Hiob 15
1 Na Temanni Elifas buae se,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 “Enti onyansafo de nsɛm a aba biara nni mu beyi nʼano anaasɛ ɔde apuei mframa a emu yɛ hyew bɛhyɛ nʼafuru ma?
“Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?
3 Ɔde nsɛm huhuw begye akyinnye, aka nsɛm a mfaso biara nni so ana?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?
4 Wototo onyamesuro ase mmom na wusiw Onyankopɔn som ho kwan.
Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.
5 Wo bɔne kyerɛ wʼano nea ɔnka; na woafa anitew tɛkrɛma.
For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
6 Wʼankasa wʼano bu wo kumfɔ, ɛnyɛ me de; wʼankasa wʼano di adanse tia wo.
Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own 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 who was born? Or were you brought out before the hills?
8 Wutie Onyankopɔn afotu ana? Wo nko ara na wunim nyansa ana?
Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 Dɛn na wunim a, yennim? Nhumu bɛn na wowɔ a yenni?
What do you know that we don’t know? What do you understand which is not in us?
10 Nea wafuw dwen ne akwakoraa wɔ yɛn afa wɔn a wɔanyinyin sen wʼagya mpo.
With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much older than your father.
11 Onyankopɔn awerɛkyekye ne nsɛm a wɔka no brɛoo kyerɛ wo no sua ma wo ana?
Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle toward you?
12 Adɛn nti na wo koma atwe wo akɔ adɛn nti na wʼani asɔ gya,
Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
13 na woadan wʼabufuw agu Onyankopɔn so na woma saa nsɛm yi pue fi wʼano?
that you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of 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 should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 Onyankopɔn nni ahotoso wɔ nʼakronkronfo mu ɔsorosoro mpo nyɛ kronkron wɔ nʼani so,
Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
16 na me ne onipa debɔneyɛfo ne omumɔyɛfo a ɔnom bɔne sɛ nsu.
how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
17 “Tie me, na mɛkyerɛ wo mu; ma menka nea mahu nkyerɛ wo,
“I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare
18 nea anyansafo apae mu aka, a wɔamfa biribiara a wonya fii wɔn agyanom hɔ no ansie
(which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;
19 (wɔn nko ara na wɔde asase no maa wɔn bere a ananafo biara nni wɔn mu):
to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them):
20 Omumɔyɛfo kɔ ahohia mu, ne nkwanna nyinaa, na basabasayɛni nso, ne mfe a wɔahyehyɛ ama no nyinaa.
the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
21 Nnyigyei a ɛyɛ hu hyɛ nʼasom ma; na sɛ ɛyɛ sɛ nneɛma rekɔ yiye ma no a, akorɔmfo tow hyɛ ne so.
A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer will come on him.
22 Ɔpa abaw sɛ obeguan afi sum mu; wɔabɔ no ato hɔ ama afoa.
He doesn’t believe that he will return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.
23 Okyinkyin hwehwɛ aduan; onim sɛ sum da no abɛn.
He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Ɔhaw ne ahoyeraw yi no hu; ɛhyɛ ne so sɛ ɔhene a wasiesie ne ho ama ɔko,
Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25 efisɛ ɔteɛteɛ ne nsa kyerɛ Onyankopɔn na ɔma ne ho so tia Otumfo,
Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty,
26 wɔde nkatabo a mu piw na ɛyɛ den kɔ ne so a, onsuro obiara.
he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers,
27 “Ɛwɔ mu sɛ srade ama nʼafono atotɔ na nʼasen mu nam abubu agu so de,
because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
28 nanso ɔbɛtena nkurow a agu so na watena afi a obi nte mu, afi a ɛrebubu mu.
He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.
29 Ɔrenkɔ so nyɛ ɔdefo bio, na nʼahonya rennyina, na nʼagyapade so bɛtew na ayera wɔ asase so.
He will not be rich, neither will his substance continue, neither will their possessions be extended on the earth.
30 Ɔrenguan sum no; ogyaframa bɛhyew ne mman, na Onyankopɔn anom ahomegu bɛsoa no akɔ.
He will not depart out of darkness. The flame will dry up his branches. He will go away by the breath of God’s mouth.
31 Ɛnsɛ sɛ ɔde ne ho to nneɛma huhuw so de daadaa ne ho, efisɛ ɔrennya hwee mfi mu.
Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his reward.
32 Ansa na ne da bedu no, wobetua no ka a bi nka, na ne mman renyɛ frɔmfrɔm.
It will be accomplished before his time. His branch will not be green.
33 Ɔbɛyɛ sɛ bobedua a wɔaporow so aba a ennyin ɛ, te sɛ ngodua a ne nhwiren reporow gu fam.
He will shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and will cast off his flower as the olive tree.
34 Na abɔnefo fekuw a wonnim Onyankopɔn no rensow aba, na ogya bɛhyew wɔn a wɔdɔ kɛtɛasehyɛ no ntamadan.
For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
35 Wonyinsɛn ɔhaw na wɔwo bɔne; wɔn awotwaa siesie nnaadaa.”
They conceive mischief and produce iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”
