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 answer with useless 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.
Indeed, you diminish respect for God; you obstruct devotion to him,
5 Wo bɔne kyerɛ wʼano deɛ ɔnka; na woafa aniteɛ tɛkrɛma.
for your iniquity teaches your mouth; you choose to have the tongue of a crafty man.
6 Wo ankasa wʼano bu wo kumfɔ, ɛnyɛ me deɛ; wʼankasa wʼano di adanseɛ tia wo.
Your own mouth condemns you, not mine; indeed, your own lips testify against you.
7 “Wone onipa a wɔwoo wo dii ɛkan? Wɔwoo wo ansa na wɔrewo nkokoɔ?
Are you the first man that was born? Were you brought into existence before the hills?
8 Wotie Onyankopɔn afotuo anaa? Wo nko ara na wonim nyansa anaa?
Have you heard the secret knowledge of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 Ɛdeɛn na wonim a, yɛnnim? Nhunumu bɛn na wowɔ a yɛnnie?
What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not also 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 who are much older than your 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 you, the words that are gentle toward you?
12 Adɛn enti na wʼakoma atwe wo korɔ adɛn enti na wʼani asɔ ogya,
Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
13 na woadane wʼabofuo agu Onyankopɔn so na woma saa nsɛm yi pue firi wʼano?
so that you turn your spirit against God and bring out such 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 should be clean? What is 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,
See, God puts no trust even in his holy ones; indeed, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
16 na nkantom onipa bɔnefoɔ ne omumuyɛfoɔ a ɔnom awurukasɛm sɛ nsuo.
how much less clean is 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 you; listen to me; I will announce to you the things I have seen,
18 deɛ anyansafoɔ apae mu aka, a wɔamfa biribiara a wɔnya firii wɔn agyanom hɔ no ansie
the things that wise men have passed down from their fathers, the things that their ancestors did not hide.
19 (wɔn a wɔde asase no maa wɔn ɛberɛ a ananafoɔ biara nni hɔ):
These were their ancestors, to whom alone the land was given, and among whom no stranger ever passed.
20 Omumuyɛfoɔ kɔ ahohiahia mu ne nkwanna nyinaa. Na basabasayɛni nso, wɔahyehyɛ ne mfeɛ nyinaa ama no.
The wicked man twists in pain all his days, the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor to suffer.
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; while he is in prosperity, the destroyer will come upon him.
22 Ɔpa aba sɛ ɔbɛdwane afiri esum mu; wɔabɔ no ato hɔ ama akofena.
He does not think that he will return out of darkness; the sword waits for him.
23 Ɔkyinkyini hwehwɛ aduane; ɔnim sɛ esum da no abɛn.
He goes to various places for bread, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that the day of darkness is at 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 battle.
25 ɛfiri sɛ ɔtenetene ne nsa kyerɛ Onyankopɔn na ɔma ne ho so tia Otumfoɔ.
Because he has reached out with his hand against God and has behaved proudly against the Almighty,
26 Wɔde akokyɛm a emu pi na ɛyɛ den kɔ ne so a wɔnsuro no.
this wicked man runs at God with a stiff neck, with a thick shield.
27 “Ɛwom sɛ sradeɛ ama wɔn afono atotɔ na wɔn asene mu ɛnam agu mmɛbɛ deɛ,
This is true, even though he has covered his face with his fat and gathered fat on his loins,
28 nanso wɔbɛtena nkuro a aguo so na wɔatena afie a obi nte mu, afie a ɛrebubu mu.
and has lived in desolate cities; in houses which no man inhabits now and 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 will not be rich; his wealth will not last and his possessions will not spread over the land.
30 Esum bɛduru wɔn; ogyaframa bɛkusa wɔn mman, na Onyankopɔn anom ahomeguo bɛsoa wɔn akɔ.
He will not depart out of darkness; a flame will dry up his stalks; at the breath of God's mouth he will 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 useless things, deceiving himself; for uselessness will be his reward.
32 Ansa na wɔn da bɛduru no, wɔbɛtua wɔn ka a ebi renka, na wɔn mman renyɛ frɔmfrɔm.
It will happen before his time should come to die; his branch will not be green.
33 Wɔbɛyɛ sɛ bobedua a wɔapore so aba a ɛnnyiniiɛ, te sɛ ngo dua a ne nhyerɛnne repore gu fam.
He will drop his unripe grapes like a grapevine; he will cast off his flowers like 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 godless people will be barren; fire will consume their tents of bribery.
35 Wɔnyinsɛn ɔhaw na wɔwo amumuyɛ; wɔn awotwaa siesie nnaadaa.”
They conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity; their womb conceives deceit.”
