Hiob 22
1 Temanitɔ, Elifaz ɖo eŋu be,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 “Ɖe ame anye viɖenu na Mawua? Ɖe nunyala gɔ̃ hã anye viɖenu nɛa?
“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
3 Dzidzɔ ka wòanye na Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la ne ènye ame dzɔdzɔe? Eye viɖe ka wòakpɔ ne fɔɖiɖi mele wò mɔwo ŋu o?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him that you make your ways perfect?
4 “Wò Mawuvɔvɔ̃ tae wòka mo na wò hetsɔ nya ɖe ŋuwòa?
Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgement?
5 Ɖe wò nu vɔ̃ɖi wɔwɔ mekpe ŋutɔ oa? Ɖe nuwuwu li na wò nu vɔ̃woa?
Isn’t your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.
6 Èbia megbedanu tso nɔviwò ŋutsuwo si susumanɔmetɔe eye nèɖe avɔ le amewo ŋu wotsi amama.
For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Mèna tsi ame siwo nu ti kɔ na la wono o eye nète nuɖuɖu dɔwuitɔwo,
You haven’t given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8 evɔ nèhenye ŋusẽtɔ, anyigba le asiwò eye nèle anyigba dzi, bubu le ŋuwò.
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honourable man, he lived in it.
9 Èɖo ahosiwo ɖa asi ƒuƒlu eye nèɖe tsyɔ̃eviwo ƒe ŋusẽ ɖa.
You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Eya ta mɔkawo ɖe to ɖe wò ɖo eya ta dzɔgbevɔ̃e ƒo ɖe dziwò kpoyi hedo ŋɔdzi na wò
Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,
11 eya ta viviti do ale gbegbe be màgate ŋu akpɔ nu o eye eya tae tɔɖɔɖɔ va tsyɔ dziwò ɖo.
or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.
12 “Ɖe Mawu mele dziƒo kɔkɔtɔ oa? Ɖe mekpɔ ale si ɣletivi kɔkɔtɔwo kɔkɔe oa?
“Isn’t God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 Gake ègblɔ be, ‘Nu ka Mawu nya? Ɖe wòdrɔ̃a ʋɔnu to viviti ma tɔgbi mea?
You say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
14 Lilikpo dodowo xe eŋkume eya ta mekpɔa mí ne ele tsatsam le dziƒo ƒe agbo sesẽwo me o.’
Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn’t see. He walks on the vault of the sky.’
15 Ɖe nàgalé mɔ xoxo si dzi ame vɔ̃ɖiwo zɔ va yi la me ɖe asia?
Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,
16 Wokplɔ wo dzoe hafi woƒe ɣeyiɣi de eye tsiɖɔɖɔ kplɔ woƒe gɔmeɖokpewo dzoe.
who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
17 Wogblɔ na Mawu be, ‘Ɖe asi le mía ŋu! Nu kae Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la awɔ mí?’
who said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ and, ‘What can the Almighty do for us?’
18 Evɔ wònye eyae tsɔ nu nyuiwo yɔ xɔ na wo fũu, eya ta menɔ adzɔge na ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe aɖaŋudede.
Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 Ame dzɔdzɔewo kpɔ woƒe gbegblẽ eye dzi dzɔ wo, ame maɖifɔwo gblɔ ɖe wo ŋu fewuɖutɔe be,
The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,
20 ‘Wotsrɔ̃ míaƒe futɔwo vavã eye dzo va fia woƒe kesinɔnuwo.’
saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed their remnant.’
21 “Tsɔ ɖokuiwò na Mawu eye nànɔ ŋutifafa me kplii, to esia me la, dzɔgbenyui ava wò mɔ dzi.
“Acquaint yourself with him now, and be at peace. By it, good will come to you.
22 Xɔ nufiame tso eƒe nu me, eye nàtsɔ eƒe nyawo adzra ɖo ɖe wò dzi me
Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
23 Ne ètrɔ va Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la gbɔ la, agaɖo wò te. Ne èɖe nu vɔ̃ɖi wɔwɔ ɖa xaa tso wò agbadɔ gbɔ,
If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.
24 eye nètsɔ wò dzonu veviwo kɔ ɖe ke me, tsɔ wò sika adodoe si tso Ofir ƒu gbe ɖe agakpewo tome la,
Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir amongst the stones of the brooks.
25 ekema Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la anye wò sika kple klosalo nyuitɔ.
The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.
26 Ekema le nyateƒe me la, Ŋusẽkatãtɔ ƒe nu ado dzidzɔ na wò eye àwu wò mo dzi ɖe Mawu ŋu.
For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face to God.
27 Àdo gbe ɖa nɛ, wòaɖo to wò eye àxe wò adzɔgbeɖefewo nɛ.
You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You will pay your vows.
28 Nu si nèɖo la, ava eme na wò eye kekeli aklẽ ɖe wò mɔwo dzi.
You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to you. Light will shine on your ways.
29 Ne woɖiɖi amewo ɖe anyi, eye nègblɔ be, ‘Fɔ wo ɖe dzi!’ la, ekema woafɔ ame siwo wote ɖe anyi la ɖe dzi.
When they cast down, you will say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will save the humble person.
30 Aɖe ame si ŋu fɔɖiɖi le gɔ̃ hã, ame si woaɖe to wò asi ƒe kɔkɔenɔnɔ me.”
He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
