Hiob 14
1 “Amegbetɔ si nyɔnu dzi ƒe agbemeŋkekewo le kpuie eye woyɔ fũu kple fukpekpe.
Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.
2 Ekena abe seƒoƒo ene eye wòyrɔna, ele abe vɔvɔli si dzona kaba eye metɔna ɖi o la ene.
Who cometh forth like a flower, and is destroyed, and fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state.
3 Ɖe nàke ŋku ɖe esia tɔgbi ŋua? Ɖe nàkplɔe va ʋɔnui le ŋkuwòmea?
And dost thou think it meet to open thy eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with thee?
4 Ame ka ate ŋu aɖe nu dzadzɛ tso nu si medza o la me? Ɖeka pɛ teti hã o!
Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed? is it not thou who only art?
5 Èɖo ame ƒe ŋkekewo ɖi xoxo; èɖo eƒe ɣletiwo da ɖi eye nèɖo liƒo siwo dzi mate ŋu agbɔ o la ɖi nɛ.
The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with thee: thou hast appointed his bounds which cannot be passed.
6 Eya ta ɖe ŋku ɖa le eŋu eye nàɖe asi le eŋu va se ɖe esime eƒe ɣeyiɣi de abe agbatedɔwɔla ene.
Depart a little from him, that he may rest, until his wished for day come, as that of the hireling.
7 “Mɔkpɔkpɔ li na ati gɔ̃ hã, ne wolãe la, egadzena yeyee eye eƒe alɔ yeyeawo nu matsi o.
A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it groweth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout.
8 Eƒe kewo anya do xoxo ɖe tome eye eƒe takpo aku ɖe tome,
If its root be old in the earth, and its stock be dead in the dust:
9 ke hã la, ne tsi nya ʋẽ ɖee ko la, egadzena eye wòtoa alɔwo abe ati si wodo ene.
At the scent of water, it shall spring, and bring forth leaves, as when it was first planted.
10 Gake ne amegbetɔ ya ku la, wotsɔnɛ mlɔa anyie kpoo nenema; egbɔa eƒe gbɔgbɔ mamlɛa eye meganɔa agbe o.
But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and consumed, I pray you where is he?
11 Abe ale si atsiaƒu ɖia ke alo tsi miena le tɔsisi me wòƒuna kplakplakpla ene la,
As if the waters should depart out of the sea, and an emptied river should be dried up:
12 nenemae amegbetɔ mlɔa anyie eye megafɔna o va se ɖe esime dziƒo nu ava yi. Amegbetɔwo magafɔ alo anyɔ tso woƒe alɔ̃dɔdɔ me o.
So man when he is fallen asleep shall not rise again; till the heavens be broken, he shall not awake, nor rise up out of his sleep.
13 “O, ne ɖe nàɣlam ɖe yɔdo me, atsyɔ nu dzinye va se ɖe esime wò dziku nu va yi ɖe! Alo nàɖo ɣeyiɣi nam eye emegbe nàɖo ŋku dzinye ɖe! (Sheol h7585)
Who will grant me this, that thou mayst protect me in hell, and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a. time when thou wilt remember me? (Sheol h7585)
14 Ne ame ku la, ɖe wòaganɔ agbea? Le nye ɣeyiɣi sesẽwo me hã, manɔ nye yeyewɔwɔ ƒe ŋkeke la lalam.
Shall man that is dead, thinkest thou, live again? all the days in which I am now in warfare, I expect until my change come.
15 Àyɔm eye matɔ, wò dzi alé dzo ɖe nu si wò asiwo wɔ la ŋu.
Thou shalt call me, and I will answer thee: to the work of thy hands thou shalt reach out thy right hand.
16 Ekema àxlẽ nye afɔɖeɖewo, ke menye be wò ŋku nanɔ nye nu vɔ̃wo ŋu o.
Thou indeed hast numbered my steps, but spare my sins.
17 Woatre nye dzidadawo nu ɖe akplo me eye àtsyɔ nu nye nu vɔ̃wo dzi.
Thou hast sealed up my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured my iniquity.
18 “Gake abe ale si ke ɖena le to te wòŋena dzea eme eye agakpe ʋãna le eteƒe ene la,
A mountain falling cometh to nought, and a rock is removed out of its place.
19 abe ale si tsi nyia kpewoe eye tsidzadza kplɔa ke si le anyigba dzonae ene la, nenemae nègblẽa ame ƒe mɔkpɔkpɔ mee.
Waters wear away the stones, and with inundation the ground by little and little is washed away: so in like manner thou shalt destroy man.
20 Èdzea edzi kple ŋusẽ zi ɖeka eye ɖe wòvɔnae nye ekema; ètrɔa eƒe dzedzeme henyanɛ dzonae.
Thou hast strengthened him for a little while, that he may pass away for ever: thou shalt change his face, and shalt send him away.
21 Ne wode bubu via ŋutsuwo ŋu hã la, menyanɛ o, ne woɖi gbɔ̃ wo hã la, mekpɔnɛ o.
Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand.
22 Negbe eya ŋutɔ ƒe veve si sem wòle le ŋutilã me koe eye eya ŋutɔ fana na eɖokui.”
But yet his flesh, while he shall live, shall have pain, and his soul shall mourn over him.
