Hiob 29
1 Hiob yi eƒe nuƒoƒo dzi be,
Job also added to this, using figures of speech, and he said:
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,
Who will grant to me that I might be as I was in former months, according to the days when God kept watch over me?
3 esi eƒe akaɖi klẽ ɖe nye ta dzi eye eƒe kekeli na mezɔ to blukɔ tsiɖitsiɖi me!
At that time, his lamp shined over 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,
I was then just as in the days of my youth, when God was privately in my tabernacle.
5 esi Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la ganɔ kplim ko eye vinyewo ƒo xlãm,
At that time, the Almighty was with me and my children surrounded me.
6 esi nye toƒe nye notsi kpeke ɖeɖe eye amitimi ɖuɖu bababa tso agakpe me nam.
Then, I washed my feet with butter, and a boulder poured out rivers of oil for me.
7 “Ne meyi dua ƒe agbo nu, henɔ anyi ɖe zikpui dzi gli, le dua ƒe ablɔme la,
When I went to the gate of the city, or to the main street, they prepared a chair for me.
8 ɖekakpuiawo kpɔam, heƒoa asa nam eye ame tsitsiwo tsona ɖe tsitrenu,
The youths saw me and hid themselves, and the elders, rising up, remained standing.
9 dumegãwo tɔna ne wole nu ƒom hetsɔa asi ɖoa nu.
The leaders stopped talking, and they placed a finder over their mouth.
10 Gbɔgblɔ buna ɖe ame ŋkutawo eye woƒe aɖe léna ɖe woƒe nu me.
The commanders subdued their voice, and their tongue adhered to their throat.
11 Ame sia ame si ɖo tom la kafuam eye ame siwo kpɔm la ƒoa nu nyui tso ŋutinye
The ear that heard me, blessed me, and the eye that saw me, gave testimony for me.
12 elabena mexɔna na hiãtɔ siwo le ɣli dom be woakpe ɖe yewo ŋu kple tsyɔ̃evi si si kpeɖeŋutɔ mele o.
This was because I had freed the poor, who cried out, and the orphan, who had no helper.
13 Ame si le kukum la ƒe yayra vaa dzinye eye menana ahosi ƒe dzi kpɔa dzidzɔ.
The blessing of him who would have been destroyed came upon me, and I consoled the heart of the widow.
14 Metsɔ dzɔdzɔenyenye do abe awu ene eye nuteƒewɔwɔ nye nye awu ʋlaya kple tablanu.
I put on justice, and I clothed myself with my judgment, like a robe and a diadem.
15 Menye ŋku na ŋkuagbãtɔ kple afɔ na tekunɔ.
I was an eye for the blind and a foot for the lame.
16 Menye tɔ na hiãtɔwo eye mexɔa nya ɖe amedzrowo nu.
I was the father of the poor; and if I lacked knowledge about any case, I investigated very diligently.
17 Meŋea tsyo na ame vɔ̃ɖiwo eye meɖea nu si woda adzoe la le woƒe aɖutame.
I crushed the jaws of the impious, and I took away prey from his teeth.
18 “Mebu be, ‘Maku ɖe nye ŋutɔ nye aƒe me, nye ŋkekewo asɔ gbɔ abe ke ene.
And I said, “I will die in my little nest, and like a palm tree, I will multiply my days.
19 Nye kewo aƒo ɖe to, ade tsi gbɔ eye zãmu adza ɖe nye alɔwo dzi zã blibo la.
My root has been spread beside the waters, and the dew will remain with my harvest.
20 Nye ŋutikɔkɔe anɔ yeye zum ɣe sia ɣi le ŋunye eye dati anɔ yeye ɖaa le asinyeme.’
My glory will always be restored, and my bow will be restored to my hand.”
21 “Amewo ɖoa tom henɔa nye asinu kpɔm, nɔa lalam na nye aɖaŋuɖoɖo le ɖoɖoezizi me.
Those who heard me, expected vindication, and they listened closely in silence to my counsel.
22 Ne meƒo nu la, womegaƒoa nu o eye nye nyawo gena ɖe woƒe towo me bɔlɔɔ.
To my words, they dared to add nothing, and my eloquence poured over them.
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 they opened their mouth as for belated rains.
24 Womexɔnɛ sena ne meko nu na wo o, nye mo ƒe kekeli nye nu xɔasi na wo.
If I had ever laughed at them, they would not have believed it, and the light of my face was not cast down towards the ground.
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.
If I wished to go to them, I sat down first, and, though I sat like a king surrounded by an army, yet I was a comforter to those who mourned.
