Hiob 38
1 Afei, Awurade firi ahum mu buaa Hiob sɛ,
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,
2 “Hwan ne deɛ ɔde nsɛm a nimdeɛ nni mu katakata mʼafotuo so?
“Who is this who questions my wisdom by talking so ignorantly?
3 Hyɛ wo ho den sɛ ɔbarima; mɛbisa wo nsɛm, na wobɛyi mʼano.
Prepare yourself, be strong, for I am going to question you, and you must answer me.
4 “Ɛberɛ a metoo asase fapem no, na wowɔ he? Sɛ wonim a, ka ɛ.
Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have such knowledge!
5 Hwan na ɔsusuu ne tenten ne ne tɛtrɛtɛ? Ampa ara wonim! Hwan na ɔtwee susuhoma faa ani?
Who decided its dimensions? Don't you know? Who stretched out a measuring line?
6 Ɛdeɛn so na ɛgyina, anaasɛ hwan na ɔtoo ne tweatiboɔ no,
What do its foundations rest upon? Who laid its cornerstone,
7 ɛberɛ a anɔpa nsoromma bɔɔ mu too dwom, na abɔfoɔ nyinaa de anigyeɛ teaam no?
when the stars of the morning sang together and all the angels shouted for joy.
8 “Hwan na ɔkaa ɛpo hyɛɛ apono akyi, ɛberɛ a ɛpue firii yafunu mu,
Who laid down the boundaries of the sea when it was born?
9 ɛberɛ a mede omununkum yɛɛ nʼaduradeɛ na mede esum kabii kyekyeree noɔ,
Who clothed it with clouds, and wrapped it in a blanket of deep darkness?
10 ɛberɛ a metoo hyeɛ maa noɔ na mesisii nʼapono ne nʼadaban,
I set its limits, marking its borders.
11 ɛberɛ a mekaa sɛ, ‘Ɛha ara na wobɛduru, ɛntra ha; ɛha na wʼahantan asorɔkyeɛ no mmɛso’?
I said, ‘You may come here, but no farther. Here is where your proud waves stop.’
12 “Woahyɛ mmara ama adekyeeɛ da? Anaa woakyerɛ no nʼafa,
During your lifetime, have you ever ordered the morning to begin?
13 sɛ ɛnkɔka asase ano na ɛntu amumuyɛfoɔ mfiri so?
Have you ever told the dawn where to appear that it might take hold of the corners of the earth and shake the wicked out?
14 Asase fa ne bɔberɛ sɛ dɔteɛ a ɛhyɛ nsɔano ase; na ɛso tebea da adi te sɛ atadeɛ.
The earth is changed like clay under a seal; its features stand out like a crumpled garment.
15 Wɔde amumuyɛfoɔ hann akame wɔn, na wɔn abasa a wɔapagya no mu abu.
The ‘light’ of the wicked is taken away from them; their acts of violence are stopped.
16 “Woapɛɛpɛɛ mu ahunu nsutire a ɛpo firi mu ba anaa woanante ne bunu mu?
Have you entered the sources of the sea? Have you explored their hidden depths?
17 Wɔde owuo apono akyerɛ wo? Woahunu owuo sunsumma apono anaa?
Have you been shown where the gates of death are? Have you seen the gates of utter darkness?
18 Woate ewiase a ɛda hɔ hahanaa no ase anaa? Sɛ wonim yeinom nyinaa a, ka kyerɛ me.
Do you know how far the earth extends? Tell me if you know all this!
19 “Ɛhe na hann firi ba? Na ɛhe na esum nso kɔ?
In which direction does light live? Where does darkness dwell?
20 Wobɛtumi de wɔn akɔ wɔn siberɛ? Wonim akwan a ɛkɔ wɔn atenaeɛ?
Can you take them home? Do you know the way to where they live?
21 Ampa ara wonim, ɛfiri sɛ na woawo wo dada. Woanyini yie!
Of course you know, because you were already born then! You've lived so long!
