Hiob 29
1 Hiob yi eƒe nuƒoƒo dzi be,
And Job continued his discourse:
2 “O, ale si medi vevie be wòanɔ nam abe ale si wònɔ le ɣleti siwo va yi me la ene, le ŋkeke siwo me Mawu kpɔ tanye,
“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
3 esi eƒe akaɖi klẽ ɖe nye ta dzi eye eƒe kekeli na mezɔ to blukɔ tsiɖitsiɖi me!
when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,
4 O, nenye ɖe wòanɔ nam abe nye lãmesẽŋkekewo me ene, esi kadodo kple Mawu kplikplikpli na wòyra nye aƒe,
when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,
5 esi Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la ganɔ kplim ko eye vinyewo ƒo xlãm,
when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,
6 esi nye toƒe nye notsi kpeke ɖeɖe eye amitimi ɖuɖu bababa tso agakpe me nam.
when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
7 “Ne meyi dua ƒe agbo nu, henɔ anyi ɖe zikpui dzi gli, le dua ƒe ablɔme la,
When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,
8 ɖekakpuiawo kpɔam, heƒoa asa nam eye ame tsitsiwo tsona ɖe tsitrenu,
the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.
9 dumegãwo tɔna ne wole nu ƒom hetsɔa asi ɖoa nu.
The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.
10 Gbɔgblɔ buna ɖe ame ŋkutawo eye woƒe aɖe léna ɖe woƒe nu me.
The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.
11 Ame sia ame si ɖo tom la kafuam eye ame siwo kpɔm la ƒoa nu nyui tso ŋutinye
For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,
12 elabena mexɔna na hiãtɔ siwo le ɣli dom be woakpe ɖe yewo ŋu kple tsyɔ̃evi si si kpeɖeŋutɔ mele o.
because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.
13 Ame si le kukum la ƒe yayra vaa dzinye eye menana ahosi ƒe dzi kpɔa dzidzɔ.
The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
14 Metsɔ dzɔdzɔenyenye do abe awu ene eye nuteƒewɔwɔ nye nye awu ʋlaya kple tablanu.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.
15 Menye ŋku na ŋkuagbãtɔ kple afɔ na tekunɔ.
I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.
16 Menye tɔ na hiãtɔwo eye mexɔa nya ɖe amedzrowo nu.
I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.
17 Meŋea tsyo na ame vɔ̃ɖiwo eye meɖea nu si woda adzoe la le woƒe aɖutame.
I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.
18 “Mebu be, ‘Maku ɖe nye ŋutɔ nye aƒe me, nye ŋkekewo asɔ gbɔ abe ke ene.
So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.
19 Nye kewo aƒo ɖe to, ade tsi gbɔ eye zãmu adza ɖe nye alɔwo dzi zã blibo la.
My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.
20 Nye ŋutikɔkɔe anɔ yeye zum ɣe sia ɣi le ŋunye eye dati anɔ yeye ɖaa le asinyeme.’
My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’
21 “Amewo ɖoa tom henɔa nye asinu kpɔm, nɔa lalam na nye aɖaŋuɖoɖo le ɖoɖoezizi me.
Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.
22 Ne meƒo nu la, womegaƒoa nu o eye nye nyawo gena ɖe woƒe towo me bɔlɔɔ.
After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.
23 Wonɔa lalayem abe ale si wolalana na tsidzadza ene eye woxɔa nye nyawo dea wo ɖokui me abe ale si wonoa kelemetsi ene.
They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.
24 Womexɔnɛ sena ne meko nu na wo o, nye mo ƒe kekeli nye nu xɔasi na wo.
If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.
25 Metiaa mɔ si woato la na wo, menɔa wo dome abe woƒe tatɔ ene eye menɔa wo dome abe woƒe fia le eƒe aʋakɔwo dome ene. Menɔna abe ame si faa akɔ na konyifalawo ene.
I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners.
