Hiob 14
1 “Amegbetɔ si nyɔnu dzi ƒe agbemeŋkekewo le kpuie eye woyɔ fũu kple fukpekpe.
Man born of a woman is short of days, and sated with harrowing trouble.
2 Ekena abe seƒoƒo ene eye wòyrɔna, ele abe vɔvɔli si dzona kaba eye metɔna ɖi o la ene.
Like a flower he cometh forth, and is cut down: and he fleeth like a shadow, and remaineth not.
3 Ɖe nàke ŋku ɖe esia tɔgbi ŋua? Ɖe nàkplɔe va ʋɔnui le ŋkuwòmea?
And yet on such a one dost thou open thy eyes, and me thou bringest 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 a clean thing out of an unclean? not one [thing].
5 Èɖo ame ƒe ŋkekewo ɖi xoxo; èɖo eƒe ɣletiwo da ɖi eye nèɖo liƒo siwo dzi mate ŋu agbɔ o la ɖi nɛ.
Seeing that his days are determined, the number of his months are [fixed] with thee, that thou hast set his bounds which he cannot pass:
6 Eya ta ɖe ŋku ɖa le eŋu eye nàɖe asi le eŋu va se ɖe esime eƒe ɣeyiɣi de abe agbatedɔwɔla ene.
Turn thyself from him that he may recover from his pain, and be able to enjoy like a hired laborer his day.
7 “Mɔkpɔkpɔ li na ati gɔ̃ hã, ne wolãe la, egadzena yeyee eye eƒe alɔ yeyeawo nu matsi o.
For there is hope for the tree: if it be cut down, it may still sprout again, while its young shoot will not cease.
8 Eƒe kewo anya do xoxo ɖe tome eye eƒe takpo aku ɖe tome,
If even its root become old in the earth, and its stock die in the dust:
9 ke hã la, ne tsi nya ʋẽ ɖee ko la, egadzena eye wòtoa alɔwo abe ati si wodo ene.
Yet through the scent of water will it flourish [again], and produce boughs as though It were newly planted.
10 Gake ne amegbetɔ ya ku la, wotsɔnɛ mlɔa anyie kpoo nenema; egbɔa eƒe gbɔgbɔ mamlɛa eye meganɔa agbe o.
But man dieth, and lieth powerless: yea, the son of earth departeth—and where is he?
11 Abe ale si atsiaƒu ɖia ke alo tsi miena le tɔsisi me wòƒuna kplakplakpla ene la,
The waters run off from the sea, and the river faileth and drieth 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 doth man lie down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they will not awake, and will not be roused out of their 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)
Oh who would grant that thou mightest hide me in the nether world, that thou mightest conceal me, until thy wrath be appeased, that thou mightest set for me a fixed time, and remember me then! (Sheol h7585)
14 Ne ame ku la, ɖe wòaganɔ agbea? Le nye ɣeyiɣi sesẽwo me hã, manɔ nye yeyewɔwɔ ƒe ŋkeke la lalam.
Or, when a man dieth, will he live again? all the days of my time of service would I then wait, till [the hour of] my release were come.
15 Àyɔm eye matɔ, wò dzi alé dzo ɖe nu si wò asiwo wɔ la ŋu.
Do thou call, and I will truly answer thee: have a desire for the work of thy hands.
16 Ekema àxlẽ nye afɔɖeɖewo, ke menye be wò ŋku nanɔ nye nu vɔ̃wo ŋu o.
Yet now thou numberest my steps: and thou waitest not with [the punishment of] my sin.
17 Woatre nye dzidadawo nu ɖe akplo me eye àtsyɔ nu nye nu vɔ̃wo dzi.
Sealed up in a bag is my transgression, and thou yet addest to my iniquity.
18 “Gake abe ale si ke ɖena le to te wòŋena dzea eme eye agakpe ʋãna le eteƒe ene la,
But truly a falling mountain will crumble, and [even] a rock is moved 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.
The water weareth out stones; thou sweepest away their fragments [like] the dust of the earth: and so thou destroyest the hope of man.
20 Èdzea edzi kple ŋusẽ zi ɖeka eye ɖe wòvɔnae nye ekema; ètrɔa eƒe dzedzeme henyanɛ dzonae.
Thou assailest him with might without ceasing, till he passeth away: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him off.
21 Ne wode bubu via ŋutsuwo ŋu hã la, menyanɛ o, ne woɖi gbɔ̃ wo hã la, mekpɔnɛ o.
His children acquire honor, but he knoweth it not: and they are esteemed little, but he perceiveth nothing of them.
22 Negbe eya ŋutɔ ƒe veve si sem wòle le ŋutilã me koe eye eya ŋutɔ fana na eɖokui.”
But his body. on him, feeleth pain, and his soul will mourn for him.
