is left in the vineyards of sinners.
7The poor don’t have any clothes. So they spend the night naked.
They don’t have anything to cover themselves in the cold.
8They are soaked by mountain rains.
They hug the rocks because they don’t have anything to keep them warm.
9Children whose fathers have died
are torn away from their mothers.
A poor person’s baby is taken away to pay back what is owed.
10The poor don’t have any clothes. They go around naked.
They carry bundles of grain, but they still go hungry.
11They work very hard as they crush olives.
They stomp on grapes in winepresses,
but they are still thirsty.
12The groans of those who are dying are heard from the city.
Those who are wounded cry out for help.
But God doesn’t charge anyone with doing what is wrong.
13“Some people hate it when daylight comes.
In the daytime they never walk outside.
14When daylight is gone, murderers get up.
They kill poor people and those who are in need.
In the night they sneak around like robbers.
15Those who commit adultery wait until the sun goes down.
They think, ‘No one will see us.’
They keep their faces hidden.
16In the dark, thieves break into houses.
But by day they shut themselves in.
They don’t want anything to do with the light.
17Midnight is like morning to them.
The terrors of darkness are their friends.
18“But sinners are like bubbles on the surface of water.
Their share of the land is under God’s curse.
So no one goes to their vineyards.
19Melted snow disappears when the air is hot and dry.
And sinners disappear when they go down into their graves.
20Even their mothers forget them.
The worms in their graves eat them up.
No one remembers sinful people anymore.
They are cut down like trees.
21They mistreat women who aren’t able to have children.
They aren’t kind to widows.
22But God is powerful.
He even drags away people who are strong.
When he rises up against them,
they can never be sure they are safe.
23God might let them rest and feel secure.
But his eyes see how they live.
24For a little while they are honored.
Then they are gone.
They are brought low.
And they die like everyone else.
They are cut off like heads of grain.
25“Who can prove that what I’m saying is wrong?
Who can prove that my words aren’t true?”
