Hiob 15
1 Temanitɔ, Elifaz ɖo Hiob ƒe nyawo ŋu be,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 “Ɖe nunyala aɖo nya ŋu kple susu gbɔlo alo ana ɣedzeƒeya xɔdzo nayɔ eƒe dɔ mea?
“Should a wise man answer with useless knowledge and fill himself with the east wind?
3 Ɖe wòatsɔ nya manyatalenuwo ahe nya alo atsɔ nuƒoƒo si nye nya dzodzro ahe nyaea?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk or with speeches with which he can do no good?
4 Kura gɔ̃ hã la, èɖi gbɔ̃ mawuvɔvɔ̃ eye nèhe mawusubɔsubɔ adodoea ɖe megbe.
Indeed, you diminish respect for God; you obstruct devotion to him,
5 Wò nu vɔ̃e ƒoe ɖe nuwò ale nètia ayetɔwo ƒe aɖe.
for your iniquity teaches your mouth; you choose to have the tongue of a crafty man.
6 Wò ŋutɔ wò nue bu fɔ wò, menye tɔnyee o, eye wò ŋutɔ wò nuyiwoe ɖu ɖasefo ɖe ŋuwò.
Your own mouth condemns you, not mine; indeed, your own lips testify against you.
7 “Wòe nye ame gbãtɔ si wodzi kpɔa? Ɖe wodzi wò hafi togbɛwo va dzɔa?
Are you the first man that was born? Were you brought into existence before the hills?
8 Èse Mawu ƒe aɖaŋudede kple toa? Gbɔwò ko nunya tso aƒe ɖoa?
Have you heard the secret knowledge of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 Nu ka nènya si míawo ya míenya o? Nu ka gɔmee nèse esi gɔme míawo míese o?
What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not also in us?
10 Ta ƒowɔ tɔwo kple amegãɖeɖiwo le mía dzi, ame siwo tsi wu fofowò gɔ̃ hã.
With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men who are much older than your father.
11 Ɖe Mawu ƒe akɔfanamenya siwo wògblɔ bɔlɔɔ la, mesɔ agbɔ na wò oa?
Are the consolations of God too small for you, the words that are gentle toward you?
12 Nu ka ŋuti wò dzi kplɔ wò dzoe, wò ŋkuwo le dzo dam,
Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
13 ale be nènyɔ wò dziku ɖe Mawu ŋu eye nètrɔ nya siawo kɔ ɖi tso wò nu me?
so that you turn your spirit against God and bring out such words from your mouth?
14 “Nu kae nye amegbetɔ be, wòadza alo ame si nyɔnu dzi la be wòanɔ dzɔdzɔe?
What is man that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman that he should be righteous?
15 Ne Mawu meka ɖe eƒe kɔkɔetɔwo dzi o eye dziƒowo gɔ̃ hã medza le eƒe ŋkume o,
See, God puts no trust even in his holy ones; indeed, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
16 aleke wòahanye amegbetɔ si nye aɖi, esi dovo eye wòno nu vɔ̃ɖi abe tsi ene!
how much less clean is one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
17 “Ɖo tom ne maɖe nu me na wò; na magblɔ nu si teƒe mekpɔ la na wò,
I will show you; listen to me; I will announce to you the things I have seen,
18 nu si nunyalawo ɖe gbeƒãe eye womeɣla naneke si woxɔ tso wo fofowo gbɔ o,
the things that wise men have passed down from their fathers, the things that their ancestors did not hide.
19 ame siwo ko wotsɔ anyigba la na, esi amedzro aɖeke meto wo dome o.
These were their ancestors, to whom alone the land was given, and among whom no stranger ever passed.
20 Ame vɔ̃ɖi kpea fuwo ƒe fu le eƒe agbemeŋkekewo katã me, nenema ke ŋutasẽla hã kpea fu le ƒe siwo katã woɖo ɖi nɛ la me.
The wicked man twists in pain all his days, the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor to suffer.
21 Gbeɖiɖi siwo ŋu ŋɔdzi le la yɔ eƒe tome fũu eye ne wòdze abe nuwo ɖe wole afɔ tsɔm ene la, adzohawo va dzea edzi.
A sound of terrors is in his ears; while he is in prosperity, the destroyer will come upon him.
22 Dzi ɖe le eƒo be mate ŋu asi le viviti la nu o elabena wotsɔe de asi na yi.
He does not think that he will return out of darkness; the sword waits for him.
23 Ele tsaglalã tsam le nuɖuɖu dim abe akaga ene elabena enya be vivitidogbe la tu aƒe kpokploe.
He goes to various places for bread, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that the day of darkness is at hand.
24 Xaxa kple vevesese na ŋɔdzi lé eya amea ŋutɔ eye wova dze edzi abe fia si le klalo na aʋakpekpe ene.
Distress and anguish make him afraid; they prevail against him, as a king ready for battle.
25 Elabena eŋlɔ kɔ do ɖe mo na Mawu eye wòdze aglã ɖe Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la ŋu,
Because he has reached out with his hand against God and has behaved proudly against the Almighty,
26 helũ ɖe edzi ɖekematsɔlemetɔe kple akpoxɔnu titri sesẽ aɖe.
this wicked man runs at God with a stiff neck, with a thick shield.
27 “Togbɔ be eda ami ɖe mo gbɔ eye wòlolo ɖe ali gbɔ hã la,
This is true, even though he has covered his face with his fat and gathered fat on his loins,
28 anɔ du gbagbãwo kple xɔ siwo me ame aɖeke mele o la me, xɔ siwo gbã zu glikpo.
and has lived in desolate cities; in houses which no man inhabits now and which were ready to become heaps.
29 Magakpɔ hotsui o eye eƒe kesinɔnuwo maganɔ anyi alo eƒe nunɔamesiwo nagbagba ɖe anyigba dzi o.
He will not be rich; his wealth will not last and his possessions will not spread over the land.
30 Masi le viviti la nu o, dzo ƒe aɖe ana eƒe alɔwo nayrɔ eye Mawu ƒe numegbɔgbɔ akplɔe adzoe.
He will not depart out of darkness; a flame will dry up his stalks; at the breath of God's mouth he will go away.
31 Megable eɖokui, atsɔ eƒe dzi aɖo nu si nye tofloko la ŋu o elabena ɖeke maɖe vi nɛ o.
Let him not trust in useless things, deceiving himself; for uselessness will be his reward.
32 Hafi eƒe ɣeyiɣi nade la, woaɖo eteƒe nɛ abe ale si dze ene eye eƒe alɔdzewo matsi ɖe edzi o.
It will happen before his time should come to die; his branch will not be green.
33 Anɔ abe wainka si ŋu wogbe waintsetse gbogbowo katã le la ene alo abe amiti si dudu eƒe seƒoƒowo ene.
He will drop his unripe grapes like a grapevine; he will cast off his flowers like the olive tree.
34 Elabena mawumavɔ̃lawo ƒe ha madzi ɖe edzi o eye dzo afia ame siwo lɔ̃a zãnuxɔxɔ ƒe agbadɔwo.
For the company of godless people will be barren; fire will consume their tents of bribery.
35 Wofɔa fukpekpe ƒe fu, hedzia nu vɔ̃ɖi eye beble ɖoa atsyɔ̃ ɖe woƒe vidzidɔwo me.”
They conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity; their womb conceives deceit.”
