Job 8
1 Then Bildad, from [the] Shuah [area], spoke to Job. He said,
Ɛnna Suhini Bildad buaa sɛ:
2 “Job, how much longer will you talk like this? What you say is [only] hot air.
“Wobɛkɔ so aka saa nsɛm yi akɔsi da bɛn? Wo nsɛm yɛ mframa huhuo.
3 Almighty God certainly never does [RHQ] what is unfair/unjust. He always does [LIT] what is right/fair.
Onyankopɔn kyea atɛntenenee anaa? Otumfoɔ kyea deɛ ɛtene anaa?
4 So, it is evident that your children have sinned against him, therefore he has caused them to be punished for evil things that they have done.
Ɛberɛ a wo mma yɛɛ bɔne tiaa noɔ no, ɔgyaa wɔn maa wɔn bɔne so akatua.
5 But, if you will [now] earnestly request [DOU] Almighty [God] to help you,
Nanso sɛ wode wʼani bɛto Onyankopɔn so na woabɔ Otumfoɔ no mpaeɛ,
6 and if you are pure and honest/righteous, he will surely do something good for you and reward you by giving your family back to you and enabling you to prosper.
sɛ woyɛ kronn, na wotene a, wo enti, ɔbɛma ne ho so seesei na wama wo asi wo dada mu.
7 And even though you [think that you] were not very prosperous/wealthy before, during the last part of your life you will become very wealthy.
Wo ahyɛaseɛ bɛyɛ nkakra nkakra na daakye woanya ama abu so.
8 “I request you to think about what happened long ago and consider what our ancestors found out.
“Bisa awoɔ ntoatoasoɔ a atwam no, na hwehwɛ deɛ wɔn agyanom hunuiɛ.
9 [It seems as though] we were born only yesterday and we know very little [HYP]; our time here on the earth [disappears quickly, like] a shadow [MET].
Na wɔwoo yɛn nkyɛreeɛ na yɛnnim hwee. Yɛn nna wɔ asase yi so te sɛ sunsumma.
10 So, why do you not allow your ancestors to teach you and tell you something? Allow them to tell you from what they learned!
Nanso adikanfoɔ no bɛkyerɛkyerɛ wo. Wɔbɛfiri wɔn nteaseɛ mu akyerɛ wo nyansa.
11 Papyrus can certainly not [RHQ] grow in places where there is no marsh/swamp; reeds certainly cannot [RHQ] flourish/grow where there is no water.
Paparɔs bɛtumi anyini akɔ soro wɔ baabi a ɛnyɛ ɔwora? Demmire bɛtumi afifiri baabi a nsuo nni anaa?
12 [If they do not have enough water], while they are still blossoming, they wither more quickly than other plants wither.
Ɛberɛ a ɛrenyini a wɔntwaeɛ no, ɛdwane ntɛm so sene ɛserɛ.
13 Those who do not pay attention to what God says are like those [reeds]; godless people stop confidently expecting [that good things will happen to them].
Saa na wɔn a wɔn werɛ firi Onyankopɔn no awieeɛ teɛ; saa na wɔn a wɔnni nyamesu no anidasoɔ nkɔsi hwee.
14 The things they confidently expect to happen do not happen; things they trust [will help them] are [as fragile as] [MET] a spider’s web.
Biribiara a nʼani da so no nni ahoɔden; deɛ ɔde ne ho to soɔ yɛ ananse ntontan.
15 If they lean against a house (OR, trust in their wealth; OR, lean on a spider web), it does not (endure/protect them) [LIT]; they cling to things [to be protected], but those things do not remain firm.
Ɔtwere ne ntontan, nanso ɛtete; ɔsɔ mu denden nanso ɛnyɛ yie.
16 Godless people [are like plants] [MET] that are watered before the sun rises; their shoots spread all over the gardens.
Ɔte sɛ afifideɛ a wɔgugu so nsuo yie a ɛsi owia mu. Ɛtrɛtrɛ ne mman mu wɔ turo no so;
17 The roots of those plants twist around piles of stones and cling tightly to rocks.
Ne nhini nyini fa abotan ho, na ɛhwehwɛ ɛkwan kɔ aboɔ mu.
18 But if those plants are pulled out, [it is as though] the place where they were planted says ‘They were never here!’ [And that is what happens to wicked people who do not heed what God says].
Nanso sɛ wɔtu firi ne siberɛ a, saa beaeɛ no nnim no bio na ɛka sɛ, ‘Menhunuu wo da.’
19 Truly, evil people [MET] are not joyful [IRO] for a long time; other people come and take their places.
Ampa ara ne nkwa twam, na afifideɛ foforɔ nyini asase no so.
20 :So, [I tell you, Job], God will not reject you if you are truly godly/righteous, but he does not help [IDM] evil people.
“Ampa ara Onyankopɔn mpo onipa a ne ho nni asɛm na ɔnhyɛ amumuyɛfoɔ nsa mu dene.
21 He will enable you [MTY] to continually laugh and to always shout [joyfully].
Ɔbɛma woasere bio, na wode ahosɛpɛ ateateam.
22 But those who hate you will be very ashamed, and the homes of wicked people will disappear.”
Wɔde aniwuo bɛfira wɔn a wɔtan woɔ, na amumuyɛfoɔ ntomadan bɛsɛe.”
