Hiob 28
1 “Beae a wotu dwetɛ wɔ hɔ ne beae a wɔnan sika kɔkɔɔ.
For there is a place for the silver, whence it comes, and a place for the gold, whence it is refined.
2 Wotu dade fi fam, na wɔnan kɔbere fi dadebo mu.
For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone.
3 Onipa ma sum ba awiei; na ɔhwehwɛ kɔ akyirikyiri asase mu kɔhwehwɛ dadebo wɔ sum kabii mu.
He has set a bound to darkness, and he searches out every limit: a stone [is] darkness, and the shadow of death.
4 Wɔde fagudetu afiri hyɛ beae a ɛmmɛn ɔdesani atenae, mmeae a nnipa anan nsii hɔ da, baabi a ɛmmɛn nnipa no, ɛhɔ na wodi aforosian.
There is a cutting off the torrent by reason of dust: so they that forget the right way are weakened; they are removed from [amongst] men.
5 Asase a ɛbɔ aduan no, wɔdan ase no te sɛ nea wɔde ogya na ayɛ;
[As for] the earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were fire.
6 hoabo fi nʼabotan mu na sikakɔkɔɔ mpɔw nso wɔ ne mfutuma mu.
Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and [her] dust [supplies] man with gold.
7 Ɔkɔre biara nnim saa kwan a ahintaw no, akoroma biara ani nhuu ɛ.
[There is] a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it:
8 Mmoa ahantanfo nsi hɔ na gyata nkɔdɛɛdɛɛ wɔ hɔ.
neither have the sons of the proud trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it.
9 Onipa nsa paapae abotan dennen na ɔma mmepɔw ase da hɔ.
He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp [rock], and turned up mountains by the roots:
10 Otwa aka fa abotan mu, na ohu nʼademude nyinaa.
and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.
11 Ɔhwehwɛ baabi a nsubɔnten ti wɔ na ɔda nneɛma a ahintaw adi.
And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light.
12 “Nanso ɛhe na yebehu nea nyansa hyɛ? Ɛhe na ntease te?
But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?
13 Onipa renhu ne bo a ɛsom; wɔrenhu wɔ ateasefo asase so.
A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered amongst men.
14 Na ebun ka se, ‘Enni me mu’; na po nso se, ‘Enni me nkyɛn.’
The depth said, It is not in me: and the sea said, It is not with me.
15 Wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ ankasa ntɔ, na wɔrentumi mfa dwetɛ nkari ne bo.
One shall not give fine gold instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 Wɔrentumi mfa Ofir sikakɔkɔɔ ntɔ apopobibiribo anaa hoabo nso saa ara.
Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire.
17 Wɔrentumi mfa ahwehwɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ ntoto ho, na wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ nnwinne nsesa.
Gold and crystal shall not be equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange.
18 Ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛbɔ ahene panyin ne ahwehwɛbo din; nyansa bo sen nhene pa.
Coral and fine pearl shall not be mentioned: but do you esteem wisdom above the most precious things.
19 Etiopia akraatebo ne no nsɛ; wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ kronkron ntɔ.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equalled to it; it shall not be compared with pure gold.
20 “Ɛno de, na ɛhe na nyansa fi? Ɛhe na ntease te?
Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind is the place of understanding?
21 Wɔde asie abɔde biara ani, wɔde asie wim nnomaa mpo.
It has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.
22 Ɔsɛe ne Owu ka se, ‘Yɛate no huhuhuhu kɛkɛ.’
Destruction and Death said, We have heard the report of it.
23 Onyankopɔn te ɔkwan a ɛkɔ hɔ ase, na ɔno nko ara na onim faako a ɛte,
God has well ordered the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
24 efisɛ ɔhwɛ kodu nsase ano na ohu biribiara a ɛwɔ ɔsoro ase.
For he surveys the whole [earth] under heaven, knowing the things in the earth:
25 Bere a ɔhyɛɛ mframa ano den too hɔ na osusuw nsuwa no,
all that he has made; the weight of the winds, the measures of the water.
26 bere a ɔkaa no ɔhyɛ so kyerɛɛ osutɔ na otwaa kwan maa aprannaa no,
When he made [them], thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way for the pealing of the thunder.
27 afei ɔhwɛɛ nyansa na ɔkarii no hwɛe; na ogyee no too mu na ɔsɔɔ no hwɛe.
Then he saw it, and declared it: he prepared it [and] traced it out.
28 Na ɔka kyerɛɛ onipa se, ‘Awurade suro, ɛno ne nyansa; na sɛ wokyi bɔne, yɛ ntease.’”
And he said to man, Behold, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.
