Hiob 28
1 Ɛwɔ deɛ wɔtu dwetɛ ne beaeɛ a wɔhoa sika kɔkɔɔ ho.
Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they refine it.
2 Wɔtu dadeɛ firi fam, na wɔnane kɔbere firi dadeben mu.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is melted out of the stone.
3 Onipa ma esum ba awieeɛ; na ɔhwehwɛ kɔ akyirikyiri asase mu kɔpɛ dadeben wɔ esum kabii mu.
He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones 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.
The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten by the foot: they are dried up, they have gone away from men.
5 Asase a ɛbɔ aduane no, wɔnane aseɛ no te sɛ deɛ wɔde ogya na ayɛ;
As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were 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 hath dust of gold.
7 Ɔkɔdeɛ biara nnim saa kwan a ahinta no, akorɔma biara ani nhunuiɛ.
There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen:
8 Mmoa ahantanfoɔ nnante wɔ hɔ na agyata nkɔdɛɛdɛɛ wɔ hɔ.
The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
9 Onipa nsa paapae abotan denden na ɔma mmepɔ ase da hɔ.
He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
10 Ɔtwa aka fa abotan mu, na ɔhunu nʼademudeɛ nyinaa.
He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
11 Ɔhwehwɛ baabi a nsubɔntene ti wɔ na ɔda nneɛma a ahinta adi.
He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid he bringeth 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 knoweth not the price of it; neither 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 depth 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 obtained for gold, neither 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.
The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be 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 pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 Etiopia akarateboɔ ne no nsɛ; wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ kronn ntɔ.
The topaz of Cush shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
20 Ɛnneɛ na ɛhe na nyansa firie? Ɛhe na nteaseɛ teɛ?
Where then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
21 Wɔde asie abɔdeɛ biara ani, wɔde asie ewiem nnomaa mpo.
Seeing it is hid 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 the fame of it with our ears.
23 Onyankopɔn te ɛkwan a ɛkɔ hɔ ase, na ɔno nko ara na ɔnim baabi a ɛteɛ,
God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth its place.
24 ɛfiri sɛ ɔhwɛ kɔduru nsase ano na ɔhunu biribiara a ɛwɔ ɔsoro ase.
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;
25 Ɛberɛ a ɔhyɛɛ mframa ano den too hɔ na ɔsusuu nsuwa no,
To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth 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 did he see it, and declare it; he prepared 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.
