Job’s Reply
1Job replied,
2“I’ve heard many of these things before.
All of you are terrible at comforting me!
3Your speeches go on forever.
Won’t they ever end?
What’s wrong with you?
Why do you keep on arguing?
4If you and I changed places,
I could say the same things you are saying.
I could make fine speeches against you.
I could shake my head at you.
5But what I might say would give you hope.
My words of comfort would help you.
6“If I speak, it doesn’t help me.
And if I keep quiet, my pain doesn’t go away.
7God has worn me out completely.
He has destroyed my whole family.
8People can see the condition he has put me in.
My thin body stands as a witness against me.
9God is angry with me.
He attacks me and tears me up.
He grinds his teeth at me.
He stares at me as if he were my enemy.
10People make fun of me.
They slap my face and laugh at me.
All of them join together against me.
11God has turned me over to sinful people.
He has handed me over to them.
12Everything was going well with me.
But he broke me into pieces like a clay pot.
He grabbed me by the neck and crushed me.
He has taken aim at me.
13He shoots his arrows at me from all sides.
Without pity, he stabs me in the kidneys.
He spills my insides on the ground.
14He smashes through me as if I were a wall.
He rushes at me like a fighting man.
15“I’ve sewed rough clothing over my skin.
All I can do is sit here in the dust.
16My face is red from crying.
I have dark circles under my eyes.
17But I haven’t harmed anyone.
My prayers to God are pure.
18“Earth, please don’t cover up my blood!
May God always hear my cry for help!
19Even now my witness is in heaven.
The one who speaks up for me is there.
20My go-between is my friend
as I pour out my tears to God.
21He makes his appeal to God to help me
as a person pleads for a friend.
22“Only a few years will pass by.
Then I’ll take the path of no return.
Hiob Mmuaeɛ
1Afei Hiob buaeɛ sɛ,
2“Mate nsɛm bebree a ɛte sɛ yeinom;
na mo nyinaa moyɛ gyamserefoɔ!
3Mo kasa tentene no mma awieeɛ anaa?
Ɛdeɛn na ɛha mo enti a mogu so redi anobaabaeɛ yi?
4Sɛ mo na mowɔ me tebea yi mu a,
anka me nso mɛtumi akasa sɛ mo;
anka mɛtumi akeka nsɛm a ɛyɛ dɛ atia mo
na mabu mo animtiaa.
5Nanso, anka mɛhyɛ mo den;
anka awerɛkyekyerɛ nsɛm a ɛbɛfiri mʼanomu no bɛma mo ahotɔ.
6“Nanso sɛ mekasa a, ɔyea a mete no remmoto;
na sɛ mankasa nso a, ɛrennyae.
7Ao Onyankopɔn, ampa ara woama mabrɛ;
woasɛe me fie pasaa.
8Woakyekyere me, ma abɛyɛ adansedie;
me so teɛ ara na ɛreteɛ, na ɛdi adanseɛ tia me.
9Onyankopɔn to hyɛ me so tete me wɔ nʼabufuo mu
na ɔtwɛre ne se gu me so;
deɛ ɔne me anya no pɔkyere nʼani hwɛ me.
10Nnipa bue wɔn ano di me ho fɛw;
wɔbɔ me sotorɔ de bu me animtiaa
na wɔka wɔn ho bɔ mu de tia me.
11Onyankopɔn de me ama abɔnefoɔ.
Wato me atwene amumuyɛfoɔ nsam.
12Na biribiara kɔ yie ma me, nanso ɔdwerɛɛ me;
ɔsɔɔ me kɔn mu, too me hwee hɔ.
Ɔde me asi nʼani so;
13nʼagyantofoɔ atwa me ho ahyia,
ɔhwiree me sawa mu a wanhunu me mmɔbɔ
maa me bɔnwoma pete guu fam.
14Ɔba me so ɛberɛ biara;
na ɔto hyɛ me so sɛ ɔkofoɔ.
15“Mapam ayitoma akata me wedeɛ so
na masie mʼanintɔn wɔ mfuturo mu.
16Agyaadwotwa ama mʼani ayɛ kɔɔ;
sunsum kabii atwa mʼani ho ahyia.
17Nanso, me nsa nyɛɛ basabasayɛ biara
na me mpaeɛbɔ yɛ kronn.
18“Ao asase, nkata me mogya so;
na mma wɔnsie me sufrɛ!
19Seesei mpo, me danseni wɔ soro;
Me ɔkamafoɔ wɔ soro hɔ.
20Me ɔdimafoɔ yɛ mʼadamfo
ɛberɛ a mesu gu Onyankopɔn soɔ yi;
21ɔgyina onipa anan mu di ma no wɔ Onyankopɔn anim
sɛdeɛ obi di ma nʼadamfo no.
22“Mfeɛ kakra bi akyi
mɛtu kwan akɔ koransane.