Hiob 15
1 Na Temanni Elifas buae se,
And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
2 “Enti onyansafo de nsɛm a aba biara nni mu beyi nʼano anaasɛ ɔde apuei mframa a emu yɛ hyew bɛhyɛ nʼafuru ma?
Doth a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill [with] an east wind his belly?
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.
Yea, thou dost make reverence void, And dost diminish meditation before God.
5 Wo bɔne kyerɛ wʼano nea ɔnka; na woafa anitew tɛkrɛma.
For thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity, And thou chooseth the tongue of the subtile.
6 Wʼankasa wʼano bu wo kumfɔ, ɛnyɛ me de; wʼankasa wʼano di adanse tia wo.
Thy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee.
7 “Wone onipa a wɔwoo wo dii kan ana? Wɔwoo wo ansa na wɔrewo nkoko ana?
The first man art thou born? And before the heights wast thou formed?
8 Wutie Onyankopɔn afotu ana? Wo nko ara na wunim nyansa ana?
Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom?
9 Dɛn na wunim a, yennim? Nhumu bɛn na wowɔ a yenni?
What hast thou known, and we know not? Understandest thou — 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 thy father [in] days.
11 Onyankopɔn awerɛkyekye ne nsɛm a wɔka no brɛoo kyerɛ wo no sua ma wo ana?
Too few for thee are the comforts of God? And a gentle word [is] with thee,
12 Adɛn nti na wo koma atwe wo akɔ adɛn nti na wʼani asɔ gya,
What — doth thine heart take thee away? And what — are thine eyes high?
13 na woadan wʼabufuw agu Onyankopɔn so na woma saa nsɛm yi pue fi wʼano?
For thou turnest against God thy spirit? And hast brought out words from thy 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,
Lo, in His holy ones He putteth no credence, 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 as water perverseness.
17 “Tie me, na mɛkyerɛ wo mu; ma menka nea mahu nkyerɛ wo,
I shew thee — hearken 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 passed not over into their midst:
20 Omumɔyɛfo kɔ ahohia mu, ne nkwanna nyinaa, na basabasayɛni nso, ne mfe a wɔahyehyɛ ama no nyinaa.
'All 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 doth a destroyer come to him.
22 Ɔpa abaw sɛ obeguan afi sum mu; wɔabɔ no ato hɔ ama afoa.
He believeth not to return from darkness, And watched [is] he for the sword.
23 Okyinkyin hwehwɛ aduan; onim sɛ sum da no abɛn.
He is wandering for bread — 'Where [is] it?' He hath 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,
Terrify him do adversity and distress, 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 against God his hand, And against the Mighty he maketh himself mighty.
26 wɔde nkatabo a mu piw na ɛyɛ den kɔ ne so a, onsuro obiara.
He runneth unto 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 hath covered his face with his fat, And maketh vigour over [his] confidence.
28 nanso ɔbɛtena nkurow a agu so na watena afi a obi nte mu, afi a ɛrebubu mu.
And he inhabiteth 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 doth his wealth rise, Nor doth he stretch out on earth their continuance.
30 Ɔrenguan sum no; ogyaframa bɛhyew ne mman, na Onyankopɔn anom ahomegu bɛsoa no akɔ.
He turneth not aside from darkness, His tender branch doth a flame dry up, And he turneth 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.
Let him not put credence in vanity, He hath been deceived, For vanity is his recompence.
32 Ansa na ne da bedu no, wobetua no ka a bi nka, na ne mman renyɛ frɔmfrɔm.
Not in his day is it completed, 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 shaketh off as a vine his unripe fruit, And casteth off as an olive his blossom.
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] gloomy, And fire hath consumed tents of bribery.
35 Wonyinsɛn ɔhaw na wɔwo bɔne; wɔn awotwaa siesie nnaadaa.”
To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart doth prepare deceit.
