< Job 20 >

1 Then Sophar the Naamathite answered, and said:
Na Naamani Sofar buae se,
2 Therefore various thoughts succeed one another in me, and my mind is hurried away to different things.
Me tirim mu ntew me, na ɛhyɛ me sɛ mimmua efisɛ me ho yeraw me yiye.
3 The doctrine with which thou reprovest me, I will hear, and the spirit of my understanding shall answer for me.
Mate animka bi a egu me ho fi, na ntease a minya no hyɛ me sɛ mimmua.
4 This I know from the beginning, since man was placed upon the earth,
“Ampa ara wunim sɛnea nneɛma te fi tete, efi bere a wɔde nnipa duaa asase so no,
5 That the praise of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment.
sɛ amumɔyɛfo ani gye bere tiaa bi mu, na wɔn a wonsuro nyame nso anigye nkyɛ.
6 If his pride mount up even to heaven, and his head touch the clouds:
Ɛwɔ mu sɛ nʼahohoahoa kodu ɔsoro, na ne ti kɔpem omununkum koraa a,
7 In the end he shall be destroyed like a dunghill, and they that has seen him shall say: Where is he?
ɔbɛyera afebɔɔ te sɛ nʼankasa nʼagyanan; na wɔn a wohuu no no bebisa se, ‘Ɔwɔ he?’
8 As a dream that fleeth away he shall not be found, he shall pass as a vision of the night:
Otu kɔ te sɛ ɔdae, na wɔrenhu no bio, wɔn werɛ fi te sɛ anadwo mu anisoadehu.
9 The eyes that had seen him, shall see him no more, neither shall his place any more behold him.
Ani a ehuu no no renhu no bio; na ne sibea nso renhu no bio.
10 His children shall be oppressed with want, and his hands shall render him his sorrow.
Ne mma bɛpata ahiafo; ɛsɛ sɛ nʼankasa de nʼahonya san ma.
11 His bones shall be filled with the vices of his youth, and they shall sleep with him in the dust.
Ne mmerantebere mu ahoɔden a ahyɛ ne nnompe ma no ne no bɛkɔ mfutuma mu.
12 For when evil shall be sweet in his mouth, he will hide it under his tongue.
“Ɛwɔ mu sɛ bɔne yɛ nʼanom dɛ na ɔde sie ne tɛkrɛma ase,
13 He will spare it, and not leave it, and will hide it in his throat.
ɛwɔ mu sɛ ontumi nnyaa mu na ɔma ɛka ne dudom,
14 His bread in his belly shall be turned into the gall of asps within him.
nanso, nʼaduan bɛyɛ nwen wɔ ne yafunu mu; ɛbɛyɛ ɔwɔ ano bɔre wɔ ne mu.
15 The riches which he hath swallowed; he shall vomit up, and God shall draw them out of his belly.
Ɔbɛfe ahonyade a ɔmenee no; Onyankopɔn bɛma ne yafunu apuw agu.
16 He shall suck the head of asps, and the viper’s tongue shall kill him.
Ɔbɛfefe awɔ bɔre; Ɔnanka se bekum no.
17 (Let him not see the streams of the river, the brooks of honey and of butter.)
Ɔrennya nsuwansuwa no nnom nsubɔnten a nufusu ne ɛwo sen wɔ mu no.
18 He shall be punished for all that he did, and yet shall not be consumed: according to the multitude of his devices so also shall he suffer.
Ɔbɛdan nea ɔbrɛ nyae no aba a ɔrenni bi; ɔremfa nʼaguadi mu mfaso nnye nʼani.
19 Because he broke in and stripped the poor: he hath violently taken away a house which he did not build.
Efisɛ ɔhyɛɛ ahiafo so ma wodii ohia buruburoo; ɔde ne nsa ato afi a ɛnyɛ ɔno na osii so.
20 And yet his belly was not filled: and when he hath the things he coveted, he shall not be able to possess them.
“Ampa ara ɔrennya ahomegye mfi nea wapere anya no mu; ɔrentumi mfa nʼademude nnye ne ho nkwa.
21 There was nothing left of his meat, and therefore nothing shall continue of his goods:
Wafom nneɛma nyinaa awie; ne nkɔso nnu baabiara.
22 When he shall be filled, he shall be straitened, he shall burn, and every sorrow shall fall upon him.
Nʼadedodow nyinaa mu no, ɔbɛkɔ ɔhaw mu; na amanehunu a emu yɛ den bɛto no.
23 May his belly be filled, that God may send forth the wrath of his indignation upon him, and rain down his war upon him.
Bere a nʼafuru ayɛ ma no, Onyankopɔn bɛtɔ nʼabufuw gya agu ne so na wabobɔ no basabasa.
24 He shall flee from weapons of iron, and shall fall upon a bow of brass.
Ɛwɔ mu sɛ oguan fi dade akode ano nanso bɛmma a ano yɛ kɔbere mfrafrae bɛwɔ no.
25 The sword is drawn out, and cometh forth from its scabbard, and glittereth in his bitterness: the terrible ones shall go and come upon him.
Ɔtwe bɛmma no fi nʼakyi, ano hyɛnhyɛn no fi ne brɛbo mu. Ehu bɛba ne so;
26 All darkness is hid in his secret places: a fire that is not kindled shall devour him, he shall be afflicted when left in his tabernacle.
sum kabii retwɛn nʼademude. Ogya a ɛnnɛw mu bɛhyew no, na asɛe nea aka wɔ ne ntamadan mu.
27 The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall rise up against him.
Ɔsoro bɛda nʼafɔdi adi, na asase asɔre atia no.
28 The offspring of his house shall be exposed, he shall be pulled down in the day of God’s wrath.
Nsuyiri bɛtwe ne fi akɔ, saa ara na asuworo bɛyɛ Onyankopɔn abufuwhyew da no.
29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the inheritance of his doings from the Lord.
Eyi ne nkrabea a Onyankopɔn de ma amumɔyɛfo, agyapade a Onyankopɔn de ato hɔ ama wɔn ne no.”

< Job 20 >