1“Asase so som nyɛ den mma onipa anaa?
Ne nkwa nna nte sɛ ɔpaani deɛ?
2Sɛdeɛ akoa ani gyina anwummerɛ sunsumma,
anaasɛ ɔpaani ho pere no nʼakatua ho no,
3saa ara na wɔatwa abosome hunu ato me hɔ,
ne anadwo a ɔhaw wɔ mu ama me.
4Sɛ meda a, medwene bisa sɛ, ‘Ɛberɛ bɛn na adeɛ bɛkye?’
Nanso anadwo twam nkakrankakra, na mepere kɔsi ahemadakye.
5Asonsono ne aporɔporɔ ahyɛ me honam ma,
me honam asɛe na ɛrefiri nsuo.
6“Me nna kɔ ntɛm sene ɔnwomfoɔ akurokurowa,
na ɛkɔ awieeɛ a anidasoɔ biara nni muo.
7Ao Onyankopɔn, kae sɛ me nkwanna te sɛ ahomeɛ;
na merennya anigyeɛ bio da.
8Ani a ɛhunu me seesei renhunu me bio;
mobɛhwehwɛ me, nanso na menni hɔ bio.
9Sɛdeɛ omununkum yera na ɛtu korɔ no,
saa ara na deɛ ɔkɔ damena mu no nsane mma bio.
10Ɔrensane mma ne fie da biara da;
nʼatenaeɛ renkae no bio.
11“Ɛno enti meremmua mʼano;
mɛfiri me honhom ahoyera mu akasa,
mɛfiri me kra ɔyea mu anwiinwii.
12Meyɛ ɛpo anaa aboa kɛseɛ a ɔwɔ ebunu mu anaa,
na mode me ahyɛ ɔwɛmfoɔ nsa yi?
13Sɛ medwene sɛ menya awerɛkyekyerɛ wɔ me mpa so,
na mʼakonwa adwodwo mʼanwiinwii ano a,
14ɛno mpo na wode adaeɛso yi me hu
na wode anisoadehunu hunahuna me,
15ɛno enti mepɛ akɔmfohyɛ ne owuo,
sene me onipadua yi.
16Memmu me nkwa; mentena ase afebɔɔ.
Monnyaa me; na me nna nka hwee.
17“Ɔdasani ne hwan a ne ho hia wo sei,
na wʼani ku ne ho,
18na wohwehwɛ ne mu anɔpa biara
na wosɔ no hwɛ ɛberɛ biara?
19Worenyi wʼani mfiri me so da,
anaasɛ worennyaa me ɛberɛ tiawa bi mpo anaa?
20Sɛ mayɛ bɔne a, ɛdeɛn na mayɛ woɔ,
Ao adasamma so wɛmfoɔ?
Adɛn enti na watu wʼani asi me soɔ?
Mayɛ adesoa ama wo anaa?
21Adɛn enti na wonkata me mmarato so
na womfa me bɔne nkyɛ me?
Ɛrenkyɛre biara, mɛda mfuturo mu.
Wobɛhwehwɛ me nanso na menni hɔ bio.”
1Job continued,
“Don’t all human beings have to work hard on this earth?
Aren’t their days like the days of hired workers?
2I’ve been like a slave
who longs for the evening shadows to come.
I’ve been like a hired worker
who is waiting to be paid.
3I’ve been given several months that were useless to me.
My nights have been filled with suffering.
4When I lie down I think,
‘How long will it be before I can get up?’
The night drags on.
I toss and turn until sunrise.
5My body is covered with worms and sores.
My skin is broken. It has boils all over it.
6“My days pass by faster than a weaver can work.
They come to an end. I don’t have any hope.
7God, remember that my life is only a breath.
I’ll never be happy again.
8The eyes that see me now won’t see me anymore.
You will look for me. But I’ll be gone.
9When a cloud disappears, it’s gone forever.
And anyone who goes down to the grave never returns.
10He never comes home again.
Even his own family doesn’t remember him.
11“So I won’t keep quiet.
When I’m suffering greatly, I’ll speak out.
When my spirit is bitter, I’ll tell you how unhappy I am.
12Am I the ocean? Am I the sea monster?
If I’m not, why do you guard me so closely?
13Sometimes I think my bed will comfort me.
I think my couch will keep me from being unhappy.
14But even then you send me dreams that frighten me.
You send me visions that terrify me.
15So I would rather choke to death.
That would be better than living in this body of mine.
16I hate my life. I don’t want to live forever.
Leave me alone. My days don’t mean anything to me.
17“What are human beings that you think so much of them?
What are they that you pay so much attention to them?
18You check up on them every morning.
You test them every moment.
19Won’t you ever look away from me?
Won’t you leave me alone even for one second?
20If I’ve really sinned, tell me what I’ve done to you.
You see everything we do.
Why do you shoot your arrows at me?
Have I become a problem to you?
21Why don’t you forgive the wrong things I’ve done?
Why don’t you forgive me for my sins?
I’ll soon lie down in the dust of my grave.
You will search for me. But I’ll be gone.”
