Hiob 34
1 Tete Elihu gblɔ be,
Moreover, Elihu continued to speak:
2 “Mise nye nyawo, mi nunyalawo, miɖo tom, mi nugɔmeselawo,
“Listen to my words, you wise men; hear me, you who have knowledge.
3 elabena to doa nyawo kpɔ abe ale si aɖe ɖɔa nuɖuɖu kpɔe ene.
For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food.
4 Mina míadze si nu si le dzɔdzɔe la na mía ɖokui eye mina míasrɔ̃ nu si nyo la ɖekae.
Let us choose for ourselves what is just: let us discover among ourselves what is good.
5 “Hiob gblɔ be, ‘Nyemeɖi fɔ o gake Mawu gbe afiatsotso nam
For Job has said, 'I am righteous, but God has taken away my rights.
6 Togbɔ be tɔnye dzɔ hã la, wobum alakpatɔe, togbɔ be nyemeɖi fɔ o hã la, eƒe aŋutrɔ de abi makumaku ŋutinye’
Regardless of my rights, I am considered to be a liar. My wound is incurable, although I am without sin.'
7 Ame kae le abe Hiob, ame si no fewuɖuɖu abe tsi ene?
What man is like Job, who drinks up mockery like water,
8 Edea ha kple nu vɔ̃ɖi wɔlawo eye wòbɔa ha kple ame vɔ̃ɖiwo.
who goes around in the company of those who do evil, and who walks with wicked men?
9 Elabena egblɔ be, ‘Viɖe aɖeke mele eme ne èdze agbagba be yeadze Mawu ŋu o.’
For he has said, 'It is no use to a person to take pleasure in doing what God wants.'
10 “Eya ta miɖo tom, mi ŋutsu nugɔmeselawo. Nete ɖa xaa tso Mawu gbɔ, be wòawɔ nu vɔ̃ɖi kple Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la, be wòawɔ nu gbegblẽ.
So listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness; far be it from the Almighty that he should commit sin.
11 Ewɔna na ame ɖe nu si wòwɔ la nu eye wòhea nu si eƒe nuwɔnawo dze na la vaa edzii.
For he pays back a person's work; he makes every man come upon the reward of his own ways.
12 Mele be wòava ame ƒe ta me gɔ̃ hã be Mawu awɔ nu gbegblẽ alo be Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la atso afia ŋkunɔ o.
Indeed, God does nothing wicked, nor does the Almighty ever pervert justice.
13 Ame kae tsɔe ɖo anyigbadzikpɔlae? Ame kae tsɔe ɖo xexea me katã nu?
Who put him in charge over the earth? Who put the whole world under him?
14 Ne enye eƒe tameɖoɖo eye wòɖo asi eƒe gbɔgbɔ kple agbegbɔgbɔ dzi la,
If he ever set his intentions only on himself, and if he ever gathered back to himself his spirit and his breath,
15 amegbetɔwo katã atsrɔ̃ eye ame atrɔ azu anyi.
then all flesh would perish together; mankind would return to dust again.
16 “Ne gɔmesese le asiwò la, se nya sia, lé to ɖe nu si gblɔ ge mele la ŋuti.
If now you have understanding, listen to this; listen to the sound of my words.
17 Ɖe ame si tsri afia nyui tsotso la ate ŋu akplɔ dua? Ɖe nàbu fɔ dzɔdzɔetɔ kple Ŋusẽtɔ la?
Can one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn God, who is righteous and mighty?
18 Ɖe menye Eyae nye ame si gblɔ na fiawo be, ‘Mienyo na naneke o’ eye na bubumewo be, ‘Ame vɔ̃ɖiwo mienye’ oa,
God, who says to a king, 'You are vile,' or says to nobles, 'You are wicked'?
19 ame si medea amegãwo dzi o eye mewɔa nyui na kesinɔtɔwo, gblẽa ame dahewo ɖi o, elabena wo katã nye eƒe asinudɔwɔwɔwo oa?
God, who does not show favoritism to leaders and does not acknowledge rich people more than poor, for they all are the work of his hands.
