Hiob 9
1 Hiob ɖo eŋu nɛ gblɔ be,
Then answered Job, and said,
2 “Vavã menya be esia nye nyateƒe, gake aleke amegbetɔ kodzogbea anɔ dzɔdzɔe le Mawu ŋkumee?
Truly I know that it is so: and how could a mortal be righteous 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 he were desirous to enter into a contest with him, he could not give him one answer out of a thousand.
4 Eƒe nunya de to, eƒe ŋusẽ keke ta, ame kae tso ɖe eŋu kpɔ gbe abixɔxɔ?
He is wise of heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and escaped unscathed?
5 Emli towo ɖa gake womenya o eye wòtrɔ wo bu anyi le eƒe dziku me.
[He it is] who removeth mountains, and they know it not, yea, when he overturneth them in his anger;
6 Eʋuʋu anyigba le enɔƒe eye wòna eƒe sɔtiwo ʋuʋu kpekpekpe.
Who shaketh the earth loose out of her place, that her pillars tremble;
7 Eƒoa nu na ɣe eye meklẽna o, etsɔa nu xea ɣletiviwo ŋkume ale be womeklẽna o.
Who speaketh to the sun, and he shineth not, and around the stars he placeth a seal;
8 Eya ɖekae keke dziƒowo me eye wòzɔa ƒutsotsoewo dzi.
Who spread out the heavens by himself alone, and treadeth upon the hillocks of the sea;
9 Eyae wɔ ɣletivi siwo woyɔna be, Avutɔ, Koklovinɔ kple Atifieŋu kple dzieheɣletiviwo.
Who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers the south;
10 Ewɔ nu dzɔtsu siwo me dzodzro meli o eye wòwɔ nukunu siwo mele xexlẽme o.
Who doth great things which are quite unsearchable, and wonders which are quite without number.
11 Ne eva to ŋunye yi la, nyemate ŋu akpɔe o, ne etso eme va yi la, nyemate ŋu adze sii o.
Lo, were he to go past by me, I should not see him; and were he to pass along, I should not perceive him.
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?’
Behold, were he to snatch aught away, who could hold him back? who would say unto him, What dost thou?
13 Mawu meɖoa asi eƒe dziku dzi o, Rahab ƒe aʋakɔwo gɔ̃ hã bɔbɔ ɖe eƒe afɔ te.
God will not withdraw his anger: beneath him sink down the helpers of the proud.
14 “Eya ta aleke nye ya mate ŋu aɖe ɖeklemie? Afi ka makpɔ nyawo le atsɔ ahe nya kplii?
How much less then could I answer him, and select my words [to contend] 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.
Whom, were I even righteous, I could not answer? to him that condemneth me I could [only] make supplication.
16 Ne meyɔe eye wòtɔ nam gɔ̃ hã la, nyemebu be aɖo tom o.
Or were I to call, and he would answer me, I could yet not believe that he would give ear unto my voice—
17 Atsɔ ahomya agbãm gudugudu eye wòadzi nye abiwo ɖe edzi dzodzro.
He that bruiseth me with [his] tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without a cause.
18 Maɖe mɔ nam be magakpɔ gbɔdzɔe o, ke boŋ ana vevesese nakpɔ ŋusẽ ɖe dzinye.
He suffereth me not to recover my breath; but feedeth me overmuch with bitter things.
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 regard strength, lo, he is the powerful; and if justice, who will cite him for me to appear?
20 Ne nyemeɖi fɔ o gɔ̃ hã la, nye nu abu fɔm, eye ne nyemedze agɔ o hã la, abu fɔm.
If I were righteous even, my own mouth would condemn me: were I innocent, it would still prove me perverse.
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 will not have regard for myself: I will despise my life.
22 Wo katã le ɖeka eya ta megblɔ be, ‘Etsrɔ̃a ame maɖifɔ kple ame vɔ̃ɖi la siaa.’
One thing is [certain], therefore have I said it, The innocent and the wicked he bringeth to their end.
23 Ne ameƒoti he ku vɛ kpata la, eɖea alɔme le ame maɖifɔ ƒe mɔkpɔkpɔ bubu ŋuti.
If a scourge should slay suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the guiltless.
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?
Is a land given up into the hand of the wicked? he covereth the faces of its judges: if this be not the truth, who is it then?
25 “Nye ŋkekewo le du ɖim wu duƒula, wodzo dzo kabakaba dzidzɔ aɖeke manɔmee.
And my days pass swifter than a runner: they flee away, they see no happiness,
26 Wozɔ mii va yi abe aƒlaʋuwo ene eye abe hɔ̃woe de agba anyi be yewoaƒo nu le anyigba ene.
They hasten along like pirate ships: like the eagle that stoopeth down upon his food.
27 Ne megblɔ be, ‘Maŋlɔ nye konyifafa be eye madzudzɔ adãɖoɖo, aɖo nukomo la,’
If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sorrowful countenance, and recover my cheerfulness:
28 ekema nye fukpekpewo katã doa ŋɔdzi nam elabena menyae be màbum fɔmaɖilae o.
O then would I be in dread of all my pains; I know that thou wilt not declare me innocent.
29 Esi wobum fɔɖilae xoxo ɖe, nu ka tae maganɔ ʋiʋlim dzodzro?
I must ever be guilty: why then should I fatigue myself for nought?
30 Ne mele tsi kple tsiledzalẽ eye metsɔ nunyadzalẽ klɔ asi gɔ̃ hã la,
If I were to wash myself in snow-water, to cleanse myself in the purity of my hands:
31 aganyrɔm ɖe anyiʋe me, ale be manyɔ ŋu na nye awuwo gɔ̃ hã.
Even then wouldst thou plunge me in the ditch, that my own clothes would render me abhorred.
32 “Menye amee wònye abe nye ene ne maɖo nya ŋu nɛ, be makplɔe ayi ʋɔnui ahe nya kplii o.
For he is not a man, like me, that I could answer him, that we should enter together into a contest.
33 Ne ame aɖe ɖe wòli aƒo nu le mía dome, ada asi ɖe mí ame evea dzi
There is no one who can decide between us, who could lay his hand upon us both.
34 ame si aɖe Mawu ƒe ameƒoti ɖa le ŋutinye, ale be eƒe ŋɔdzi magado vɔvɔ̃ nam o la, ne anyo.
Let him but remove from me his rod, and let not his dread terrify me:
35 Ekema maƒo nu na eya amea mavɔmavɔ̃e, gake abe ale si wòle nam fifia ene la, nyemate ŋui o.”
Then would I speak, and not fear him; for the like I feel not within me.
