Hiob 28
1 Ɛwɔ deɛ wɔtu dwetɛ ne beaeɛ a wɔhoa sika kɔkɔɔ ho.
For there is a place for the silver, whence it comes, and a place for the gold, whence it is refined.
2 Wɔtu dadeɛ firi fam, na wɔnane kɔbere firi dadeben mu.
For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone.
3 Onipa ma esum ba awieeɛ; na ɔhwehwɛ kɔ akyirikyiri asase mu kɔpɛ dadeben wɔ esum kabii mu.
He has set a bound to darkness, and he searches out every limit: a stone [is] darkness, and the shadow of death.
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.
There is a cutting off the torrent by reason of dust: so they that forget the right way are weakened; they are removed from [among] men.
5 Asase a ɛbɔ aduane no, wɔnane aseɛ no te sɛ deɛ wɔde ogya na ayɛ;
[As for] the earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were fire.
6 aboɔdemmoɔ firi nʼabotan mu na sikakɔkɔɔ mpɔ nso wɔ ne mfuturo mu.
Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and [her] dust [supplies] man with gold.
7 Ɔkɔdeɛ biara nnim saa kwan a ahinta no, akorɔma biara ani nhunuiɛ.
[There is] a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it:
8 Mmoa ahantanfoɔ nnante wɔ hɔ na agyata nkɔdɛɛdɛɛ wɔ hɔ.
neither have the sons of the proud trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it.
9 Onipa nsa paapae abotan denden na ɔma mmepɔ ase da hɔ.
He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp [rock], and turned up mountains by the roots:
10 Ɔtwa aka fa abotan mu, na ɔhunu nʼademudeɛ nyinaa.
and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.
11 Ɔhwehwɛ baabi a nsubɔntene ti wɔ na ɔda nneɛma a ahinta adi.
And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light.
12 Nanso ɛhe na yɛbɛhunu deɛ nyansa hyɛ? Ɛhe na nteaseɛ teɛ?
But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?
13 Onipa renhunu ne bo a ɛsom; wɔrenhunu wɔ ateasefoɔ asase so.
A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered among men.
14 Na ebunu ka sɛ, “Ɛnni me mu”; na ɛpo nso sɛ, “Ɛnni me nkyɛn.”
The depth said, It is not in me: and the sea said, It is not with me.
15 Wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ amapa ntɔ, na wɔrentumi mfa dwetɛ nkari ne boɔ.
One shall not give fine gold instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 Wɔrentumi mfa Ofir sikakɔkɔɔ ntɔ apopobibirieboɔ anaa aboɔdemmoɔ nso saa ara.
Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire.
17 Wɔrentumi mfa ahwehwɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ ntoto ho, na wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ nnwinneɛ nsesa.
Gold and crystal shall not be equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange.
18 Ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛbɔ ahwene panin ne ahwehwɛboɔ din; nyansa boɔ sene nhwene pa.
Coral and fine pearl shall not be mentioned: but do you esteem wisdom above the most precious things.
19 Etiopia akarateboɔ ne no nsɛ; wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ kronn ntɔ.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equalled to it; it shall not be compared with pure gold.
20 Ɛnneɛ na ɛhe na nyansa firie? Ɛhe na nteaseɛ teɛ?
Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind is the place of understanding?
21 Wɔde asie abɔdeɛ biara ani, wɔde asie ewiem nnomaa mpo.
It has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.
22 Ɔsɛeɛ ne Owuo ka sɛ, “Yɛate no huhuhuhu kɛkɛ.”
Destruction and Death said, We have heard the report of it.
23 Onyankopɔn te ɛkwan a ɛkɔ hɔ ase, na ɔno nko ara na ɔnim baabi a ɛteɛ,
God has well ordered 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 surveys the whole [earth] under heaven, knowing the things in the earth:
25 Ɛberɛ a ɔhyɛɛ mframa ano den too hɔ na ɔsusuu nsuwa no,
all that he has made; the weight of the winds, the measures of the water.
26 ɛberɛ a ɔkaa no ɔhyɛ so kyerɛɛ osutɔ na ɔtwaa ɛkwan maa aprannaa no,
When he made [them], thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way for the pealing 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 prepared it [and] traced 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, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.
