Hiob 15
1 Na Temanni Elifas buaa sɛ,
And 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 answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind,
3 Ɔde nsɛm huhuo bɛdi anobaabaeɛ, aka nsɛm a ɛntu bunu biara anaa?
Reasoning with unprofitable talk, and with speeches which do no good?
4 Wototo onyamesuro ase mmom na wosi Onyankopɔn mu ahotosoɔ ho ɛkwan.
Yea, thou makest piety of none effect, and restrainest meditation before God.
5 Wo bɔne kyerɛ wʼano deɛ ɔnka; na woafa aniteɛ tɛkrɛma.
For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou hast chosen the tongue of the crafty.
6 Wo ankasa wʼano bu wo kumfɔ, ɛnyɛ me deɛ; wʼankasa wʼano di adanseɛ tia wo.
Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; and thy lips testify against thee.
7 “Wone onipa a wɔwoo wo dii ɛkan? Wɔwoo wo ansa na wɔrewo nkokoɔ?
Art thou the first man that was born? and wast thou brought forth before the hills?
8 Wotie Onyankopɔn afotuo anaa? Wo nko ara na wonim nyansa anaa?
Hast thou listened in the secret council of God? And hast thou absorbed wisdom for thyself?
9 Ɛdeɛn na wonim a, yɛnnim? Nhunumu bɛn na wowɔ a yɛnnie?
What knowest thou that we know not? [what] understandest thou which is not in us?
10 Deɛ wafu dwono ne akɔkoraa wɔ yɛn afa, wɔn a wɔanyini sene wʼagya mpo.
Both the greyheaded and the aged are with us, 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? and the word gently spoken to thee?
12 Adɛn enti na wʼakoma atwe wo korɔ adɛn enti na wʼani asɔ ogya,
Why doth thy heart carry thee away? and why do thine eyes wink?
13 na woadane wʼabofuo agu Onyankopɔn so na woma saa nsɛm yi pue firi wʼano?
That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest 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 pure? and he that 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 putteth no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight:
16 na nkantom onipa bɔnefoɔ ne omumuyɛfoɔ a ɔnom awurukasɛm sɛ nsuo.
How much less the abominable and corrupt, — man, that drinketh unrighteousness like water!
17 “Tie me, na mɛkyerɛ wo mu; ma menka deɛ mahunu nkyerɛ wo,
I will shew thee, listen to me; and what 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 hidden;
19 (wɔn a wɔde asase no maa wɔn ɛberɛ a ananafoɔ biara nni hɔ):
Unto whom alone the earth 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.
All his days the wicked man is tormented, and numbered years are allotted to the violent.
21 Nnyegyeɛ a ɛyɛ hu hyɛ nʼasom ma; na sɛ ɛyɛ sɛ nneɛma rekɔ yie ma no a, akorɔmfoɔ to hyɛ ne so.
The sound of terrors is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer cometh upon him.
22 Ɔpa aba sɛ ɔbɛdwane afiri esum mu; wɔabɔ no ato hɔ ama akofena.
He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is singled out for the sword.
23 Ɔkyinkyini hwehwɛ aduane; ɔnim sɛ esum da no abɛn.
He wandereth abroad for bread, — where may it be? He knoweth 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 for the battle.
25 ɛfiri sɛ ɔtenetene ne nsa kyerɛ Onyankopɔn na ɔma ne ho so tia Otumfoɔ.
For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and strengthened himself against the Almighty:
26 Wɔde akokyɛm a emu pi na ɛyɛ den kɔ ne so a wɔnsuro no.
He runneth against him, with [outstretched] neck, with the thick bosses of his bucklers;
27 “Ɛwom sɛ sradeɛ ama wɔn afono atotɔ na wɔn asene mu ɛnam agu mmɛbɛ deɛ,
For he hath covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat upon [his] flanks.
28 nanso wɔbɛtena nkuro a aguo so na wɔatena afie a obi nte mu, afie a ɛrebubu mu.
And he dwelleth in desolate cities, in houses that no man inhabiteth, which are destined 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 become rich, neither shall his substance continue, and their possessions shall not extend upon 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 his mouth shall he 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: he is deceived, 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 complete before his day, 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 grapes as a vine, and shall cast his flower as an olive.
34 Na abɔnefoɔ fekuo a wɔnnim Onyankopɔn no renso aba, na ogya bɛhye wɔn a wɔdɔ kɛtɛasehyɛ no ntomadan.
For the family of the ungodly 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 belly prepareth deceit.