22 “Woakɔ sukyerɛmma adekoradan mu da, anaa woahunu asukɔtweaa adekoradan
Have you been to where the snow is kept? Have you seen where the hail is held?
23 a makora so ama ahohiahia berɛ, ɔsa ne akodie nna?
I have stored them up for the time of trouble, for the day of war and battle.
24 Ɛkwan bɛn na ɛkɔ baabi a anyinam firi ba, anaa baabi a apueeɛ mframa firi na ɛbɔ fa asase so?
Do you know the way to where light comes from, or to where the east wind blows over the earth?
25 Hwan na ɔtwaa ɛka maa osubransam, ne ɛkwan maa aprannaa mmobom,
Who cuts a channel for the rain to flow? Who creates a path for the thunderbolt?
26 sɛ ɛbɛtɔ agu asase a obiara nte soɔ so, anweatam a obiara nni soɔ,
Who brings rain to an uninhabited land, to a desert where nobody lives,
27 na ama asase bonini a ɛyɛ wesee yi afɔ na ɛserɛ afifiri so?
to water a parched wasteland to make the green grass grow?
28 Osutɔ wɔ agya anaa? Hwan na ɔyɛ agya ma obosuo?
Does the rain have a father? Who was the father of the dewdrops?
29 Hwan yafunu mu na nsukyeneeɛ fire? Hwan na ɔwoo nsukyeneeɛ mporoporowa firi soro
Who was the mother of ice? Does the frost of the air have a mother?
30 ɛberɛ a nsuo kyene dane sɛ ɛboɔ, na ebunu ani kyene?
Water turns into rock-hard ice; its surface freezes solid.
31 “Wobɛtumi de ahoma akyekyere Akokɔbaatan ne ne mma? Wobɛtumi asane Nwenwenente nhoma anaa?
Can you tie together the stars of the Pleiades? Can you loosen the belt of the Orion constellation?
32 Wobɛtumi de anɔpa nsoromma aba wɔ ne berɛ mu anaasɛ wobɛtumi ayi sisire ne ne mma afiri hɔ?
Can you guide the stars of Mazzaroth at the right time? Can you direct the Great Bear constellation and its other stars?
33 Wonim mmara a ɛfa ewiem ho? Wobɛtumi de Onyankopɔn ahennie aba asase so?
Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you apply them to the earth?
34 “Wobɛtumi ama wo nne aduru omununkum so na wode nsuo akata wo ho anaa?
Can you shout to the clouds and command them to pour rain down on you?
35 Wobɛtumi ama anyinam atwa? Wɔbɛka akyerɛ wo sɛ, ‘Yɛnnie anaa’?
Can you send out bolts of lightning and direct them, so that they can answer you saying, ‘Here we are’?
36 Hwan na ɔde nyansa ma akoma anaasɛ ɔde nteaseɛ hyɛ adwene mu.
Who has placed wisdom inside people? Who has given understanding to the mind?
37 Hwan na ɔwɔ nyansa a wɔde kan omununkum? Hwan na ɔbɛtumi akyea ɔsoro nsuo nkotokuo,
Who is clever enough to count the clouds? Who can turn heaven's water jars on their sides
38 ɛberɛ a mfuturo ayɛ den ama dɔteɛ atɔatɔ keka bɔ mu.
when the dust has baked into a solid mass?
39 “Wokɔ ahayɔ ma gyatabereɛ ma agyata didi mee
Can you hunt prey for the lion? Can you feed the lion cubs
40 ɛberɛ a wɔbutubutu wɔn abɔn ano anaasɛ wɔtetɛ nnɔtɔ ase?
as they crouch down in their dens and lie in wait in the bushes?
41 Hwan na ɔma anene aduane ɛberɛ a ne mma su frɛ Onyankopɔn na wɔkyinkyini pɛ aduane?
Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God, weak from starvation?
