Hiob 28
1 “Beae a wotu dwetɛ wɔ hɔ ne beae a wɔnan sika kɔkɔɔ.
Silver hath beginnings of its veins, and gold hath a place wherein it is melted.
2 Wotu dade fi fam, na wɔnan kɔbere fi dadebo mu.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone melted with heat is turned into brass.
3 Onipa ma sum ba awiei; na ɔhwehwɛ kɔ akyirikyiri asase mu kɔhwehwɛ dadebo wɔ sum kabii mu.
He hath set a time for darkness, and the end of all things he considereth, the stone also that is in the dark 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.
The flood divideth from the people that are on their journey, those whom the food of the needy man hath forgotten, and who cannot be come at.
5 Asase a ɛbɔ aduan no, wɔdan ase no te sɛ nea wɔde ogya na ayɛ;
The land, out of which bread grew in its place, hath been overturned with fire.
6 hoabo fi nʼabotan mu na sikakɔkɔɔ mpɔw nso wɔ ne mfutuma mu.
The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and the clods of it are gold.
7 Ɔkɔre biara nnim saa kwan a ahintaw no, akoroma biara ani nhuu ɛ.
The bird hath not known the path, neither hath the eye of the vulture beheld it.
8 Mmoa ahantanfo nsi hɔ na gyata nkɔdɛɛdɛɛ wɔ hɔ.
The children of the merchants have not trodden it, neither hath the lioness passed by it.
9 Onipa nsa paapae abotan dennen na ɔma mmepɔw ase da hɔ.
He hath stretched forth his hand to the flint, he hath overturned mountains from the roots.
10 Otwa aka fa abotan mu, na ohu nʼademude nyinaa.
In the rocks he hath cut out rivers, and his eye hath seen every precious thing.
11 Ɔhwehwɛ baabi a nsubɔnten ti wɔ na ɔda nneɛma a ahintaw adi.
The depths also of rivers he hath searched, and hidden things he hath brought forth to light.
12 “Nanso ɛhe na yebehu nea nyansa hyɛ? Ɛhe na ntease te?
But where is wisdom to be found, and where is the place of understanding?
13 Onipa renhu ne bo a ɛsom; wɔrenhu wɔ ateasefo asase so.
Man knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it found in the land of them that live in delights.
14 Na ebun ka se, ‘Enni me mu’; na po nso se, ‘Enni me nkyɛn.’
The depth saith: It is not in me: and the sea saith: It is not with me.
15 Wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ ankasa ntɔ, na wɔrentumi mfa dwetɛ nkari ne bo.
The finest gold shall not purchase it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 Wɔrentumi mfa Ofir sikakɔkɔɔ ntɔ apopobibiribo anaa hoabo nso saa ara.
It shall not be compared with the dyed colours of India, or with the most precious stone sardonyx, or the sapphire.
17 Wɔrentumi mfa ahwehwɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ ntoto ho, na wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ nnwinne nsesa.
Gold or crystal cannot equal it, neither shall any vessels of gold be changed for it.
18 Ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛbɔ ahene panyin ne ahwehwɛbo din; nyansa bo sen nhene pa.
High and eminent things shall not be mentioned in comparison of it: but wisdom is drawn out of secret places.
19 Etiopia akraatebo ne no nsɛ; wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ kronkron ntɔ.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equal to it, neither shall it be compared to the cleanest dyeing.
20 “Ɛno de, na ɛhe na nyansa fi? Ɛhe na ntease te?
Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
21 Wɔde asie abɔde biara ani, wɔde asie wim nnomaa mpo.
It is hid from the eyes of all living. and the fowls of the air know it not.
22 Ɔsɛe ne Owu ka se, ‘Yɛate no huhuhuhu kɛkɛ.’
Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard the fame thereof.
23 Onyankopɔn te ɔkwan a ɛkɔ hɔ ase, na ɔno nko ara na onim faako a ɛte,
God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth the place thereof.
24 efisɛ ɔhwɛ kodu nsase ano na ohu biribiara a ɛwɔ ɔsoro ase.
For he beholdeth the ends of the world: and looketh on all things that are under heaven.
25 Bere a ɔhyɛɛ mframa ano den too hɔ na osusuw nsuwa no,
Who made a weight for the winds and weighed the waters by measure.
26 bere a ɔkaa no ɔhyɛ so kyerɛɛ osutɔ na otwaa kwan maa aprannaa no,
When he gave a law for the rain, and a way for the sounding storms.
27 afei ɔhwɛɛ nyansa na ɔkarii no hwɛe; na ogyee no too mu na ɔsɔɔ no hwɛe.
Then he saw it, and declared, and prepared, and searched it.
28 Na ɔka kyerɛɛ onipa se, ‘Awurade suro, ɛno ne nyansa; na sɛ wokyi bɔne, yɛ ntease.’”
And he said to man: Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom: and to depart from evil, is understanding.
