Hiob 28
1 Ɛwɔ deɛ wɔtu dwetɛ ne beaeɛ a wɔhoa sika kɔkɔɔ ho.
“Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
2 Wɔtu dadeɛ firi fam, na wɔnane kɔbere firi dadeben mu.
Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
3 Onipa ma esum ba awieeɛ; na ɔhwehwɛ kɔ akyirikyiri asase mu kɔpɛ dadeben wɔ esum kabii mu.
Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest 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.
Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.
5 Asase a ɛbɔ aduane no, wɔnane aseɛ no te sɛ deɛ wɔde ogya na ayɛ;
Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.
6 aboɔdemmoɔ firi nʼabotan mu na sikakɔkɔɔ mpɔ nso wɔ ne mfuturo mu.
Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.
7 Ɔkɔdeɛ biara nnim saa kwan a ahinta no, akorɔma biara ani nhunuiɛ.
No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8 Mmoa ahantanfoɔ nnante wɔ hɔ na agyata nkɔdɛɛdɛɛ wɔ hɔ.
Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
9 Onipa nsa paapae abotan denden na ɔma mmepɔ ase da hɔ.
The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
10 Ɔtwa aka fa abotan mu, na ɔhunu nʼademudeɛ nyinaa.
He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
11 Ɔhwehwɛ baabi a nsubɔntene ti wɔ na ɔda nneɛma a ahinta adi.
He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
12 Nanso ɛhe na yɛbɛhunu deɛ nyansa hyɛ? Ɛhe na nteaseɛ teɛ?
But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
13 Onipa renhunu ne bo a ɛsom; wɔrenhunu wɔ ateasefoɔ asase so.
No man can know its value, 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 ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’
15 Wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ amapa ntɔ, na wɔrentumi mfa dwetɛ nkari ne boɔ.
It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
16 Wɔrentumi mfa Ofir sikakɔkɔɔ ntɔ apopobibirieboɔ anaa aboɔdemmoɔ nso saa ara.
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Wɔrentumi mfa ahwehwɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ ntoto ho, na wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ nnwinneɛ nsesa.
Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
18 Ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛbɔ ahwene panin ne ahwehwɛboɔ din; nyansa boɔ sene nhwene pa.
Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 Etiopia akarateboɔ ne no nsɛ; wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ kronn ntɔ.
Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20 Ɛnneɛ na ɛhe na nyansa firie? Ɛhe na nteaseɛ teɛ?
From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
21 Wɔde asie abɔdeɛ biara ani, wɔde asie ewiem nnomaa mpo.
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 Ɔsɛeɛ ne Owuo ka sɛ, “Yɛate no huhuhuhu kɛkɛ.”
Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
23 Onyankopɔn te ɛkwan a ɛkɔ hɔ ase, na ɔno nko ara na ɔnim baabi a ɛteɛ,
But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
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 everything under the heavens.
25 Ɛberɛ a ɔhyɛɛ mframa ano den too hɔ na ɔsusuu nsuwa no,
When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
26 ɛberɛ a ɔkaa no ɔhyɛ so kyerɛɛ osutɔ na ɔtwaa ɛkwan maa aprannaa no,
when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,
27 afei ɔhwɛɛ nyansa na ɔkarii no hwɛeɛ; na ɔgyee no too mu na ɔsɔɔ no hwɛeɛ.
then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.
28 Na ɔka kyerɛɛ onipa sɛ, “Awurade suro, ɛno ne nyansa; na sɛ wɔkyiri bɔne a, wowɔ nteaseɛ.”
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
