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 copper is smelted out of the ore.
3 Onipa ma sum ba awiei; na ɔhwehwɛ kɔ akyirikyiri asase mu kɔhwehwɛ dadebo wɔ sum kabii mu.
Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
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 breaks open a shaft away from where people live. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth.
5 Asase a ɛbɔ aduan no, wɔdan ase no te sɛ nea wɔde ogya na ayɛ;
As for the earth, out of it comes bread. Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 hoabo fi nʼabotan mu na sikakɔkɔɔ mpɔw nso wɔ ne mfutuma mu.
Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
7 Ɔkɔre biara nnim saa kwan a ahintaw no, akoroma biara ani nhuu ɛ.
That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.
8 Mmoa ahantanfo nsi hɔ na gyata nkɔdɛɛdɛɛ wɔ hɔ.
The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
9 Onipa nsa paapae abotan dennen na ɔma mmepɔw ase da hɔ.
He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
10 Otwa aka fa abotan mu, na ohu nʼademude nyinaa.
He cuts out channels amongst the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
11 Ɔhwehwɛ baabi a nsubɔnten ti wɔ na ɔda nneɛma a ahintaw adi.
He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
12 “Nanso ɛhe na yebehu nea nyansa hyɛ? Ɛhe na ntease te?
“But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
13 Onipa renhu ne bo a ɛsom; wɔrenhu wɔ ateasefo asase so.
Man doesn’t know its price, and it isn’t found in the land of the living.
14 Na ebun ka se, ‘Enni me mu’; na po nso se, ‘Enni me nkyɛn.’
The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’
15 Wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ ankasa ntɔ, na wɔrentumi mfa dwetɛ nkari ne bo.
It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.
16 Wɔrentumi mfa Ofir sikakɔkɔɔ ntɔ apopobibiribo anaa hoabo nso saa ara.
It can’t 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 can’t equal it, neither will it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 Ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛbɔ ahene panyin ne ahwehwɛbo din; nyansa bo sen nhene pa.
No mention will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 Etiopia akraatebo ne no nsɛ; wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ kronkron ntɔ.
The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it. It won’t be valued with pure gold.
20 “Ɛno de, na ɛhe na nyansa fi? Ɛhe na ntease te?
Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?
21 Wɔde asie abɔde biara ani, wɔde asie wim nnomaa mpo.
Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
22 Ɔsɛe ne Owu ka se, ‘Yɛate no huhuhuhu kɛkɛ.’
Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumour of it with our ears.’
23 Onyankopɔn te ɔkwan a ɛkɔ hɔ ase, na ɔno nko ara na onim faako a ɛte,
“God understands its way, and he knows its place.
24 efisɛ ɔhwɛ kodu nsase ano na ohu biribiara a ɛwɔ ɔsoro ase.
For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.
25 Bere a ɔhyɛɛ mframa ano den too hɔ na osusuw nsuwa no,
He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures 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 he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.
28 Na ɔka kyerɛɛ onipa se, ‘Awurade suro, ɛno ne nyansa; na sɛ wokyi bɔne, yɛ ntease.’”
To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
