Hiob 28
1 “Klosalokuƒe li eye teƒe li si wololõa sika le.
For there is a place for the silver, whence it comes, and a place for the gold, whence it is refined.
2 Wokua gayibɔ le tome eye wokpɔa akɔbli ne wololõ akɔblikpe.
For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone.
3 Amegbetɔ ɖo seƒe na viviti, etsana le didiƒewo kple viviti tsiɖitsiɖitɔ kekeake me hena tomenuwo.
He has set a bound to darkness, and he searches out every limit: a stone [is] darkness, and the shadow of death.
4 Eɖe do wògoglo yi eme ʋĩi hedidi tso amenɔƒe gbɔ, teƒe si amewo ƒe afɔ mede kpɔ o; teƒe goglo sia, si didi tso amewo gbɔ lae wonɔa ka me henɔa nyenyem le yame le.
There is a cutting off the torrent by reason of dust: so they that forget the right way are weakened; they are removed from [among] men.
5 Anyigba si me wokpɔa nuɖuɖu tsonae lae wotrɔ le tome abe dzo me wòto ene.
[As for] the earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were fire.
6 Woɖea safirkpe tso eƒe kpe siwo wogbã la me eye woɖea sika tso eƒe kewɔ me.
Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and [her] dust [supplies] man with gold.
7 Xe ƒonuwo menya toƒe ɣaɣla ma o eye aʋako aɖeke ƒe ŋku mekpɔe kpɔ o
[There is] a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it:
8 Gbemelã siwo dana la meka afɔ afi ma kpɔ o, eye dzata aɖeke hã mezɔ afi ma kpɔ o.
neither have the sons of the proud trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it.
9 Ame ƒe asi gbã kpe sesẽawo eye wòna towo te dze go.
He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp [rock], and turned up mountains by the roots:
10 Eɖea mɔ ɖe kpeawo tome eye eƒe ŋkuwo kpɔa eƒe nu xɔasi vovovowo katã.
and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.
11 Etsana le tsidzɔƒewo eye wòhea nu ɣaɣlawo vaa kekeli nu.
And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light.
12 “Ke afi ka woakpɔ nunya le? Afi ka gɔmesese nɔna?
But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?
13 Amegbetɔ mese eƒe nuvãnyenye gɔme o, womate ŋu akpɔe le agbagbeawo ƒe anyigba dzi o.
A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered among men.
14 Gogloƒe gblɔ be, ‘Menye tɔnyee o,’ Atsiaƒu gblɔ be, ‘Mele gbɔnye o,’
The depth said, It is not in me: and the sea said, It is not with me.
15 Womate ŋu aƒlee kple sika nyuitɔ alo woada klosalo ɖe eƒe home nu o.
One shall not give fine gold instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 Màte ŋu aƒlee kple sika adodoe si tso Ofir alo kple kpe xɔasiwo, oniks kple safir o.
Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire.
17 Sika alo kristalkpe masɔ kplii o eye womatsɔ sikanuwo gɔ̃ hã aɖɔlii o.
Gold and crystal shall not be equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange.
18 Womayɔ sui kple adzagba ƒe ŋkɔwo gɔ̃ hã ɖe eŋu o elabena nunya ƒe asixɔxɔ kɔ wu gbloti tɔ sãsãsã.
Coral and fine pearl shall not be mentioned: but do thou esteem wisdom above the most precious things.
19 Womatsɔ Kuskpe xɔasi, topaz, asɔ kplii o eye sika nyuitɔ mate ŋu aƒlee o.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equalled to it; it shall not be compared with pure gold.
20 “Ekema afi ka nunya tso? Afi ka nye gɔmesese ƒe nɔƒe?
Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind is the place of understanding?
21 Eɣla ɖe nu gbagbe ɖe sia ɖe ƒe ŋkukpɔƒe eye woɣlae ɖe dziƒoxeviwo gɔ̃ hã.
It has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.
22 Tsiẽƒe kple ku gblɔ be, ‘Nyasegblɔ tso eŋuti koe ɖo míaƒe towo me.’
Destruction and Death said, We have heard the report of it.
23 Mawue nya egbɔmɔ eye eya koe nya afi si wòle.
God has well ordered the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
24 Elabena eyae tea ŋu kpɔa anyigba ƒe mlɔenu ke, eye wòkpɔa nu sia nu si le ɣea te.
For he surveys the whole [earth] under heaven, knowing the things in the earth:
25 Esi wòɖo ya ƒe ŋusẽ anyi, hedzidze tsiwo vɔ,
all that he has made; the weight of the winds, the measures of the water.
26 esi wòwɔ se na tsidzadza, heta mɔ na dziɖegbe kple ahom vɔ la,
When he made [them], thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way for the pealing of the thunder.
27 enye kɔ kpɔ nunya, dzro eme kpɔ eye wòda asi ɖe edzi, hedoe kpɔ.
Then he saw it, and declared it: he prepared it [and] traced it out.
28 Tete wògblɔ na amegbetɔ be, ‘Kpɔ ɖa, Aƒetɔ la vɔvɔ̃e nye nunya eye nugbegbe le vɔ̃ gbɔe nye gɔmesese.’”
And he said to man, Behold, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.
