Job 22
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Temanitɔ, Elifaz ɖo eŋu be,
2 Can a man be profitable to God? surely it is unto himself that the wise man is profitable.
“Ɖe ame anye viɖenu na Mawua? Ɖe nunyala gɔ̃ hã anye viɖenu nɛa?
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if thou art righteous? And is it gain [to him] that thou makest thy ways perfect?
Dzidzɔ ka wòanye na Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la ne ènye ame dzɔdzɔe? Eye viɖe ka wòakpɔ ne fɔɖiɖi mele wò mɔwo ŋu o?
4 Will he reason with thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
“Wò Mawuvɔvɔ̃ tae wòka mo na wò hetsɔ nya ɖe ŋuwòa?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?
Ɖe wò nu vɔ̃ɖi wɔwɔ mekpe ŋutɔ oa? Ɖe nuwuwu li na wò nu vɔ̃woa?
6 For thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought, and stripped off the clothing of the naked.
Èbia megbedanu tso nɔviwò ŋutsuwo si susumanɔmetɔe eye nèɖe avɔ le amewo ŋu wotsi amama.
7 Thou hast not given water to the fainting to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
Mèna tsi ame siwo nu ti kɔ na la wono o eye nète nuɖuɖu dɔwuitɔwo,
8 But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.
evɔ nèhenye ŋusẽtɔ, anyigba le asiwò eye nèle anyigba dzi, bubu le ŋuwò.
9 Widows hast thou sent empty away, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Èɖo ahosiwo ɖa asi ƒuƒlu eye nèɖe tsyɔ̃eviwo ƒe ŋusẽ ɖa.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
Eya ta mɔkawo ɖe to ɖe wò ɖo eya ta dzɔgbevɔ̃e ƒo ɖe dziwò kpoyi hedo ŋɔdzi na wò
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and floods of waters cover thee.
eya ta viviti do ale gbegbe be màgate ŋu akpɔ nu o eye eya tae tɔɖɔɖɔ va tsyɔ dziwò ɖo.
12 Is not God in the height of the heavens? And behold the summit of the stars: how exalted are they!
“Ɖe Mawu mele dziƒo kɔkɔtɔ oa? Ɖe mekpɔ ale si ɣletivi kɔkɔtɔwo kɔkɔe oa?
13 And thou sayest, What doth God know? will he judge through the dark cloud?
Gake ègblɔ be, ‘Nu ka Mawu nya? Ɖe wòdrɔ̃a ʋɔnu to viviti ma tɔgbi mea?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh on the vault of the heavens.
Lilikpo dodowo xe eŋkume eya ta mekpɔa mí ne ele tsatsam le dziƒo ƒe agbo sesẽwo me o.’
15 Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?
Ɖe nàgalé mɔ xoxo si dzi ame vɔ̃ɖiwo zɔ va yi la me ɖe asia?
16 Who were carried off before the time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood;
Wokplɔ wo dzoe hafi woƒe ɣeyiɣi de eye tsiɖɔɖɔ kplɔ woƒe gɔmeɖokpewo dzoe.
17 Who said unto God, Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do to them?
Wogblɔ na Mawu be, ‘Ɖe asi le mía ŋu! Nu kae Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la awɔ mí?’
18 Yet he filled their houses with good. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
Evɔ wònye eyae tsɔ nu nyuiwo yɔ xɔ na wo fũu, eya ta menɔ adzɔge na ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe aɖaŋudede.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
Ame dzɔdzɔewo kpɔ woƒe gbegblẽ eye dzi dzɔ wo, ame maɖifɔwo gblɔ ɖe wo ŋu fewuɖutɔe be,
20 Is not he who rose against us destroyed, and doth not the fire consume his residue?
‘Wotsrɔ̃ míaƒe futɔwo vavã eye dzo va fia woƒe kesinɔnuwo.’
21 Reconcile thyself now with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
“Tsɔ ɖokuiwò na Mawu eye nànɔ ŋutifafa me kplii, to esia me la, dzɔgbenyui ava wò mɔ dzi.
22 Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
Xɔ nufiame tso eƒe nu me, eye nàtsɔ eƒe nyawo adzra ɖo ɖe wò dzi me
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up. If thou remove unrighteousness far from thy tents,
Ne ètrɔ va Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la gbɔ la, agaɖo wò te. Ne èɖe nu vɔ̃ɖi wɔwɔ ɖa xaa tso wò agbadɔ gbɔ,
24 And put the precious ore with the dust, and [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the torrents,
eye nètsɔ wò dzonu veviwo kɔ ɖe ke me, tsɔ wò sika adodoe si tso Ofir ƒu gbe ɖe agakpewo tome la,
25 Then the Almighty will be thy precious ore, and silver heaped up unto thee;
ekema Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la anye wò sika kple klosalo nyuitɔ.
26 Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God:
Ekema le nyateƒe me la, Ŋusẽkatãtɔ ƒe nu ado dzidzɔ na wò eye àwu wò mo dzi ɖe Mawu ŋu.
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;
Àdo gbe ɖa nɛ, wòaɖo to wò eye àxe wò adzɔgbeɖefewo nɛ.
28 And thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.
Nu si nèɖo la, ava eme na wò eye kekeli aklẽ ɖe wò mɔwo dzi.
29 When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.
Ne woɖiɖi amewo ɖe anyi, eye nègblɔ be, ‘Fɔ wo ɖe dzi!’ la, ekema woafɔ ame siwo wote ɖe anyi la ɖe dzi.
30 [Even] him that is not innocent shall he deliver; yea, he shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.
Aɖe ame si ŋu fɔɖiɖi le gɔ̃ hã, ame si woaɖe to wò asi ƒe kɔkɔenɔnɔ me.”
