Job 34
1 Then Elihu continued:
Afei Elihu kaa sɛ,
2 “You [three] men who [think that you] [SAR] are very wise, hear me; listen to what I am saying, you men who [say that you] know so much.
“Mo anyansafoɔ, montie me nsɛm; mo animdefoɔ monyɛ aso mma me.
3 When we [SYN] hear what other people [like you] say, we [RHQ] think carefully about what they say [to determine what is good and what is bad], like we [SYN] taste food [to determine what is good].
Ɛfiri sɛ aso sɔ nsɛm hwɛ sɛdeɛ tɛkrɛma ka aduane hwɛ no.
4 We need to decide [who is saying] what is right and to determine among ourselves what is good/best.
Momma yɛnsese nhunu deɛ ɛyɛ ma yɛn. Momma yɛn nyinaa mmɔ mu nsua deɛ ɛyɛ.
5 Job has said, ‘I am innocent, but God has refused to judge me fairly/justly.
“Hiob kaa sɛ, ‘Me ho nni asɛm, nanso Onyankopɔn abu me ntɛnkyea.
6 Even though I have always done what is right, he is lying about me. Even though I have not done what is wrong, he has caused me to suffer, and I will certainly die.’
Ɛwom sɛ mʼasɛm da ɛkwan mu, nanso, wɔbu me ɔtorofoɔ; ɛwom sɛ menyɛɛ bɔne biara, nanso ne bɛmma no ama me apirakuro a ɛnnwu da.’
7 (Is there any person like Job, who insults others as easily as people accept a drink of water?/There is no person like Job, who insults others as easily as people accept a drink of water.) [RHQ]
Onipa bɛn na ɔte sɛ Hiob a ɔnom animtiabuo sɛ nsuo?
8 He habitually associates with people who do what is evil and spends time with wicked people.
Ɔne amumuyɛfoɔ nante; na ɔne atirimuɔdenfoɔ nso bɔ.
9 He has said, ‘It is useless for people to try to please God.’
Ɛfiri sɛ ɔka sɛ, ‘Sɛ onipa bɔ mmɔden sɛ ɔbɛsɔ Onyankopɔn ani a ɔnnya ho mfasoɔ biara.’
10 “So, you men who [claim that you] understand everything, listen to me! Almighty God would never consider doing anything that is wicked or wrong [DOU]!
“Enti mo mmarima a mowɔ nteaseɛ montie me. Ɛmpare Onyankopɔn sɛ ɔbɛyɛ bɔne, sɛ Otumfoɔ no bɛyɛ mfomsoɔ.
11 He (pays back/punishes) people for what they have done; he gives them what they deserve for the way that they have conducted their lives.
Nnipa nneyɛeɛ so na ɔhwɛ tua wɔn ka; deɛ ɛfata ne nneyɛeɛ na ɔma ɛba ne so.
12 Truly, Almighty God never does what is wicked; he always [LIT] does what is fair/just.
Ɛmfata sɛ wɔde mfomsoɔ susu Onyankopɔn, na ɛmfata sɛ wɔde ntɛnkyea susu Otumfoɔ.
13 The authority that he has to rule everything on the earth, no one [RHQ] gave it to him; no one [RHQ] put him in control of the whole world. [He has always had that authority].
Hwan na ɔde no sii asase so? Hwan na ɔde ewiase nyinaa hyɛɛ ne nsa?
14 If he would take his spirit back to himself,
Sɛ ɛyɛɛ ne pɛ na ɔyii ne Honhom ne nʼahome a,
15 everyone would die [immediately], and their corpses would soon become dirt again.
anka adasamma nyinaa bɛbɔ mu ayera, na onipa bɛsane akɔ mfuturo mu.
16 “So, [Job], if [you say that you] understand everything, listen to what I am saying.
“Sɛ mowɔ nhunumu a, montie yei; montie deɛ meka.
17 God could certainly not [RHQ] govern the world if he hated doing what is fair/just. So, will you condemn God, who is righteous and powerful, [saying that what he has done is wrong]?
Obi a ɔkyiri atɛntenenee bɛtumi adi nnipa so? Mobɛtumi abu Ɔteneneeni kɛseɛ no fɔ anaa?
18 He tells [some] kings that they are worthless, and he says to [some] officials that they are wicked.
Ɛnyɛ Ɔno na ɔka kyerɛ ahemfo sɛ, ‘Mo ho nni mfasoɔ,’ na ɔka kyerɛɛ atitire sɛ, ‘Moyɛ atirimuɔdenfoɔ’?
19 He does not favor rulers [more than he favors others]; he does not favor rich people more than poor people, because he created all of them.
Ɔnhwɛ mmapɔmma anim na ɔnyiyi adefoɔ ne ahiafoɔ mu, ɛfiri sɛ wɔn nyinaa yɛ ne nsa ano adwuma.
