Hiob 28
1 “Beae a wotu dwetɛ wɔ hɔ ne beae a wɔnan sika kɔkɔɔ.
Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
2 Wotu dade fi fam, na wɔnan kɔbere fi dadebo mu.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.
3 Onipa ma sum ba awiei; na ɔhwehwɛ kɔ akyirikyiri asase mu kɔhwehwɛ dadebo wɔ sum kabii mu.
[Man] setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out to the furthest bound the stones of thick darkness and of 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.
He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn; they are forgotten of the foot [that passeth by]; they hang afar from men, they swing to and fro.
5 Asase a ɛbɔ aduan no, wɔdan ase no te sɛ nea wɔde ogya na ayɛ;
As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 hoabo fi nʼabotan mu na sikakɔkɔɔ mpɔw nso wɔ ne mfutuma mu.
The stones thereof are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
7 Ɔkɔre biara nnim saa kwan a ahintaw no, akoroma biara ani nhuu ɛ.
That path no bird of prey knoweth, neither hath the falcon’s eye seen it:
8 Mmoa ahantanfo nsi hɔ na gyata nkɔdɛɛdɛɛ wɔ hɔ.
The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor hath the fierce lion passed thereby.
9 Onipa nsa paapae abotan dennen na ɔma mmepɔw ase da hɔ.
He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
10 Otwa aka fa abotan mu, na ohu nʼademude nyinaa.
He cutteth out channels among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
11 Ɔhwehwɛ baabi a nsubɔnten ti wɔ na ɔda nneɛma a ahintaw adi.
He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
12 “Nanso ɛhe na yebehu nea nyansa hyɛ? Ɛhe na ntease te?
But where shall wisdom 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 the living.
14 Na ebun ka se, ‘Enni me mu’; na po nso se, ‘Enni me nkyɛn.’
The deep 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.
It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
16 Wɔrentumi mfa Ofir sikakɔkɔɔ ntɔ apopobibiribo anaa hoabo nso saa ara.
It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Wɔrentumi mfa ahwehwɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ ntoto ho, na wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ nnwinne nsesa.
Gold and glass cannot equal it: neither shall the exchange thereof be jewels of fine gold.
18 Ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛbɔ ahene panyin ne ahwehwɛbo din; nyansa bo sen nhene pa.
No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal: yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 Etiopia akraatebo ne no nsɛ; wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ kronkron ntɔ.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
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.
Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 Ɔsɛe ne Owu ka se, ‘Yɛate no huhuhuhu kɛkɛ.’
Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumour thereof with our ears.
23 Onyankopɔn te ɔkwan a ɛkɔ hɔ ase, na ɔno nko ara na onim faako a ɛte,
God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
24 efisɛ ɔhwɛ kodu nsase ano na ohu biribiara a ɛwɔ ɔsoro ase.
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;
25 Bere a ɔhyɛɛ mframa ano den too hɔ na osusuw nsuwa no,
To make a weight for the wind; yea, he meteth out the waters by measure.
26 bere a ɔkaa no ɔhyɛ so kyerɛɛ osutɔ na otwaa kwan maa aprannaa no,
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
27 afei ɔhwɛɛ nyansa na ɔkarii no hwɛe; na ogyee no too mu na ɔsɔɔ no hwɛe.
Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out.
28 Na ɔka kyerɛɛ onipa se, ‘Awurade suro, ɛno ne nyansa; na sɛ wokyi bɔne, yɛ ntease.’”
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
