Hiob 20
1 Tete Naamatitɔ, Zofar ɖo eŋu nɛ be,
Then Sophar the Naamathite answered, and said:
2 “Nu siwo le fu ɖem na nye susue dɔm be maɖo eŋu na wò elabena metsi dzi le ɖokuinye me ŋutɔ.
Therefore various thoughts succeed one another in me, and my mind is hurried away to different things.
3 Mese mokaname aɖe si ɖe bubu le ŋunye, eye nye gɔmesese de dzi ƒo nam be maɖo nyawo ŋu.
The doctrine with which thou reprovest me, I will hear, and the spirit of my understanding shall answer for me.
4 “Meka ɖe edzi be ènya ale si wònɔ tso blema, tso ɣeyiɣi si ke wowɔ amegbetɔ da ɖe anyigba dzi be
This I know from the beginning, since man was placed upon the earth,
5 ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe nukoko nu mesena yina o, eye Mawumavɔ̃lawo ƒe aseyetsotso nɔa anyi ɣeyiɣi kpui aɖe ko.
That the praise of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment.
6 Togbɔ be eƒe dada yi ɖatɔ dziƒo, eƒe ta yi ɖatɔ lilikpowo ke hã la,
If his pride mount up even to heaven, and his head touch the clouds:
7 atsrɔ̃ gbidii abe eya ŋutɔ ƒe afɔdzi ene eye ame siwo kpɔe la agblɔ be, ‘Afi ka wòle?’
In the end he shall be destroyed like a dunghill, and they that has seen him shall say: Where is he?
8 Edzona dzona abe drɔ̃e ene, womagakpɔe o eye wòabu abe ŋutega si wokpɔ le zã me ene.
As a dream that fleeth away he shall not be found, he shall pass as a vision of the night:
9 Ŋku si kpɔe la magakpɔe akpɔ o, eye eƒe nɔƒe hã magakpɔe akpɔ o.
The eyes that had seen him, shall see him no more, neither shall his place any more behold 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 shall be oppressed with want, and his hands shall render him his sorrow.
11 Ɖekakpuimeŋusẽ dzodzoe si yɔ eƒe ƒuwo me la aku kplii ayi ke me.
His bones shall be filled with the vices of his youth, and they shall sleep with him in the dust.
12 “Togbɔ be nu vɔ̃ɖi vivi le eƒe nu me, eye wòɣlae ɖe eƒe aɖe te,
For when evil shall be sweet in his mouth, he will hide it under his tongue.
13 togbɔ be mate ŋu aɖe asi le eŋu o eye wòbe ɖe nu me nɛ hã la,
He will spare it, and not leave it, and will hide it in his throat.
14 eƒe nuɖuɖu ave le eƒe dɔ me, eye wòazu da ƒe aɖi le eƒe dɔgbowo me.
His bread in his belly shall be turned into the gall of asps within him.
15 Atu kesinɔnu siwo wòmi la aƒu gbe. Mawu ana eƒe dɔgbowo nadzɔ wo katã aƒo ɖi.
The riches which he hath swallowed; he shall vomit up, and God shall draw them out of his belly.
16 Eno da ƒe aɖi eye ƒli ƒe aɖi awui.
He shall suck the head of asps, and the viper’s tongue shall kill him.
17 Makpɔ gome le tɔʋu kple tɔsisi siwo me anyitsi kple notsi babla le sisim le la me o.
(Let him not see the streams of the river, the brooks of honey and of butter.)
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 shall be punished for all that he did, and yet shall not be consumed: according to the multitude of his devices so also shall he suffer.
19 elabena ete ame dahewo ɖe to wozu hiãtɔwo eye wòxɔ aƒe siwo metu o.
Because he broke in and stripped the poor: he hath violently taken away a house which he did not build.
20 “Vavã makpɔ gbɔdzɔe le eƒe nudzodzrowo me o eye maɖe eɖokui to eƒe nunɔamesiwo dzi o.
And yet his belly was not filled: and when he hath the things he coveted, he shall not be able to possess them.
21 Naneke masusɔ nɛ esi wòavuvu o eƒe kesinɔnuwo matɔ ɖi o.
There was nothing left of his meat, and therefore nothing shall continue of his goods:
22 Le eƒe nukpɔkpɔ gbogboawo dome la, xaxa ava edzi eye hiãtuame ƒe ŋusẽ katã ava edzi.
When he shall be filled, he shall be straitened, he shall burn, and every sorrow shall fall upon him.
23 Ne eƒe ƒodo yɔ nyuie la Mawu atrɔ eƒe dziku bibi akɔ ɖe edzi eye wòana eƒe dɔmedzoe nadza ɖe edzi.
May his belly be filled, that God may send forth the wrath of his indignation upon him, and rain down his war upon him.
24 Togbɔ be esi le gayibɔlãnu nu hã la, akɔbliŋutrɔ ƒo ɖee.
He shall flee from weapons of iron, and shall fall upon a bow of brass.
25 Eɖee do goe tso eƒe lãme eye wòho eƒe tsutsyɔeƒe le eƒe aklã me. Ŋɔdzi alée,
The sword is drawn out, and cometh forth from its scabbard, and glittereth in his bitterness: the terrible ones shall go and come upon him.
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 darkness is hid in his secret places: a fire that is not kindled shall devour him, he shall be afflicted when left in his tabernacle.
27 Dziƒo aɖe eƒe vodada ɖe go eye anyigba atso ɖe eŋu.
The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall rise up against him.
28 Tsiɖɔɖɔ akplɔ eƒe aƒe adzoe eye le Mawu ƒe dɔmedzoeŋkeke la dzi la, tsi sisiwo akplɔe adzoe.
The offspring of his house shall be exposed, he shall be pulled down in the day of God’s wrath.
29 Esia nye gomekpɔkpɔ si Mawu ɖo ɖi na ame vɔ̃ɖiwo, eye wònye domenyinu tso Mawu gbɔ na wo.”
This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the inheritance of his doings from the Lord.
