Hiob 15
1 Na Temanni Elifas buae se,
And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
2 “Enti onyansafo de nsɛm a aba biara nni mu beyi nʼano anaasɛ ɔde apuei mframa a emu yɛ hyew bɛhyɛ nʼafuru ma?
“Does a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill his belly [with] an east wind?
3 Ɔde nsɛm huhuw begye akyinnye, aka nsɛm a mfaso biara nni so ana?
To reason with a word not useful? And speeches—no profit in them?
4 Wototo onyamesuro ase mmom na wusiw Onyankopɔn som ho kwan.
Indeed, you make reverence void, and diminish meditation before God.
5 Wo bɔne kyerɛ wʼano nea ɔnka; na woafa anitew tɛkrɛma.
For your mouth teaches your iniquity, And you choose the tongue of the cunning.
6 Wʼankasa wʼano bu wo kumfɔ, ɛnyɛ me de; wʼankasa wʼano di adanse tia wo.
Your mouth declares you wicked, and not I, And your lips testify against you.
7 “Wone onipa a wɔwoo wo dii kan ana? Wɔwoo wo ansa na wɔrewo nkoko ana?
Are you the first man born? And were you formed before the heights?
8 Wutie Onyankopɔn afotu ana? Wo nko ara na wunim nyansa ana?
Do you hear of the secret counsel of God? And withdraw wisdom to you?
9 Dɛn na wunim a, yennim? Nhumu bɛn na wowɔ a yenni?
What have you known, and we do not know? [What] do you understand, and it is not with us?
10 Nea wafuw dwen ne akwakoraa wɔ yɛn afa wɔn a wɔanyinyin sen wʼagya mpo.
Both the gray-headed And the very aged [are] among us—Greater than your father [in] days.
11 Onyankopɔn awerɛkyekye ne nsɛm a wɔka no brɛoo kyerɛ wo no sua ma wo ana?
Are the comforts of God too few for you? And a gentle word [is] with you,
12 Adɛn nti na wo koma atwe wo akɔ adɛn nti na wʼani asɔ gya,
Why does your heart take you away? And why are your eyes high?
13 na woadan wʼabufuw agu Onyankopɔn so na woma saa nsɛm yi pue fi wʼano?
Do you turn your spirit against God? And have brought out words from your mouth:
14 “Ɔdesani ne hena a obetumi ayɛ pɛ, anaasɛ nea ɔbea awo no bɛn na obetumi ayɛ ɔtreneeni?
What [is] man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?
15 Onyankopɔn nni ahotoso wɔ nʼakronkronfo mu ɔsorosoro mpo nyɛ kronkron wɔ nʼani so,
Behold, He puts no credence in His holy ones, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.
16 na me ne onipa debɔneyɛfo ne omumɔyɛfo a ɔnom bɔne sɛ nsu.
Also—surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking perverseness as water.
17 “Tie me, na mɛkyerɛ wo mu; ma menka nea mahu nkyerɛ wo,
I show you—listen to me—And this I have seen and declare,
18 nea anyansafo apae mu aka, a wɔamfa biribiara a wonya fii wɔn agyanom hɔ no ansie
Which the wise declare—And have not hid—from their fathers.
19 (wɔn nko ara na wɔde asase no maa wɔn bere a ananafo biara nni wɔn mu):
To them alone was the land given, And a stranger did not pass over into their midst:
20 Omumɔyɛfo kɔ ahohia mu, ne nkwanna nyinaa, na basabasayɛni nso, ne mfe a wɔahyehyɛ ama no nyinaa.
All [the] days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.
21 Nnyigyei a ɛyɛ hu hyɛ nʼasom ma; na sɛ ɛyɛ sɛ nneɛma rekɔ yiye ma no a, akorɔmfo tow hyɛ ne so.
A fearful voice [is] in his ears, In peace a destroyer comes to him.
22 Ɔpa abaw sɛ obeguan afi sum mu; wɔabɔ no ato hɔ ama afoa.
He does not believe to return from darkness, And he watches for the sword.
23 Okyinkyin hwehwɛ aduan; onim sɛ sum da no abɛn.
He is wandering for bread: Where [is] it? He has known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.
24 Ɔhaw ne ahoyeraw yi no hu; ɛhyɛ ne so sɛ ɔhene a wasiesie ne ho ama ɔko,
Adversity and distress terrify him, They prevail over him as a king ready for a boaster.
25 efisɛ ɔteɛteɛ ne nsa kyerɛ Onyankopɔn na ɔma ne ho so tia Otumfo,
For he stretched out his hand against God, And against the Mighty he makes himself mighty.
26 wɔde nkatabo a mu piw na ɛyɛ den kɔ ne so a, onsuro obiara.
He runs to Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.
27 “Ɛwɔ mu sɛ srade ama nʼafono atotɔ na nʼasen mu nam abubu agu so de,
For he has covered his face with his fat, And makes vigor over [his] confidence.
28 nanso ɔbɛtena nkurow a agu so na watena afi a obi nte mu, afi a ɛrebubu mu.
And he inhabits cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.
29 Ɔrenkɔ so nyɛ ɔdefo bio, na nʼahonya rennyina, na nʼagyapade so bɛtew na ayera wɔ asase so.
He is not rich, nor does his wealth rise, Nor does he stretch out their continuance on earth.
30 Ɔrenguan sum no; ogyaframa bɛhyew ne mman, na Onyankopɔn anom ahomegu bɛsoa no akɔ.
He does not turn aside from darkness, A flame dries up his tender branch, And he turns aside at the breath of His mouth!
31 Ɛnsɛ sɛ ɔde ne ho to nneɛma huhuw so de daadaa ne ho, efisɛ ɔrennya hwee mfi mu.
Do not let him put credence in vanity, He has been deceived, For vanity is his exchange.
32 Ansa na ne da bedu no, wobetua no ka a bi nka, na ne mman renyɛ frɔmfrɔm.
It is not completed in his day, And his bending branch is not green.
33 Ɔbɛyɛ sɛ bobedua a wɔaporow so aba a ennyin ɛ, te sɛ ngodua a ne nhwiren reporow gu fam.
He shakes off his unripe fruit as a vine, And casts off his blossom as an olive.
34 Na abɔnefo fekuw a wonnim Onyankopɔn no rensow aba, na ogya bɛhyew wɔn a wɔdɔ kɛtɛasehyɛ no ntamadan.
For the company of the profane [is] barren, And fire has consumed tents of bribery.
35 Wonyinsɛn ɔhaw na wɔwo bɔne; wɔn awotwaa siesie nnaadaa.”
To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart prepares deceit.”
