Hiob 15
1 Na Temanni Elifas buaa sɛ,
And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
2 “Enti onyansafoɔ de nsɛm a aba biara nni muo bɛyi nʼano anaasɛ ɔde apueeɛ mframa a emu yɛ hye bɛhyɛ nʼafuru ma?
Doth a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill [with] an east wind his belly?
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.
Yea, thou dost make reverence void, And dost diminish meditation before God.
5 Wo bɔne kyerɛ wʼano deɛ ɔnka; na woafa aniteɛ tɛkrɛma.
For thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity, And thou chooseth the tongue of the subtile.
6 Wo ankasa wʼano bu wo kumfɔ, ɛnyɛ me deɛ; wʼankasa wʼano di adanseɛ tia wo.
Thy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee.
7 “Wone onipa a wɔwoo wo dii ɛkan? Wɔwoo wo ansa na wɔrewo nkokoɔ?
The first man art thou born? And before the heights wast thou formed?
8 Wotie Onyankopɔn afotuo anaa? Wo nko ara na wonim nyansa anaa?
Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom?
9 Ɛdeɛn na wonim a, yɛnnim? Nhunumu bɛn na wowɔ a yɛnnie?
What hast thou known, and we know not? Understandest thou — 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 thy father [in] days.
11 Onyankopɔn awerɛkyekyerɛ ne nsɛm a wɔka no brɛoo kyerɛ wo no sua ma wo anaa?
Too few for thee are the comforts of God? And a gentle word [is] with thee,
12 Adɛn enti na wʼakoma atwe wo korɔ adɛn enti na wʼani asɔ ogya,
What — doth thine heart take thee away? And what — are thine eyes high?
13 na woadane wʼabofuo agu Onyankopɔn so na woma saa nsɛm yi pue firi wʼano?
For thou turnest against God thy spirit? And hast brought out words from 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 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,
Lo, in His holy ones He putteth no credence, 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 as water perverseness.
17 “Tie me, na mɛkyerɛ wo mu; ma menka deɛ mahunu nkyerɛ wo,
I shew thee — hearken 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 passed not over into their midst:
20 Omumuyɛfoɔ kɔ ahohiahia mu ne nkwanna nyinaa. Na basabasayɛni nso, wɔahyehyɛ ne mfeɛ nyinaa ama no.
'All 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 doth a destroyer come to him.
22 Ɔpa aba sɛ ɔbɛdwane afiri esum mu; wɔabɔ no ato hɔ ama akofena.
He believeth not to return from darkness, And watched [is] he for the sword.
23 Ɔkyinkyini hwehwɛ aduane; ɔnim sɛ esum da no abɛn.
He is wandering for bread — 'Where [is] it?' He hath 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,
Terrify him do adversity and distress, 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 against God his hand, And against the Mighty he maketh himself mighty.
26 Wɔde akokyɛm a emu pi na ɛyɛ den kɔ ne so a wɔnsuro no.
He runneth unto 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 hath covered his face with his fat, And maketh vigour over [his] confidence.
28 nanso wɔbɛtena nkuro a aguo so na wɔatena afie a obi nte mu, afie a ɛrebubu mu.
And he inhabiteth 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 doth his wealth rise, Nor doth he stretch out on earth their continuance.
30 Esum bɛduru wɔn; ogyaframa bɛkusa wɔn mman, na Onyankopɔn anom ahomeguo bɛsoa wɔn akɔ.
He turneth not aside from darkness, His tender branch doth a flame dry up, And he turneth 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.
Let him not put credence in vanity, He hath been deceived, For vanity is his recompence.
32 Ansa na wɔn da bɛduru no, wɔbɛtua wɔn ka a ebi renka, na wɔn mman renyɛ frɔmfrɔm.
Not in his day is it completed, 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 shaketh off as a vine his unripe fruit, And casteth off as an olive his blossom.
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] gloomy, And fire hath consumed tents of bribery.
35 Wɔnyinsɛn ɔhaw na wɔwo amumuyɛ; wɔn awotwaa siesie nnaadaa.”
To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart doth prepare deceit.
