Hiob 22
1 Na Temanni Elifas buae se,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 “Onyankopɔn benya onipa so mfaso ana? Mpo onyansafo so bɛba no mfaso ana?
“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
3 Sɛ woyɛ ɔtreneeni a, anigye bɛn na Otumfo no benya? Sɛ wʼakwan ho nni asɛm a, mfaso bɛn na obenya?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him that you make your ways perfect?
4 “Wo kronkronyɛ nti na ɔka wʼanim na ɔbɔ wo kwaadu ana?
Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgment?
5 Ɛnyɛ wʼamumɔyɛ na ɛso? Ɛnyɛ wo bɔne na ɛdɔɔso dodo?
Isn’t your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.
6 Wopɛɛ bammɔ fii wo nuanom nkyɛn a emfi hwee so; wopaa nnipa ho ntama ma wɔdaa adagyaw.
For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Woamma abrɛfo nsu annom na wode aduan kamee nea ɔkɔm de no,
You haven’t given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8 nanso na woyɛ obi a ɔwɔ tumi, wɔ nsase, onuonyamfo a ɔte so.
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived in it.
9 Wopam akunafo ma wɔkɔɔ nsapan na womaa ayisaa nso ahoɔden sae.
You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Ɛno nti na mfiri atwa wo ho ahyia, na amanehunu a ɛba ntɛm so bɔ wo hu yi,
Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,
11 ɛno nti na sum kabii aduru a wunhu ade, na asorɔkye akata wo so yi.
or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.
12 “So Onyankopɔn nni ɔsoro akyirikyiri ana? Hwɛ sɛnea ɔsoro akyirikyiri nsoromma korɔn!
“Isn’t God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 Nanso woka se, ‘Dɛn na Onyankopɔn nim? Sum yi mu na obu atɛn ana?
You say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
14 Omununkum kabii akata nʼanim nti onhu yɛn bere a ɔnenam ɔsoro kontonkurowi mu.’
Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn’t see. He walks on the vault of the sky.’
15 So wobɛkɔ so afa ɔkwan dedaw a abɔnefo anantew so no so ana?
Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,
16 Wɔpraa wɔn kɔe ansa na wɔn bere reso, na nsuyiri hohoroo wɔn fapem.
who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
17 Na wɔka kyerɛɛ Onyankopɔn se, ‘Gyaa yɛn! Dɛn na Otumfo betumi ayɛ yɛn?’
who said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ and, ‘What can the Almighty do for us?’
18 Nanso ɛyɛ ɔno na ɔde nnepa hyɛɛ wɔn afi mu, nti metwe me ho fi amumɔyɛfo afotu ho.
Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 Atreneefo hu wɔn asehwe ma wɔn ani gye; na wɔn a wɔn ho nni asɛm serew wɔn ka se,
The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,
20 ‘Wɔasɛe yɛn atamfo, na ogya ahyew wɔn agyapade.’
saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed their remnant.’
21 “Fa wo ho ma Onyankopɔn na nya asomdwoe wɔ ne mu; saa ɔkwan yi so na yiyedi bɛfa ayɛ wo kyɛfa.
“Acquaint yourself with him now, and be at peace. By it, good will come to you.
22 Tie akwankyerɛ a efi nʼanom, na fa ne nsɛm sie wo koma mu.
Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
23 Sɛ wosan kɔ Otumfo no nkyɛn a obegye wo ato mu bio: sɛ wuyi amumɔyɛsɛm fi wo ntamadan mu
If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.
24 na wotow wo sika mpɔw gu mfutuma mu ne Ofir sikakɔkɔɔ gu abotan a ɛwɔ abon mu no so a,
Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
25 ɛno de Otumfo bɛyɛ wo sikakɔkɔɔ ɔbɛyɛ dwetɛ ankasa ama wo.
The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.
26 Afei nokware wubenya anigye wɔ Otumfo mu na wobɛpagyaw wʼani akyerɛ Onyankopɔn.
For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face to God.
27 Wobɛbɔ no mpae, na obetie wo, na wubedi wo bɔhyɛ so.
You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You will pay your vows.
28 Nea woyɛ wʼadwene sɛ wobɛyɛ no bɛba mu, na hann bɛtɔ wʼakwan so.
You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to you. Light will shine on your ways.
29 Sɛ nnipa hwe ase na woka se, ‘Ma wɔn so!’ a, obegye wɔn a wɔahwe ase no nkwa.
When they cast down, you will say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will save the humble person.
30 Obegye abɔnefo mpo, ɔnam wo nsa a ɛho nni fi so begye wɔn.”
He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
