Hiob 30
1 “Ke azɔ la, ame siwo menye xoxo na, ame siwo fofowo manyɔ ŋui be womade ha kple nye lãkplɔvuwo gɔ̃ hã o la ɖua fewu le ŋutinye.
“But now men who are younger than I am make fun of me— men whose fathers I greatly despised, with the result that I would not even have allowed them to help my dogs guard my sheep.
2 Nu ka woƒe alɔkpa sesẽ la wɔ nam, esi ŋusẽ vɔ le wo ŋu?
They were men who were old and (weak/worn out); so (what could I gain from them working for me?/I would have gained nothing from them working for me.) [RHQ]
3 Hiã kple dɔwuame na wowɔ ɖeƒomevie hele tsatsam le dzogbe kple kuɖiɖinyigbawo dzi le zã me.
They were very poor and hungry, with the result that they chewed on roots [at night] in dry and desolate places.
4 Le gbe me woda amagbewo eye woƒe nuɖuɖue nye dɔli ƒe ke.
They pulled up plants in the desert [and ate them] and warmed themselves by [burning] the roots of broom trees.
5 Woɖe wo ɖa le wo nɔvi amegbetɔwo ƒe ha me eye wodo ɣli ɖe wo ta abe fiafitɔwo wonye ene.
Everyone shouted at them as though they were thieves and expelled them [from their areas].
6 Wozi wo dzi be woanɔ tɔʋu siwo mie la me, agakpewo tome kple do siwo woɖe ɖe anyigba la me.
They were forced to live in caves in the hills, in holes in the ground, and in the sides of cliffs.
7 Wole xɔxlɔ̃m le gbe me eye woƒo ta kpli ɖe avekawo te.
In the bushes they howled [like animals because they were hungry], and they huddled together under thornbushes.
8 Wonya wo le anyigba la dzi abe ame ɖigbɔ̃wo kple yakamewo ƒe dzidzimeviwo ene.
They were people without good sense, whose names no one knows; they have been expelled from the land [where they were born].
9 “Ke azɔ la, wo viŋutsuwo kpa ha dem, heɖu fewu le ŋunye le ha la me eye mezu lodonu le wo dome.
“And now their [children] sing songs to make fun of me. They tell jokes about me.
10 Wonyɔa ŋum, henɔa adzɔge nam eye woɖea ta ɖe mo nam faa.
They are disgusted with me, and they [usually] stay away from me, [but when they see me, ] they are happy to spit in my face.
11 Esi azɔ Mawu lã nye datika, hewɔ fum la, wowɔa nu si dze wo ŋu la le ŋkunye me.
Because [it is as though] [MET] God has cut my bowstring, [he has caused me to be unable to defend myself, ] and he has humbled me, and my enemies have done to me whatever they wanted.
12 Wo detɔwo tso ɖe ŋutinye le nye ɖusime, woɖo mɔwo ɖi na nye afɔ eye woƒu woƒe aʋakpowo ɖe ŋunye.
(Gangs/Groups of violent youths) attack me and force me to run away; they prepare to destroy me.
13 Wogbã nye mɔ, edze edzi na wo be wogblẽ donyeme eye ame aɖeke mekpe ɖe wo ŋu gɔ̃ hã o.
They prevent me from escaping, and they [do] not [need] anyone to help them (OR, there is no one to help me).
14 Wolũ ɖe dzinye abe gli gbagbã mee woto ene eye wozɔ to gbagbãƒewo va ƒo ɖe dzinye.
[It is as though I am a city wall and] [SIM] they have broken through the wall, and they have come crashing down on me.
15 Ŋɔdzidodowo nye tsyɔ dzinye, wonya nye bubu ɖe nu abe ale si ya lɔa nu ɖe nue ene eye nye dedinɔnɔ bu abe lilikpo ene.
I am very terrified; My dignity/honor has been taken away as though [SIM] [it has been] blown away by the wind, and my prosperity has disappeared like [SIM] clouds disappear.
16 “Azɔ nye agbe nu va le yiyim eye hiãŋkekewo lém.
“And now I [SYN] am about to die [IDM]; I suffer every day.
17 Zã ŋɔa nye ƒuwo eye nye vevesese manyagblɔ nu metsona o.
My bones ache during the night, and the pain that torments me never stops.
18 Mawu tsyɔ eƒe ŋusẽ triakɔ la dzinye abe avɔ ene, eye wòle awu ɖe ve nam.
[It is as though God] seizes my clothes and chokes me with the collar of my coat.
19 Ekɔm ƒu gbe ɖe ba me eye mezu ke kple dzofi.
He has thrown me into the mud; I am [not worth anything more than] dust and ashes.
20 “O Mawu, mefa avi yɔ wò gake mètɔ nam o, metsi tsitre gake ɖeko nèkpɔm dũu.
“I cry out to God, but he does not answer/help me; I stand up [and pray], but he does not pay any attention.
21 Ètrɔ dze dzinye nublanuimakpɔmakpɔtɔe eye nètsɔ wò alɔkpa sesẽ ɖu dzinyee.
He acts very cruelly toward me; with all of his power [MTY] he causes me to suffer.
22 ȃom tsa, hena ya lɔm ɖe nu eye nènyamam le ahom la me.
He [allows] the wind to lift me up and blow me away, and he tosses me up and down in a violent storm.
23 Menya be àhem ayi ku me, teƒe si woɖo ɖi na kodzogbeawo katã.
I know that he will cause me to die, which is what happens to everyone [MTY] who is alive.
24 “Vavãe, ame aɖeke medoa asi ɖa léa ame si gbã gudugudu ne ele ɣli dom be woaxɔ na ye le eƒe xaxa me o.
“When people experience disasters, and they sit on a pile of ruins and cry out for help, others surely [RHQ] reach out their hand to help them.
25 Ɖe nyemefa avi ɖe ame siwo ɖo xaxa me la ŋu oa? Ɖe nye luʋɔ mexa nu ɖe ame dahewo ŋuti oa?
[That is what I did previously]. I wept for people who were experiencing troubles, and I felt sorry for poor/needy people.
26 Gake esi mekpɔ mɔ na nyui la, vɔ̃ tum, esi mekpɔ mɔ na kekeli la, viviti koe va nam.
But when I expected good things [to happen to me], evil things happened; when I waited for light/happiness, all I experienced was darkness/unhappiness [MET].
27 Dzoxɔxɔ si le edzi yim le menye la metɔna o, fukpekpeŋkekewo kpe akɔ kplim.
I am very distressed [IDM], all the time; I suffer every day.
28 Nye amea menyɔ tsiɖitsiɖitsiɖi le yiyim gake menye ɣee ɖum o, metsi tsitre ɖe ameha la titina hedo ɣli bia kpekpeɖeŋu.
I go about very discouraged; I stand up and plead for people to help me.
29 Meva zu nɔviŋutsu na amegãxiwo kple hati na golowo.
My wailing sounds as sad as [MET] the cries of jackals/foxes and ostriches.
30 Nye ŋutigbalẽ nyɔ tsiɖitsiɖitsiɖi hele fofom le ŋutinye eye asrã dze dzinye kple dzoxɔxɔ gã aɖe.
My skin has become dark/black and is peeling off, and I have a fever [which causes my body to feel like it is] burning.
31 Nye kasaŋku do konyifagbe eye nye dze le avigbe dom.
Previously, I played joyful music on my harp and with my flute, but now I play only the sad music of those who mourn.”
