Hiob 34
1 Afei Elihu kaa sɛ,
Moreover, Elihu continued to speak:
2 “Mo anyansafoɔ, montie me nsɛm; mo animdefoɔ monyɛ aso mma me.
“Listen to my words, you wise men; hear me, you who have knowledge.
3 Ɛfiri sɛ aso sɔ nsɛm hwɛ sɛdeɛ tɛkrɛma ka aduane hwɛ no.
For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food.
4 Momma yɛnsese nhunu deɛ ɛyɛ ma yɛn. Momma yɛn nyinaa mmɔ mu nsua deɛ ɛyɛ.
Let us choose for ourselves what is just: let us discover among ourselves what is good.
5 “Hiob kaa sɛ, ‘Me ho nni asɛm, nanso Onyankopɔn abu me ntɛnkyea.
For Job has said, 'I am righteous, but God has taken away my rights.
6 Ɛwom sɛ mʼasɛm da ɛkwan mu, nanso, wɔbu me ɔtorofoɔ; ɛwom sɛ menyɛɛ bɔne biara, nanso ne bɛmma no ama me apirakuro a ɛnnwu da.’
Regardless of my rights, I am considered to be a liar. My wound is incurable, although I am without sin.'
7 Onipa bɛn na ɔte sɛ Hiob a ɔnom animtiabuo sɛ nsuo?
What man is like Job, who drinks up mockery like water,
8 Ɔne amumuyɛfoɔ nante; na ɔne atirimuɔdenfoɔ nso bɔ.
who goes around in the company of those who do evil, and who walks with wicked men?
9 Ɛfiri sɛ ɔka sɛ, ‘Sɛ onipa bɔ mmɔden sɛ ɔbɛsɔ Onyankopɔn ani a ɔnnya ho mfasoɔ biara.’
For he has said, 'It is no use to a person to take pleasure in doing what God wants.'
10 “Enti mo mmarima a mowɔ nteaseɛ montie me. Ɛmpare Onyankopɔn sɛ ɔbɛyɛ bɔne, sɛ Otumfoɔ no bɛyɛ mfomsoɔ.
So listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness; far be it from the Almighty that he should commit sin.
11 Nnipa nneyɛeɛ so na ɔhwɛ tua wɔn ka; deɛ ɛfata ne nneyɛeɛ na ɔma ɛba ne so.
For he pays back a person's work; he makes every man come upon the reward of his own ways.
12 Ɛmfata sɛ wɔde mfomsoɔ susu Onyankopɔn, na ɛmfata sɛ wɔde ntɛnkyea susu Otumfoɔ.
Indeed, God does nothing wicked, nor does the Almighty ever pervert justice.
13 Hwan na ɔde no sii asase so? Hwan na ɔde ewiase nyinaa hyɛɛ ne nsa?
Who put him in charge over the earth? Who put the whole world under him?
14 Sɛ ɛyɛɛ ne pɛ na ɔyii ne Honhom ne nʼahome a,
If he ever set his intentions only on himself, and if he ever gathered back to himself his spirit and his breath,
15 anka adasamma nyinaa bɛbɔ mu ayera, na onipa bɛsane akɔ mfuturo mu.
then all flesh would perish together; mankind would return to dust again.
16 “Sɛ mowɔ nhunumu a, montie yei; montie deɛ meka.
If now you have understanding, listen to this; listen to the sound of my words.
17 Obi a ɔkyiri atɛntenenee bɛtumi adi nnipa so? Mobɛtumi abu Ɔteneneeni kɛseɛ no fɔ anaa?
Can one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn God, who is righteous and mighty?
18 Ɛnyɛ Ɔno na ɔka kyerɛ ahemfo sɛ, ‘Mo ho nni mfasoɔ,’ na ɔka kyerɛɛ atitire sɛ, ‘Moyɛ atirimuɔdenfoɔ’?
God, who says to a king, 'You are vile,' or says to nobles, 'You are wicked'?
19 Ɔnhwɛ mmapɔmma anim na ɔnyiyi adefoɔ ne ahiafoɔ mu, ɛfiri sɛ wɔn nyinaa yɛ ne nsa ano adwuma.
God, who does not show favoritism to leaders and does not acknowledge rich people more than poor, for they all are the work of his hands.
