Hiob 28
1 Ɛwɔ deɛ wɔtu dwetɛ ne beaeɛ a wɔhoa sika kɔkɔɔ ho.
Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
2 Wɔtu dadeɛ firi fam, na wɔnane kɔbere firi dadeben mu.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is molten out of the stone.
3 Onipa ma esum ba awieeɛ; na ɔhwehwɛ kɔ akyirikyiri asase mu kɔpɛ dadeben wɔ esum kabii mu.
Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out to the furthest bound the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
4 Baabi a ɛne deɛ ɔdasani teɛ ntam ɛkwan ware no, ɔtu amena de fagudeɛtuo afidie hyɛ hɔ, mmeammea a onipa nan sii hɔ akyɛre baabi a ɛmmɛn nnipa no, ɛhɔ na ɔdi aforosiane.
He breaks open a shaft away from where men sojourn, paths forgotten by the foot. They hang afar from men; they swing to and fro.
5 Asase a ɛbɔ aduane no, wɔnane aseɛ no te sɛ deɛ wɔde ogya na ayɛ;
As for the earth, out of it comes bread, and underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 aboɔdemmoɔ firi nʼabotan mu na sikakɔkɔɔ mpɔ nso wɔ ne mfuturo mu.
The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold.
7 Ɔkɔdeɛ biara nnim saa kwan a ahinta no, akorɔma biara ani nhunuiɛ.
No bird of prey knows that path, nor has the falcon's eye seen it.
8 Mmoa ahantanfoɔ nnante wɔ hɔ na agyata nkɔdɛɛdɛɛ wɔ hɔ.
The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed thereby.
9 Onipa nsa paapae abotan denden na ɔma mmepɔ ase da hɔ.
He puts forth his hand upon the flinty rock. He overturns the mountains by the roots.
10 Ɔtwa aka fa abotan mu, na ɔhunu nʼademudeɛ nyinaa.
He cuts out channels among the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing.
11 Ɔhwehwɛ baabi a nsubɔntene ti wɔ na ɔda nneɛma a ahinta adi.
He binds the streams that they not trickle. And the thing that is hid he brings forth to light.
12 Nanso ɛhe na yɛbɛhunu deɛ nyansa hyɛ? Ɛhe na nteaseɛ teɛ?
But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
13 Onipa renhunu ne bo a ɛsom; wɔrenhunu wɔ ateasefoɔ asase so.
Man does not know the price of it, nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 Na ebunu ka sɛ, “Ɛnni me mu”; na ɛpo nso sɛ, “Ɛnni me nkyɛn.”
The deep says, It is not in me. And the sea says, It is not with me.
15 Wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ amapa ntɔ, na wɔrentumi mfa dwetɛ nkari ne boɔ.
It cannot be gotten for gold, nor shall silver be weighed for the price of it.
16 Wɔrentumi mfa Ofir sikakɔkɔɔ ntɔ apopobibirieboɔ anaa aboɔdemmoɔ nso saa ara.
It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Wɔrentumi mfa ahwehwɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ ntoto ho, na wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ nnwinneɛ nsesa.
Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 Ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛbɔ ahwene panin ne ahwehwɛboɔ din; nyansa boɔ sene nhwene pa.
No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal. Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 Etiopia akarateboɔ ne no nsɛ; wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ kronn ntɔ.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, nor shall it be valued with pure gold.
20 Ɛnneɛ na ɛhe na nyansa firie? Ɛhe na nteaseɛ teɛ?
Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding?
21 Wɔde asie abɔdeɛ biara ani, wɔde asie ewiem nnomaa mpo.
Since it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept closed from the birds of the heavens.
22 Ɔsɛeɛ ne Owuo ka sɛ, “Yɛate no huhuhuhu kɛkɛ.”
Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.
23 Onyankopɔn te ɛkwan a ɛkɔ hɔ ase, na ɔno nko ara na ɔnim baabi a ɛteɛ,
God understands the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
24 ɛfiri sɛ ɔhwɛ kɔduru nsase ano na ɔhunu biribiara a ɛwɔ ɔsoro ase.
For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven,
25 Ɛberɛ a ɔhyɛɛ mframa ano den too hɔ na ɔsusuu nsuwa no,
to make a weight for the wind. Yea, he distributes the waters by measure.
26 ɛberɛ a ɔkaa no ɔhyɛ so kyerɛɛ osutɔ na ɔtwaa ɛkwan maa aprannaa no,
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
27 afei ɔhwɛɛ nyansa na ɔkarii no hwɛeɛ; na ɔgyee no too mu na ɔsɔɔ no hwɛeɛ.
then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yea, and searched it out.
28 Na ɔka kyerɛɛ onipa sɛ, “Awurade suro, ɛno ne nyansa; na sɛ wɔkyiri bɔne a, wowɔ nteaseɛ.”
And to man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.
