Hiob 9
1 Hiob ɖo eŋu nɛ gblɔ be,
Job replied,
2 “Vavã menya be esia nye nyateƒe, gake aleke amegbetɔ kodzogbea anɔ dzɔdzɔe le Mawu ŋkumee?
“Yes, I know all that! But how can anyone be right before God?
3 Togbɔ be anye ame ƒe didi be yeahe nya kplii hã la, mate ŋu aɖo nya ɖeka pɛ hã ŋu nɛ le nya akpe dome o.
If you wanted to argue with God, God could ask a thousand questions that no-one could answer.
4 Eƒe nunya de to, eƒe ŋusẽ keke ta, ame kae tso ɖe eŋu kpɔ gbe abixɔxɔ?
God is so wise and so powerful that no-one could challenge him and win.
5 Emli towo ɖa gake womenya o eye wòtrɔ wo bu anyi le eƒe dziku me.
God moves the mountains suddenly; he overturns them in his anger.
6 Eʋuʋu anyigba le enɔƒe eye wòna eƒe sɔtiwo ʋuʋu kpekpekpe.
He shakes the earth, making its foundations quake.
7 Eƒoa nu na ɣe eye meklẽna o, etsɔa nu xea ɣletiviwo ŋkume ale be womeklẽna o.
He is the one who can command the sun not to rise and the stars not to shine.
8 Eya ɖekae keke dziƒowo me eye wòzɔa ƒutsotsoewo dzi.
He alone is the one who stretches out the heavens and walks on the waves of the sea.
9 Eyae wɔ ɣletivi siwo woyɔna be, Avutɔ, Koklovinɔ kple Atifieŋu kple dzieheɣletiviwo.
He made the constellations of the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the stars of the southern sky.
10 Ewɔ nu dzɔtsu siwo me dzodzro meli o eye wòwɔ nukunu siwo mele xexlẽme o.
He is the one who does incredible things that are beyond our understanding, marvelous things that are uncountable.
11 Ne eva to ŋunye yi la, nyemate ŋu akpɔe o, ne etso eme va yi la, nyemate ŋu adze sii o.
But when he passes by me, I don't see him; when he moves on, he is invisible to me.
12 Ne exɔ nu le ame si sesẽtɔe la, ame kae ate ŋu aɖo asi edzi? Ame kae ate ŋu agblɔ nɛ be, ‘Nu kae nye ema wɔm nèle?’
If he takes away, who can prevent him? Who is going to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 Mawu meɖoa asi eƒe dziku dzi o, Rahab ƒe aʋakɔwo gɔ̃ hã bɔbɔ ɖe eƒe afɔ te.
God does not restrain his anger; he crushes Rahab's helpers underfoot.
14 “Eya ta aleke nye ya mate ŋu aɖe ɖeklemie? Afi ka makpɔ nyawo le atsɔ ahe nya kplii?
So how much less could I answer God, or choose my words to argue with him!
15 Togbɔ be nyemedze agɔ o hã la, nyemate ŋu aɖo nya ŋu nɛ o. Kuku ko mate ŋu aɖe na nye Ʋɔnudrɔ̃la be wòakpɔ nublanui nam.
Even though I'm right, I can't answer him. I must plead for mercy from my judge.
16 Ne meyɔe eye wòtɔ nam gɔ̃ hã la, nyemebu be aɖo tom o.
Even if I called him to come and he responded, I don't believe he would listen to me.
17 Atsɔ ahomya agbãm gudugudu eye wòadzi nye abiwo ɖe edzi dzodzro.
He pounds me with the winds of a storm; he wounds me time and again, without giving a reason.
18 Maɖe mɔ nam be magakpɔ gbɔdzɔe o, ke boŋ ana vevesese nakpɔ ŋusẽ ɖe dzinye.
He doesn't give me a chance even to catch my breath; instead he fills my life with bitter suffering.
19 Ne ŋusẽ ƒe nya wònye la, kpɔ ɖa, ŋusẽtɔe wònye! Ke ne enye ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ ƒe nya la, ame kae akplɔe ayi ʋɔnui?
If it's a question of strength, then God is the strongest. If it's a question of justice, then who will set a time for my case?
20 Ne nyemeɖi fɔ o gɔ̃ hã la, nye nu abu fɔm, eye ne nyemedze agɔ o hã la, abu fɔm.
Even though I am right, my own mouth would condemn me; even though I am innocent, he would prove me wrong.
21 “Togbɔ be nyemeɖi fɔ o hã la, nyemetsɔ ɖeke le eme na ɖokuinye o eye medo vlo nye ŋutɔ nye agbe.
I am innocent! I don't care what happens to me. I hate my life!
22 Wo katã le ɖeka eya ta megblɔ be, ‘Etsrɔ̃a ame maɖifɔ kple ame vɔ̃ɖi la siaa.’
That's why I say, ‘It makes no difference to God. He destroys both the innocent and the wicked.’
23 Ne ameƒoti he ku vɛ kpata la, eɖea alɔme le ame maɖifɔ ƒe mɔkpɔkpɔ bubu ŋuti.
When disaster strikes suddenly he mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 Ne anyigba aɖe ge ɖe ame vɔ̃ɖi ƒe asi me la, ekema etsyɔa nu mo na eƒe ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo. Ne menye eyae o ɖe, ekema ame kae?
The earth has been handed over to the wicked; he blinds the eyes of the judges—if it's not him who does this, then who is it?
25 “Nye ŋkekewo le du ɖim wu duƒula, wodzo dzo kabakaba dzidzɔ aɖeke manɔmee.
The days of my life race by like a runner, rushing past without me seeing any happiness.
26 Wozɔ mii va yi abe aƒlaʋuwo ene eye abe hɔ̃woe de agba anyi be yewoaƒo nu le anyigba ene.
They pass by like fast sailing ships, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 Ne megblɔ be, ‘Maŋlɔ nye konyifafa be eye madzudzɔ adãɖoɖo, aɖo nukomo la,’
If I said to myself, ‘I will forget my complaints; I will stop crying and be happy,’
28 ekema nye fukpekpewo katã doa ŋɔdzi nam elabena menyae be màbum fɔmaɖilae o.
I would still be terrified at all my suffering because you, God, will not say I'm innocent.
29 Esi wobum fɔɖilae xoxo ɖe, nu ka tae maganɔ ʋiʋlim dzodzro?
Since I'm condemned, what's the point in arguing?
30 Ne mele tsi kple tsiledzalẽ eye metsɔ nunyadzalẽ klɔ asi gɔ̃ hã la,
Even if I wash myself with pure mountain water and clean my hands with soap,
31 aganyrɔm ɖe anyiʋe me, ale be manyɔ ŋu na nye awuwo gɔ̃ hã.
you would toss me into a slime pit so that even my own clothes would hate me!
32 “Menye amee wònye abe nye ene ne maɖo nya ŋu nɛ, be makplɔe ayi ʋɔnui ahe nya kplii o.
For God is not a mortal being like me, I can't defend myself or take him to court.
33 Ne ame aɖe ɖe wòli aƒo nu le mía dome, ada asi ɖe mí ame evea dzi
If only there was an arbitrator who could bring us both together!
34 ame si aɖe Mawu ƒe ameƒoti ɖa le ŋutinye, ale be eƒe ŋɔdzi magado vɔvɔ̃ nam o la, ne anyo.
I wish God would stop beating me with his rod and terrifying me!
35 Ekema maƒo nu na eya amea mavɔmavɔ̃e, gake abe ale si wòle nam fifia ene la, nyemate ŋui o.”
Then I could speak up without being afraid—but since I am, I can't!”
