Hiob 8
1 Na Suhini Bildad buae se:
Then Bildad, from [the] Shuah [area], spoke to Job. He said,
2 “Wobɛkɔ so aka saa nsɛm yi akosi da bɛn? Wo nsɛm yɛ mframa huhuw.
“Job, how much longer will you talk like this? What you say is [only] hot air.
3 Onyankopɔn kyea atɛntrenee ana? Otumfo kyea nea ɛteɛ ana?
Almighty God certainly never does [RHQ] what is unfair/unjust. He always does [LIT] what is right/fair.
4 Bere a wo mma yɛɛ bɔne tiaa no no, ogyaw wɔn maa wɔn bɔne so akatua.
So, it is evident that your children have sinned against him, therefore he has caused them to be punished for evil things that they have done.
5 Nanso sɛ wode wʼani bɛto Onyankopɔn so na woabɔ Otumfo no mpae,
But, if you will [now] earnestly request [DOU] Almighty [God] to help you,
6 sɛ woyɛ kronkron, na woteɛ a, wo nti, ɔbɛma ne ho so mprempren na wama wo asi wo dedaw mu.
and if you are pure and honest/righteous, he will surely do something good for you and reward you by giving your family back to you and enabling you to prosper.
7 Wo mfiase bɛyɛ nkakrankakra na daakye woanya ama abu so.
And even though you [think that you] were not very prosperous/wealthy before, during the last part of your life you will become very wealthy.
8 “Bisa awo ntoatoaso a atwa mu no, na hwehwɛ nea wɔn agyanom hui,
“I request you to think about what happened long ago and consider what our ancestors found out.
9 na wɔwoo yɛn nkyɛe na yennim hwee, yɛn nna wɔ asase yi so te sɛ sunsuma.
[It seems as though] we were born only yesterday and we know very little [HYP]; our time here on the earth [disappears quickly, like] a shadow [MET].
10 Wɔrenkyerɛkyerɛ wo na wɔrenka nkyerɛ wo ana? Wɔremfi wɔn ntease mu nka nsɛm bi ana?
So, why do you not allow your ancestors to teach you and tell you something? Allow them to tell you from what they learned!
11 So paparɔso betumi anyin akɔ soro wɔ baabi a ɛnyɛ ɔwora? Demmire betumi afifi baabi a nsu nni ana?
Papyrus can certainly not [RHQ] grow in places where there is no marsh/swamp; reeds certainly cannot [RHQ] flourish/grow where there is no water.
12 Bere a ɛrenyin a wontwae no, ɛhyew ntɛm so sen sare.
[If they do not have enough water], while they are still blossoming, they wither more quickly than other plants wither.
13 Saa na wɔn a wɔn werɛ fi Onyankopɔn no awiei te; saa ara na wɔn a wonni nyamesu no anidaso nkosi hwee.
Those who do not pay attention to what God says are like those [reeds]; godless people stop confidently expecting [that good things will happen to them].
14 Biribiara a nʼani da so no nni ahoɔden; nea ɔde ne ho to so no yɛ ananse ntontan.
The things they confidently expect to happen do not happen; things they trust [will help them] are [as fragile as] [MET] a spider’s web.
15 Otweri ne ntontan, nanso ɛtetew; oso mu dennen, nanso ɛnyɛ yie.
If they lean against a house (OR, trust in their wealth; OR, lean on a spider web), it does not (endure/protect them) [LIT]; they cling to things [to be protected], but those things do not remain firm.
16 Ɔte sɛ afifide a wogugu so nsu yiye a esi owia mu, ɛtrɛtrɛw ne mman mu wɔ turo no so;
Godless people [are like plants] [MET] that are watered before the sun rises; their shoots spread all over the gardens.
17 Ne ntin nyin fa abotan ho, na ɛhwehwɛ ɔkwan kɔ abo mu.
The roots of those plants twist around piles of stones and cling tightly to rocks.
18 Nanso sɛ wotu fi ne sibea a, saa beae no nnim no bio na ɛka se, ‘Minhuu wo da.’
But if those plants are pulled out, [it is as though] the place where they were planted says ‘They were never here!’ [And that is what happens to wicked people who do not heed what God says].
19 Ampa ara ne nkwa twa mu, na afifide foforo nyin asase no so.
Truly, evil people [MET] are not joyful [IRO] for a long time; other people come and take their places.
20 “Ampa ara Onyankopɔn mpo onipa a ne ho nni asɛm na ɔnhyɛ amumɔyɛfo nsa mu den.
:So, [I tell you, Job], God will not reject you if you are truly godly/righteous, but he does not help [IDM] evil people.
21 Ɔbɛma woaserew bio, na wode ahosɛpɛw ateɛteɛ mu.
He will enable you [MTY] to continually laugh and to always shout [joyfully].
22 Wɔde aniwu befura wɔn a wɔtan wo, na amumɔyɛfo ntamadan bɛsɛe.”
But those who hate you will be very ashamed, and the homes of wicked people will disappear.”
