Hiob 28
1 Ɛwɔ deɛ wɔtu dwetɛ ne beaeɛ a wɔhoa sika kɔkɔɔ ho.
Truly there is a vein for silver, And a place for gold, which men refine.
2 Wɔtu dadeɛ firi fam, na wɔnane kɔbere firi dadeben mu.
Iron is obtained from earth, And stone is melted into copper.
3 Onipa ma esum ba awieeɛ; na ɔhwehwɛ kɔ akyirikyiri asase mu kɔpɛ dadeben wɔ esum kabii mu.
Man putteth an end to darkness; He searcheth to the lowest depths For the stone of 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.
From the place where they dwell they open a shaft; Forgotten by the feet, They hang down, they swing away from men.
5 Asase a ɛbɔ aduane no, wɔnane aseɛ no te sɛ deɛ wɔde ogya na ayɛ;
The earth, out of which cometh bread, Is torn up underneath, as it were by fire.
6 aboɔdemmoɔ firi nʼabotan mu na sikakɔkɔɔ mpɔ nso wɔ ne mfuturo mu.
Her stones are the place of sapphires, And she hath clods of gold for man.
7 Ɔkɔdeɛ biara nnim saa kwan a ahinta no, akorɔma biara ani nhunuiɛ.
The path thereto no bird knoweth, And the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
8 Mmoa ahantanfoɔ nnante wɔ hɔ na agyata nkɔdɛɛdɛɛ wɔ hɔ.
The fierce wild beast hath not trodden it; The lion hath not passed over it.
9 Onipa nsa paapae abotan denden na ɔma mmepɔ ase da hɔ.
Man layeth his hand upon the rock; He upturneth mountains from their roots;
10 Ɔtwa aka fa abotan mu, na ɔhunu nʼademudeɛ nyinaa.
He cleaveth out streams in the rocks, And his eye seeth every precious thing;
11 Ɔhwehwɛ baabi a nsubɔntene ti wɔ na ɔda nneɛma a ahinta adi.
He bindeth up the streams, that they trickle not, And bringeth hidden things 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 knoweth not the price thereof, Nor can it be found in the land of the living.
14 Na ebunu ka sɛ, “Ɛnni me mu”; na ɛpo nso sɛ, “Ɛnni me nkyɛn.”
The deep saith, It is not in me; And the sea saith, 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 out as the price thereof.
16 Wɔrentumi mfa Ofir sikakɔkɔɔ ntɔ apopobibirieboɔ anaa aboɔdemmoɔ nso saa ara.
It cannot be bought 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 crystal are not to be compared with it; Nor can it be purchased with 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; For wisdom is more precious than pearls.
19 Etiopia akarateboɔ ne no nsɛ; wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ kronn ntɔ.
The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be purchased with pure gold.
20 Ɛnneɛ na ɛhe na nyansa firie? Ɛhe na nteaseɛ teɛ?
Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?
21 Wɔde asie abɔdeɛ biara ani, wɔde asie ewiem nnomaa mpo.
Since it is hidden from the eyes of all living, And kept close from the fowls of the air.
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 knoweth the way to it; He knoweth its dwelling-place.
24 ɛfiri sɛ ɔhwɛ kɔduru nsase ano na ɔhunu biribiara a ɛwɔ ɔsoro ase.
For he seeth to the ends of the earth, And surveyeth all things under the whole heaven.
25 Ɛberɛ a ɔhyɛɛ mframa ano den too hɔ na ɔsusuu nsuwa no,
When he gave the winds their weight, And meted out the waters by measure;
26 ɛberɛ a ɔkaa no ɔhyɛ so kyerɛɛ osutɔ na ɔtwaa ɛkwan maa aprannaa no,
When he prescribed a law to the rain, And a path to the thunder-flash, —
27 afei ɔhwɛɛ nyansa na ɔkarii no hwɛeɛ; na ɔgyee no too mu na ɔsɔɔ no hwɛeɛ.
Then did he see it, and make it known; 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.”
But he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.
