Hiob 28
1 “Klosalokuƒe li eye teƒe li si wololõa sika le.
“It is true that there are places where men dig to find silver, and there are places where people refine/purify gold [that they have dug].
2 Wokua gayibɔ le tome eye wokpɔa akɔbli ne wololõ akɔblikpe.
People dig iron [ore] out of the ground, and they (smelt copper ore/heat copper ore to get the copper from it).
3 Amegbetɔ ɖo seƒe na viviti, etsana le didiƒewo kple viviti tsiɖitsiɖitɔ kekeake me hena tomenuwo.
Men use lamps while they work far down under the ground to search for the ore inside the mines where it is very dark.
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.
They dig (shafts/narrow holes very deep down into the ground) in places that are far from where people live, where travelers do not go. They work far away from [other] people, swinging back and forth on ropes [as they descend into the mine shafts].
5 Anyigba si me wokpɔa nuɖuɖu tsonae lae wotrɔ le tome abe dzo me wòto ene.
Food grows on the surface of the ground, but down under the ground, [where there is no food, ] the miners make fires to break apart the rocks.
6 Woɖea safirkpe tso eƒe kpe siwo wogbã la me eye woɖea sika tso eƒe kewɔ me.
The stones [that are dug from under the ground] contain (sapphires/very valuable blue stones), and the dirt contains bits of gold.
7 Xe ƒonuwo menya toƒe ɣaɣla ma o eye aʋako aɖeke ƒe ŋku mekpɔe kpɔ o
[Some birds have very good eyes, ] but even hawks do not know [where the mines are], and falcons/vultures have not seen those places.
8 Gbemelã siwo dana la meka afɔ afi ma kpɔ o, eye dzata aɖeke hã mezɔ afi ma kpɔ o.
Lions or [other] proud wild animals have not walked on the roads near those mines.
9 Ame ƒe asi gbã kpe sesẽawo eye wòna towo te dze go.
Miners tear apart [MTY] very hard rock; [it is as though] they turn the mountains upside down [to get the ore].
10 Eɖea mɔ ɖe kpeawo tome eye eƒe ŋkuwo kpɔa eƒe nu xɔasi vovovowo katã.
They cut tunnels through the rocks, and they find (precious/very valuable) things.
11 Etsana le tsidzɔƒewo eye wòhea nu ɣaɣlawo vaa kekeli nu.
They dam up small streams in order that water does not flow, and they bring up into the light valuable things that are hidden [in the ground and in the streams].
12 “Ke afi ka woakpɔ nunya le? Afi ka gɔmesese nɔna?
“But wisdom: Where can people find that? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
13 Amegbetɔ mese eƒe nuvãnyenye gɔme o, womate ŋu akpɔe le agbagbeawo ƒe anyigba dzi o.
Humans do not know where to find it; no one can find it [here on this earth] where they are living.
14 Gogloƒe gblɔ be, ‘Menye tɔnyee o,’ Atsiaƒu gblɔ be, ‘Mele gbɔnye o,’
[It is as though] water that is deep [inside the earth] and [water that is in] the seas say [PRS], ‘Wisdom is not here!’
15 Womate ŋu aƒlee kple sika nyuitɔ alo woada klosalo ɖe eƒe home nu o.
[People] cannot buy wisdom by paying for it with silver or gold.
16 Màte ŋu aƒlee kple sika adodoe si tso Ofir alo kple kpe xɔasiwo, oniks kple safir o.
Wisdom is worth much more than fine gold from Ophir [land] or other very valuable stones.
17 Sika alo kristalkpe masɔ kplii o eye womatsɔ sikanuwo gɔ̃ hã aɖɔlii o.
It is worth much more than gold or beautiful glass, worth more than vases made from fine gold.
18 Womayɔ sui kple adzagba ƒe ŋkɔwo gɔ̃ hã ɖe eŋu o elabena nunya ƒe asixɔxɔ kɔ wu gbloti tɔ sãsãsã.
Wisdom is worth more than coral or crystal/pure quartz; the price of wisdom is higher/more than the price of pearls.
19 Womatsɔ Kuskpe xɔasi, topaz, asɔ kplii o eye sika nyuitɔ mate ŋu aƒlee o.
The prices of (topaz/very valuable yellow stones) from Ethiopia and of pure gold are lower/less than the price of wisdom.
20 “Ekema afi ka nunya tso? Afi ka nye gɔmesese ƒe nɔƒe?
“So, where does wisdom come from? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
21 Eɣla ɖe nu gbagbe ɖe sia ɖe ƒe ŋkukpɔƒe eye woɣlae ɖe dziƒoxeviwo gɔ̃ hã.
No living humans can see it [MTY]; and birds cannot see it while they are flying [MTY].
22 Tsiẽƒe kple ku gblɔ be, ‘Nyasegblɔ tso eŋuti koe ɖo míaƒe towo me.’
[It is as though] the places where people go after they die say [PRS], ‘We have only heard rumors about [where to find wisdom].’
23 Mawue nya egbɔmɔ eye eya koe nya afi si wòle.
God [is the only one who] knows how to find wisdom; he knows where it is,
24 Elabena eyae tea ŋu kpɔa anyigba ƒe mlɔenu ke, eye wòkpɔa nu sia nu si le ɣea te.
because he can see things even in the most remote/distant places on the earth; he can see everything that is below the sky.
25 Esi wòɖo ya ƒe ŋusẽ anyi, hedzidze tsiwo vɔ,
When he decided how strongly the winds should blow, and how much rain would be in the clouds,
26 esi wòwɔ se na tsidzadza, heta mɔ na dziɖegbe kple ahom vɔ la,
and when he decided where rain [should fall], and what path lightning should take [from the clouds down to the ground],
27 enye kɔ kpɔ nunya, dzro eme kpɔ eye wòda asi ɖe edzi, hedoe kpɔ.
at that time he saw wisdom and decided that it is extremely valuable. He examined it and (approved it/said that it was very good).
28 Tete wògblɔ na amegbetɔ be, ‘Kpɔ ɖa, Aƒetɔ la vɔvɔ̃e nye nunya eye nugbegbe le vɔ̃ gbɔe nye gɔmesese.’”
And [then] he said to humans, ‘Listen! To have an awesome respect for me is [what will enable you to become] wise; and to truly understand everything, you must first turn away from doing what is evil.’”
