Hiob 20
1 Tete Naamatitɔ, Zofar ɖo eŋu nɛ be,
Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,
2 “Nu siwo le fu ɖem na nye susue dɔm be maɖo eŋu na wò elabena metsi dzi le ɖokuinye me ŋutɔ.
For this cause my thoughts are troubling me and driving me on.
3 Mese mokaname aɖe si ɖe bubu le ŋunye, eye nye gɔmesese de dzi ƒo nam be maɖo nyawo ŋu.
I have to give ear to arguments which put me to shame, and your answers to me are wind without wisdom.
4 “Meka ɖe edzi be ènya ale si wònɔ tso blema, tso ɣeyiɣi si ke wowɔ amegbetɔ da ɖe anyigba dzi be
Have you knowledge of this from early times, when man was placed on the earth,
5 ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe nukoko nu mesena yina o, eye Mawumavɔ̃lawo ƒe aseyetsotso nɔa anyi ɣeyiɣi kpui aɖe ko.
That the pride of the sinner is short, and the joy of the evil-doer but for a minute?
6 Togbɔ be eƒe dada yi ɖatɔ dziƒo, eƒe ta yi ɖatɔ lilikpowo ke hã la,
Though he is lifted up to the heavens, and his head goes up to the clouds;
7 atsrɔ̃ gbidii abe eya ŋutɔ ƒe afɔdzi ene eye ame siwo kpɔe la agblɔ be, ‘Afi ka wòle?’
Like the waste from his body he comes to an end for ever: those who have seen him say, Where is he?
8 Edzona dzona abe drɔ̃e ene, womagakpɔe o eye wòabu abe ŋutega si wokpɔ le zã me ene.
He is gone like a dream, and is not seen again; he goes in flight like a vision of the night.
9 Ŋku si kpɔe la magakpɔe akpɔ o, eye eƒe nɔƒe hã magakpɔe akpɔ o.
The eye which saw him sees him no longer; and his place has no more knowledge of him.
10 Ele be viawo nawɔ ɖɔɖɔɖo anyo dɔ me na ame dahewo, eya ŋutɔ ƒe asiwo aɖe asi le eƒe kesinɔnuwo ŋu.
His children are hoping that the poor will be kind to them, and his hands give back his wealth.
11 Ɖekakpuimeŋusẽ dzodzoe si yɔ eƒe ƒuwo me la aku kplii ayi ke me.
His bones are full of young strength, but it will go down with him into the dust.
12 “Togbɔ be nu vɔ̃ɖi vivi le eƒe nu me, eye wòɣlae ɖe eƒe aɖe te,
Though evil-doing is sweet in his mouth, and he keeps it secretly under his tongue;
13 togbɔ be mate ŋu aɖe asi le eŋu o eye wòbe ɖe nu me nɛ hã la,
Though he takes care of it, and does not let it go, but keeps it still in his mouth;
14 eƒe nuɖuɖu ave le eƒe dɔ me, eye wòazu da ƒe aɖi le eƒe dɔgbowo me.
His food becomes bitter in his stomach; the poison of snakes is inside him.
15 Atu kesinɔnu siwo wòmi la aƒu gbe. Mawu ana eƒe dɔgbowo nadzɔ wo katã aƒo ɖi.
He takes down wealth as food, and sends it up again; it is forced out of his stomach by God.
16 Eno da ƒe aɖi eye ƒli ƒe aɖi awui.
He takes the poison of snakes into his mouth, the tongue of the snake is the cause of his death.
17 Makpɔ gome le tɔʋu kple tɔsisi siwo me anyitsi kple notsi babla le sisim le la me o.
Let him not see the rivers of oil, the streams of honey and milk.
18 Maɖu nu siwo ŋu wòdze agbagba le o, ke boŋ atsɔ wo ana eye maɖu viɖe si do tso eƒe asitsatsa hã me o
He is forced to give back the fruit of his work, and may not take it for food; he has no joy in the profit of his trading.
19 elabena ete ame dahewo ɖe to wozu hiãtɔwo eye wòxɔ aƒe siwo metu o.
Because he has been cruel to the poor, turning away from them in their trouble; because he has taken a house by force which he did not put up;
20 “Vavã makpɔ gbɔdzɔe le eƒe nudzodzrowo me o eye maɖe eɖokui to eƒe nunɔamesiwo dzi o.
There is no peace for him in his wealth, and no salvation for him in those things in which he took delight.
21 Naneke masusɔ nɛ esi wòavuvu o eƒe kesinɔnuwo matɔ ɖi o.
He had never enough for his desire; for this cause his well-being will quickly come to an end.
22 Le eƒe nukpɔkpɔ gbogboawo dome la, xaxa ava edzi eye hiãtuame ƒe ŋusẽ katã ava edzi.
Even when his wealth is great, he is full of care, for the hand of everyone who is in trouble is turned against him.
23 Ne eƒe ƒodo yɔ nyuie la Mawu atrɔ eƒe dziku bibi akɔ ɖe edzi eye wòana eƒe dɔmedzoe nadza ɖe edzi.
God gives him his desire, and sends the heat of his wrath on him, making it come down on him like rain.
24 Togbɔ be esi le gayibɔlãnu nu hã la, akɔbliŋutrɔ ƒo ɖee.
He may go in flight from the iron spear, but the arrow from the bow of brass will go through him;
25 Eɖee do goe tso eƒe lãme eye wòho eƒe tsutsyɔeƒe le eƒe aklã me. Ŋɔdzi alée,
He is pulling it out, and it comes out of his back; and its shining point comes out of his side; he is overcome by fears.
26 eye viviti tsiɖitsiɖi le eƒe kesinɔnuwo lalam. Dzo si womeƒlɔ ɖo o la afiae eye wòabi nu si susɔ ɖe eƒe agbadɔ me la keŋkeŋkeŋ.
All his wealth is stored up for the dark: a fire not made by man sends destruction on him, and on everything in his tent.
27 Dziƒo aɖe eƒe vodada ɖe go eye anyigba atso ɖe eŋu.
The heavens make clear his sin, and the earth gives witness against him.
28 Tsiɖɔɖɔ akplɔ eƒe aƒe adzoe eye le Mawu ƒe dɔmedzoeŋkeke la dzi la, tsi sisiwo akplɔe adzoe.
The produce of his house is taken away into another country, like things given into the hands of others in the day of wrath.
29 Esia nye gomekpɔkpɔ si Mawu ɖo ɖi na ame vɔ̃ɖiwo, eye wònye domenyinu tso Mawu gbɔ na wo.”
This is the reward of the evil man, and the heritage given to him by God.
