Hiob 15
1 Na Temanni Elifas buaa sɛ,
And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
2 “Enti onyansafoɔ de nsɛm a aba biara nni muo bɛyi nʼano anaasɛ ɔde apueeɛ mframa a emu yɛ hye bɛhyɛ nʼafuru ma?
“Does a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill his belly [with] an east wind?
3 Ɔde nsɛm huhuo bɛdi anobaabaeɛ, aka nsɛm a ɛntu bunu biara anaa?
To reason with a word not useful? And speeches—no profit in them?
4 Wototo onyamesuro ase mmom na wosi Onyankopɔn mu ahotosoɔ ho ɛkwan.
Indeed, you make reverence void, and diminish meditation before God.
5 Wo bɔne kyerɛ wʼano deɛ ɔnka; na woafa aniteɛ tɛkrɛma.
For your mouth teaches your iniquity, And you choose the tongue of the cunning.
6 Wo ankasa wʼano bu wo kumfɔ, ɛnyɛ me deɛ; wʼankasa wʼano di adanseɛ tia wo.
Your mouth declares you wicked, and not I, And your lips testify against you.
7 “Wone onipa a wɔwoo wo dii ɛkan? Wɔwoo wo ansa na wɔrewo nkokoɔ?
Are you the first man born? And were you formed before the heights?
8 Wotie Onyankopɔn afotuo anaa? Wo nko ara na wonim nyansa anaa?
Do you hear of the secret counsel of God? And withdraw wisdom to you?
9 Ɛdeɛn na wonim a, yɛnnim? Nhunumu bɛn na wowɔ a yɛnnie?
What have you known, and we do not know? [What] do you understand, and it is not with us?
10 Deɛ wafu dwono ne akɔkoraa wɔ yɛn afa, wɔn a wɔanyini sene wʼagya mpo.
Both the gray-headed And the very aged [are] among us—Greater than your father [in] days.
11 Onyankopɔn awerɛkyekyerɛ ne nsɛm a wɔka no brɛoo kyerɛ wo no sua ma wo anaa?
Are the comforts of God too few for you? And a gentle word [is] with you,
12 Adɛn enti na wʼakoma atwe wo korɔ adɛn enti na wʼani asɔ ogya,
Why does your heart take you away? And why are your eyes high?
13 na woadane wʼabofuo agu Onyankopɔn so na woma saa nsɛm yi pue firi wʼano?
Do you turn your spirit against God? And have brought out words from your mouth:
14 “Ɔdasani ne hwan a ɔbɛtumi ayɛ pɛ, anaasɛ deɛ ɔbaa awo noɔ bɛn na ɔbɛtumi ayɛ ɔteneneeni?
What [is] man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?
15 Onyankopɔn nni ahotosoɔ wɔ nʼakronkronfoɔ mu. Ɔsorosoro mpo nnyɛ kronn wɔ nʼani so,
Behold, He puts no credence in His holy ones, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.
16 na nkantom onipa bɔnefoɔ ne omumuyɛfoɔ a ɔnom awurukasɛm sɛ nsuo.
Also—surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking perverseness as water.
17 “Tie me, na mɛkyerɛ wo mu; ma menka deɛ mahunu nkyerɛ wo,
I show you—listen to me—And this I have seen and declare,
18 deɛ anyansafoɔ apae mu aka, a wɔamfa biribiara a wɔnya firii wɔn agyanom hɔ no ansie
Which the wise declare—And have not hid—from their fathers.
19 (wɔn a wɔde asase no maa wɔn ɛberɛ a ananafoɔ biara nni hɔ):
To them alone was the land given, And a stranger did not pass over into their midst:
20 Omumuyɛfoɔ kɔ ahohiahia mu ne nkwanna nyinaa. Na basabasayɛni nso, wɔahyehyɛ ne mfeɛ nyinaa ama no.
All [the] days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.
21 Nnyegyeɛ a ɛyɛ hu hyɛ nʼasom ma; na sɛ ɛyɛ sɛ nneɛma rekɔ yie ma no a, akorɔmfoɔ to hyɛ ne so.
A fearful voice [is] in his ears, In peace a destroyer comes to him.
22 Ɔpa aba sɛ ɔbɛdwane afiri esum mu; wɔabɔ no ato hɔ ama akofena.
He does not believe to return from darkness, And he watches for the sword.
23 Ɔkyinkyini hwehwɛ aduane; ɔnim sɛ esum da no abɛn.
He is wandering for bread: Where [is] it? He has known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.
24 Ɔhaw ne ahoyera yi no hu; ɛhyɛ ne so sɛ ɔhene a wasiesie ne ho ama ɔko,
Adversity and distress terrify him, They prevail over him as a king ready for a boaster.
25 ɛfiri sɛ ɔtenetene ne nsa kyerɛ Onyankopɔn na ɔma ne ho so tia Otumfoɔ.
For he stretched out his hand against God, And against the Mighty he makes himself mighty.
26 Wɔde akokyɛm a emu pi na ɛyɛ den kɔ ne so a wɔnsuro no.
He runs to Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.
27 “Ɛwom sɛ sradeɛ ama wɔn afono atotɔ na wɔn asene mu ɛnam agu mmɛbɛ deɛ,
For he has covered his face with his fat, And makes vigor over [his] confidence.
28 nanso wɔbɛtena nkuro a aguo so na wɔatena afie a obi nte mu, afie a ɛrebubu mu.
And he inhabits cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been 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 is not rich, nor does his wealth rise, Nor does he stretch out their continuance on earth.
30 Esum bɛduru wɔn; ogyaframa bɛkusa wɔn mman, na Onyankopɔn anom ahomeguo bɛsoa wɔn akɔ.
He does not turn aside from darkness, A flame dries up his tender branch, And he turns aside at the breath of His mouth!
31 Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔde wɔn ho to nneɛma huhuo so de daadaa wɔn ho, ɛfiri sɛ wɔrennya hwee mfiri mu.
Do not let him put credence in vanity, He has been deceived, For vanity is his exchange.
32 Ansa na wɔn da bɛduru no, wɔbɛtua wɔn ka a ebi renka, na wɔn mman renyɛ frɔmfrɔm.
It is not completed in his day, And his bending branch is not green.
33 Wɔbɛyɛ sɛ bobedua a wɔapore so aba a ɛnnyiniiɛ, te sɛ ngo dua a ne nhyerɛnne repore gu fam.
He shakes off his unripe fruit as a vine, And casts off his blossom as an olive.
34 Na abɔnefoɔ fekuo a wɔnnim Onyankopɔn no renso aba, na ogya bɛhye wɔn a wɔdɔ kɛtɛasehyɛ no ntomadan.
For the company of the profane [is] barren, And fire has consumed tents of bribery.
35 Wɔnyinsɛn ɔhaw na wɔwo amumuyɛ; wɔn awotwaa siesie nnaadaa.”
To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart prepares deceit.”
