Hiob 15
1 Temanitɔ, Elifaz ɖo Hiob ƒe nyawo ŋu be,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 “Ɖe nunyala aɖo nya ŋu kple susu gbɔlo alo ana ɣedzeƒeya xɔdzo nayɔ eƒe dɔ mea?
“Should a wise man answer with vain 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.
Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.
5 Wò nu vɔ̃e ƒoe ɖe nuwò ale nètia ayetɔwo ƒe aɖe.
For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
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, and not I. Yes, 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 who was born? Or were you brought out before the hills?
8 Èse Mawu ƒe aɖaŋudede kple toa? Gbɔwò ko nunya tso aƒe ɖoa?
Have you heard the secret counsel 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 don’t know? What do you understand which is not in us?
10 Ta ƒowɔ tɔwo kple amegãɖeɖiwo le mía dzi, ame siwo tsi wu fofowò gɔ̃ hã.
With us are both the grey-headed and the very aged men, 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, even the word that is gentle towards 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?
that you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of 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,
Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, 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 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; that which I have seen I will declare
18 nu si nunyalawo ɖe gbeƒãe eye womeɣla naneke si woxɔ tso wo fofowo gbɔ o,
(which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;
19 ame siwo ko wotsɔ anyigba la na, esi amedzro aɖeke meto wo dome o.
to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed amongst them):
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 writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
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. In prosperity the destroyer will come on him.
22 Dzi ɖe le eƒo be mate ŋu asi le viviti la nu o elabena wotsɔe de asi na yi.
He doesn’t believe that he will return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.
23 Ele tsaglalã tsam le nuɖuɖu dim abe akaga ene elabena enya be vivitidogbe la tu aƒe kpokploe.
He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his 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 to the battle.
25 Elabena eŋlɔ kɔ do ɖe mo na Mawu eye wòdze aglã ɖe Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la ŋu,
Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty,
26 helũ ɖe edzi ɖekematsɔlemetɔe kple akpoxɔnu titri sesẽ aɖe.
he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers,
27 “Togbɔ be eda ami ɖe mo gbɔ eye wòlolo ɖe ali gbɔ hã la,
because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
28 anɔ du gbagbãwo kple xɔ siwo me ame aɖeke mele o la me, xɔ siwo gbã zu glikpo.
He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, 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, neither will his substance continue, neither will their possessions be extended on the earth.
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. The flame will dry up his branches. He will go away by the breath of God’s mouth.
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 emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness 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 be accomplished before his time. 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 shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and will cast off his flower as 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 the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
35 Wofɔa fukpekpe ƒe fu, hedzia nu vɔ̃ɖi eye beble ɖoa atsyɔ̃ ɖe woƒe vidzidɔwo me.”
They conceive mischief and produce iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”