20 People [often] die suddenly; he strikes them at midnight and they die; he even gets rid of mighty people without the help of any humans [SYN].
Wɔwuwu mmerɛ tiawa bi mu, wɔ anadwo dasuo mu; nnipa no ho woso na wɔsene kɔ; ahoɔdenfoɔ totɔ a ɛmfiri onipa.
21 “He sees [MTY] everything that people do; [when we walk, ] he watches every step that we take.
“Nʼani hwɛ nnipa akwan; na ɔhunu wɔn anammɔntuo biara.
22 There is no gloom or darkness [DOU] that is so dark that sinners can hide [from him] in that darkness.
Baabiara nni hɔ a aduru sum, esum kabii, a amumuyɛfoɔ bɛtumi ahinta.
23 God does not [need to] set a time when we will stand in front of him in order that he may judge us. [He can judge us whenever he wants to].
Ɛho nhia Onyankopɔn sɛ ɔbɛhwehwɛ nnipa mu bio, a enti ɛsɛ sɛ wɔba nʼanim bɛgye atemmuo.
24 He destroys mighty people without [needing to] investigate [what they have done], and he appoints others to take their places.
Ɔbobɔ aberempɔn gu a ɔnyɛ nhwehwɛmu biara, na ɔde afoforɔ sisi wɔn ananmu.
25 Because he [already] knows what they have done, he removes them at night and gets rid of them.
Ɛfiri sɛ ɔhunu wɔn nneyɛeɛ, ɔtu wɔn gu anadwo na wɔdwerɛ wɔn.
26 Where [many] people can see it, he strikes/punishes them because of the wicked things that they have done;
Ɔtua wɔn amumuyɛsɛm so ka wɔ baabi a obiara bɛtumi ahunu wɔn,
27 he strikes them because they turned away from doing what he wanted them to do and did not pay attention to any of his commands.
ɛfiri sɛ, wɔmane firii nʼakyi kɔeɛ na wɔampɛ nʼakwan biara anhwɛ.
28 They [mistreated] the poor people, with the result that those poor people cried out to God [for help], and he heard those afflicted people when they cried out [to him].
Wɔmaa ahiafoɔ sufrɛ duruu nʼanim na ɛma ɔtee mmɔborɔni su.
29 But if God decides to do nothing [to punish wicked people], no one can criticize/condemn him. If a godless/wicked man rules a nation, a man who tricks/deceives the people,
Nanso sɛ ɔyɛ komm a, hwan na ɔbɛtumi abu no fɔ? Sɛ ɔde nʼanim hinta nso a, hwan na ɔbɛhunu no? Nanso ɔdi onipa ne ɔman so pɛpɛɛpɛ,
30 and if [God] hides his face [with the result that he does not see that ruler or punish him], no one will be able to prevent that ruler [from doing those things].
ɔmma onipa a ɔnnim Onyame nni ɔhene, sɛdeɛ wɔnnsum nnipa no mfidie.
31 “Job, have you or anyone else ever said to God, ‘I have been punished [for my sins], and I will not sin any more;
“Adɛn enti na onipa nka nkyerɛ Onyankopɔn sɛ, ‘Mayɛ bɔne na merenyɛ bɔne bio.
32 so teach/show me what [sins I have committed]; if I have done anything that is evil, I will not do it any more’?
Kyerɛ me na menhunu; na sɛ mayɛ bɔne a, merenyɛ saa bio.’
33 [Job, ] you object to what God has done to you, but do you think that he will do what you want him to do? It is you who must choose [what you say to God], not I; so tell me what you are thinking about this.
Ɛsɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn gyina deɛ wode wʼano aka so tua wo ka, wɔ ɛberɛ a woayɛ sɛ worennu wo ho anaa? Ɛsɛ sɛ wosi gyinaeɛ, ɛnyɛ me; enti ka deɛ wonim kyerɛ me.
34 “People who have good sense, those who are wise and who listen to what I say, will say to me,
“Nnipa a wɔwɔ nteaseɛ pae mu ka, animdefoɔ a wɔtie me ka kyerɛ me sɛ,
35 ‘Job is speaking ignorantly; what he says is nonsense.’
‘Hiob nnkasa nimdeɛ kwan so; aba biara nni ne kasa mu.’
36 I think that Job should be taken to a court and (put on trial/judged), because he answers [us his friends] like wicked men would answer.
Ao, sɛ wɔsɔɔ Hiob hwɛeɛ kɔɔ akyiri a anka ɛyɛ, ɛfiri sɛ ɔyiyii nsɛm ano sɛ omumuyɛfoɔ!
37 To add to the [other] sins that he has committed, he is rebelling [against God]; he shows us that he does not respect God [IDM], making long speeches [saying that God has punished him unjustly].”
Ɔde atuateɛ ka ne bɔne ho; ɔde ahantan bɔ ne nsam gu yɛn so na ɔma ne nsɛm a ɔka tia Onyankopɔn no dɔɔso.”