20 Wɔwuwu mmerɛ tiawa bi mu, wɔ anadwo dasuo mu; nnipa no ho woso na wɔsene kɔ; ahoɔdenfoɔ totɔ a ɛmfiri onipa.
In a moment they will die; at midnight people will be shaken and will pass away; mighty people will be taken away, but not by human hands.
21 “Nʼani hwɛ nnipa akwan; na ɔhunu wɔn anammɔntuo biara.
For God's eyes are upon a person's ways; he sees all his steps.
22 Baabiara nni hɔ a aduru sum, esum kabii, a amumuyɛfoɔ bɛtumi ahinta.
There is no darkness, no thick gloom where the doers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 Ɛho nhia Onyankopɔn sɛ ɔbɛhwehwɛ nnipa mu bio, a enti ɛsɛ sɛ wɔba nʼanim bɛgye atemmuo.
For God does not need to examine a person further; there is no need for any person to go before him in judgment.
24 Ɔbobɔ aberempɔn gu a ɔnyɛ nhwehwɛmu biara, na ɔde afoforɔ sisi wɔn ananmu.
He breaks mighty men into pieces for their ways that need no further investigation; he puts others in their places.
25 Ɛfiri sɛ ɔhunu wɔn nneyɛeɛ, ɔtu wɔn gu anadwo na wɔdwerɛ wɔn.
In this way he has knowledge of their deeds; he overthrows these people in the night; they are destroyed.
26 Ɔtua wɔn amumuyɛsɛm so ka wɔ baabi a obiara bɛtumi ahunu wɔn,
In the open sight of others, he kills them for their wicked deeds like criminals
27 ɛfiri sɛ, wɔmane firii nʼakyi kɔeɛ na wɔampɛ nʼakwan biara anhwɛ.
because they turned away from following him and refused to acknowledge any of his ways.
28 Wɔmaa ahiafoɔ sufrɛ duruu nʼanim na ɛma ɔtee mmɔborɔni su.
In this way, they made the cry of poor people come to him; he heard the cry of afflicted people.
29 Nanso sɛ ɔyɛ komm a, hwan na ɔbɛtumi abu no fɔ? Sɛ ɔde nʼanim hinta nso a, hwan na ɔbɛhunu no? Nanso ɔdi onipa ne ɔman so pɛpɛɛpɛ,
When he stays silent, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can perceive him? He rules over nation and individual alike,
30 ɔmma onipa a ɔnnim Onyame nni ɔhene, sɛdeɛ wɔnnsum nnipa no mfidie.
so that a godless man may not rule, so that there may be no one to entrap people.
31 “Adɛn enti na onipa nka nkyerɛ Onyankopɔn sɛ, ‘Mayɛ bɔne na merenyɛ bɔne bio.
Suppose someone says to God, 'I am certainly guilty, but I will not sin any longer;
32 Kyerɛ me na menhunu; na sɛ mayɛ bɔne a, merenyɛ saa bio.’
teach me what I cannot see; I have committed sin, but I will do it no longer.'
33 Ɛsɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn gyina deɛ wode wʼano aka so tua wo ka, wɔ ɛberɛ a woayɛ sɛ worennu wo ho anaa? Ɛsɛ sɛ wosi gyinaeɛ, ɛnyɛ me; enti ka deɛ wonim kyerɛ me.
Do you think that God will punish that person's sin, since you dislike what God does? You must choose, not I. So say what it is that you know.
34 “Nnipa a wɔwɔ nteaseɛ pae mu ka, animdefoɔ a wɔtie me ka kyerɛ me sɛ,
Men of understanding will say to me— indeed, every wise man who hears me will say,
35 ‘Hiob nnkasa nimdeɛ kwan so; aba biara nni ne kasa mu.’
'Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without wisdom.'
36 Ao, sɛ wɔsɔɔ Hiob hwɛeɛ kɔɔ akyiri a anka ɛyɛ, ɛfiri sɛ ɔyiyii nsɛm ano sɛ omumuyɛfoɔ!
If only Job were put on trial in the smallest details of his case because of his talking like wicked men.
37 Ɔde atuateɛ ka ne bɔne ho; ɔde ahantan bɔ ne nsam gu yɛn so na ɔma ne nsɛm a ɔka tia Onyankopɔn no dɔɔso.”
For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands in mockery in our midst; he piles up words against God.”
