Hiob 15
1 Na Temanni Elifas buaa sɛ,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, and said,
2 “Enti onyansafoɔ de nsɛm a aba biara nni muo bɛyi nʼano anaasɛ ɔde apueeɛ mframa a emu yɛ hye bɛhyɛ nʼafuru ma?
Should a wise man make answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?
3 Ɔde nsɛm huhuo bɛdi anobaabaeɛ, aka nsɛm a ɛntu bunu biara anaa?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?
4 Wototo onyamesuro ase mmom na wosi Onyankopɔn mu ahotosoɔ ho ɛkwan.
Yea, thou do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.
5 Wo bɔne kyerɛ wʼano deɛ ɔnka; na woafa aniteɛ tɛkrɛma.
For thine iniquity teaches thy mouth. And thou choose the tongue of the crafty.
6 Wo ankasa wʼano bu wo kumfɔ, ɛnyɛ me deɛ; wʼankasa wʼano di adanseɛ tia wo.
Thine own mouth condemns thee, and not I. Yes, thine own lips testify against thee.
7 “Wone onipa a wɔwoo wo dii ɛkan? Wɔwoo wo ansa na wɔrewo nkokoɔ?
Are thou the first man who was born? Or were thou brought forth before the hills?
8 Wotie Onyankopɔn afotuo anaa? Wo nko ara na wonim nyansa anaa?
Have thou heard the secret counsel of God? And do thou limit wisdom to thyself?
9 Ɛdeɛn na wonim a, yɛnnim? Nhunumu bɛn na wowɔ a yɛnnie?
What do thou know, that we do not know? What do thou understand, which is not in us?
10 Deɛ wafu dwono ne akɔkoraa wɔ yɛn afa, wɔn a wɔanyini sene wʼagya mpo.
With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much older than thy father.
11 Onyankopɔn awerɛkyekyerɛ ne nsɛm a wɔka no brɛoo kyerɛ wo no sua ma wo anaa?
Are the consolations of God too small for thee, even the word that is gentle toward thee?
12 Adɛn enti na wʼakoma atwe wo korɔ adɛn enti na wʼani asɔ ogya,
Why does thy heart carry thee away? And why do thine eyes flash,
13 na woadane wʼabofuo agu Onyankopɔn so na woma saa nsɛm yi pue firi wʼano?
that against God thou turn thy spirit, and let words go out of thy mouth?
14 “Ɔdasani ne hwan a ɔbɛtumi ayɛ pɛ, anaasɛ deɛ ɔbaa awo noɔ bɛn na ɔbɛtumi ayɛ ɔteneneeni?
What is man, that he should be clean? And he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 Onyankopɔn nni ahotosoɔ wɔ nʼakronkronfoɔ mu. Ɔsorosoro mpo nnyɛ kronn wɔ nʼani so,
Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
16 na nkantom onipa bɔnefoɔ ne omumuyɛfoɔ a ɔnom awurukasɛm sɛ nsuo.
How much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
17 “Tie me, na mɛkyerɛ wo mu; ma menka deɛ mahunu nkyerɛ wo,
I will show thee. Hear thou me, and that which I have seen I will declare,
18 deɛ anyansafoɔ apae mu aka, a wɔamfa biribiara a wɔnya firii wɔn agyanom hɔ no ansie
which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it,
19 (wɔn a wɔde asase no maa wɔn ɛberɛ a ananafoɔ biara nni hɔ):
to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them:
20 Omumuyɛfoɔ kɔ ahohiahia mu ne nkwanna nyinaa. Na basabasayɛni nso, wɔahyehyɛ ne mfeɛ nyinaa ama no.
The wicked man travails with pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
21 Nnyegyeɛ a ɛyɛ hu hyɛ nʼasom ma; na sɛ ɛyɛ sɛ nneɛma rekɔ yie ma no a, akorɔmfoɔ to hyɛ ne so.
A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
22 Ɔpa aba sɛ ɔbɛdwane afiri esum mu; wɔabɔ no ato hɔ ama akofena.
He does not believe that he shall return out of darkness. And he is awaited by the sword.
23 Ɔkyinkyini hwehwɛ aduane; ɔnim sɛ esum da no abɛn.
He wanders abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Ɔhaw ne ahoyera yi no hu; ɛhyɛ ne so sɛ ɔhene a wasiesie ne ho ama ɔko,
Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him as a king ready to the battle.
25 ɛfiri sɛ ɔtenetene ne nsa kyerɛ Onyankopɔn na ɔma ne ho so tia Otumfoɔ.
Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty.
26 Wɔde akokyɛm a emu pi na ɛyɛ den kɔ ne so a wɔnsuro no.
He runs upon him with a stiff neck, with the thick studs of his bucklers,
27 “Ɛwom sɛ sradeɛ ama wɔn afono atotɔ na wɔn asene mu ɛnam agu mmɛbɛ deɛ,
because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat upon his loins.
28 nanso wɔbɛtena nkuro a aguo so na wɔatena afie a obi nte mu, afie a ɛrebubu mu.
And he has dwelt in desolate cities, in houses which no man inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.
29 Wɔrenkɔ so nyɛ adefoɔ bio, na wɔn ahonya rennyina, na wɔn agyapadeɛ so bɛte na ayera wɔ asase so.
He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall their possessions be extended on the earth.
30 Esum bɛduru wɔn; ogyaframa bɛkusa wɔn mman, na Onyankopɔn anom ahomeguo bɛsoa wɔn akɔ.
He shall not depart out of darkness. The flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of God's mouth he shall go away.
31 Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔde wɔn ho to nneɛma huhuo so de daadaa wɔn ho, ɛfiri sɛ wɔrennya hwee mfiri mu.
Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself. For vanity shall be his recompense.
32 Ansa na wɔn da bɛduru no, wɔbɛtua wɔn ka a ebi renka, na wɔn mman renyɛ frɔmfrɔm.
It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
33 Wɔbɛyɛ sɛ bobedua a wɔapore so aba a ɛnnyiniiɛ, te sɛ ngo dua a ne nhyerɛnne repore gu fam.
He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive tree.
34 Na abɔnefoɔ fekuo a wɔnnim Onyankopɔn no renso aba, na ogya bɛhye wɔn a wɔdɔ kɛtɛasehyɛ no ntomadan.
For the company of the hypocrites shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
35 Wɔnyinsɛn ɔhaw na wɔwo amumuyɛ; wɔn awotwaa siesie nnaadaa.”
They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, and their heart prepares deceit.