20 Wokuna kpata le zãtitina, ameawo ʋuʋuna eye wo nu va yina ale woɖea kalẽtɔwo ɖa amegbetɔ ƒe asi manɔmee.
In a moment they will die; at midnight people will be shaken and will pass away; mighty people will be taken away, but not by human hands.
21 “Eƒe ŋkuwo le amegbetɔwo ƒe mɔwo ŋu, ekpɔa woƒe afɔɖeɖe ɖe sia ɖe.
For God's eyes are upon a person's ways; he sees all his steps.
22 Teƒe doblukɔ alo teƒe doviviti tsiɖitsiɖitsiɖi aɖeke meli si nu tovo wɔlawo asi abe ɖo o.
There is no darkness, no thick gloom where the doers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 Mehiã be Mawu nado amegbetɔwo kpɔ ayi ŋgɔ alo woava eŋkume wòadrɔ̃ ʋɔnu wo o.
For God does not need to examine a person further; there is no need for any person to go before him in judgment.
24 Mekua nya gɔme hafi kakaa ŋusẽtɔwo, eye wòtsɔa ame bubuwo ɖoa wo teƒe o.
He breaks mighty men into pieces for their ways that need no further investigation; he puts others in their places.
25 Elabena eƒe ŋku le woƒe nuwɔnawo ŋu eya ta etua asi wo ƒua anyi le zã me, eye wogbãna gudugudugudu.
In this way he has knowledge of their deeds; he overthrows these people in the night; they are destroyed.
26 Ehea to na wo ɖe woƒe vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi ta, le afi si ame sia ame ate ŋu akpɔ wo le
In the open sight of others, he kills them for their wicked deeds like criminals
27 elabena wotrɔ le eyome eye womegatsɔ ɖeke le eme na eƒe mɔ aɖeke o.
because they turned away from following him and refused to acknowledge any of his ways.
28 Wona ame dahewo ƒe konyifafa va eŋkume, ale be wòse hiãtɔwo ƒe ɣlidodo
In this way, they made the cry of poor people come to him; he heard the cry of afflicted people.
29 Ke ne ezi ɖoɖoe kpoo la, ame ka abu fɔe? Ne eɣla eƒe mo la, ame ka ate ŋu akpɔe? Ke hã la, ele amewo kple dukɔwo tame sɔsɔe,
When he stays silent, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can perceive him? He rules over nation and individual alike,
30 be maɖe mɔ na Mawumavɔ̃la wòaɖu fia o eye be maɖe mɔ nɛ wòaɖo mɔ na ameawo o.
so that a godless man may not rule, so that there may be no one to entrap people.
31 “Tsɔe be ame aɖe gblɔ na Mawu be, ‘Medze agɔ gake nyemagawɔe azɔ o.
Suppose someone says to God, 'I am certainly guilty, but I will not sin any longer;
32 Fia nu si nyemate ŋu akpɔ o lam, ne mewɔ nu gbegblẽ la, nyemagawɔe azɔ o.’
teach me what I cannot see; I have committed sin, but I will do it no longer.'
33 Ɖe Mawu aɖo eteƒe na wò le wò didi nu, esi nègbe be yematrɔ dzi me oa? Wòe wòle be nàɖo eŋu, menye nyee o eya ta gblɔ nu si nènya la nam.
Do you think that God will punish that person's sin, since you dislike what God does? You must choose, not I. So say what it is that you know.
34 “Nugɔmeselawo gblɔe eye nunyala siwo se nye nyawo la gblɔ nam be,
Men of understanding will say to me— indeed, every wise man who hears me will say,
35 ‘Hiob ƒoa nu nugɔmemasemasetɔe eye susu mele eƒe nyawo me o.’
'Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without wisdom.'
36 O, ɖe woado Hiob akpɔ va se ɖe nuwuwu, be wòɖo nya ŋu abe ame vɔ̃ɖi ene la, ne anyo ŋutɔ!
If only Job were put on trial in the smallest details of his case because of his talking like wicked men.
37 Etsɔ aglãdzedze kpe ɖe eƒe nu vɔ̃ ŋuti, esia akpe fewuɖutɔe le mía dome eye wòle nyawo gblɔm fũu ɖe Mawu ŋu.”
For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands in mockery in our midst; he piles up words against God.”
