Hiob 38
1 Afei, Awurade firi ahum mu buaa Hiob sɛ,
Then Yahweh called to Job out of a fierce storm and said,
2 “Hwan ne deɛ ɔde nsɛm a nimdeɛ nni mu katakata mʼafotuo so?
“Who is this who brings darkness to plans by means of words without knowledge?
3 Hyɛ wo ho den sɛ ɔbarima; mɛbisa wo nsɛm, na wobɛyi mʼano.
Now gird up your loins like a man for I will ask you questions, 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 earth's foundations? Tell me, if you have so much understanding.
5 Hwan na ɔsusuu ne tenten ne ne tɛtrɛtɛ? Ampa ara wonim! Hwan na ɔtwee susuhoma faa ani?
Who determined its dimensions? Tell me, if you know. Who stretched the measuring line over it?
6 Ɛdeɛn so na ɛgyina, anaasɛ hwan na ɔtoo ne tweatiboɔ no,
On what were its foundations laid? Who laid its cornerstone
7 ɛberɛ a anɔpa nsoromma bɔɔ mu too dwom, na abɔfoɔ nyinaa de anigyeɛ teaam no?
when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 “Hwan na ɔkaa ɛpo hyɛɛ apono akyi, ɛberɛ a ɛpue firii yafunu mu,
Who shut up the sea with doors when it burst out, as if it had come out of the womb—
9 ɛberɛ a mede omununkum yɛɛ nʼaduradeɛ na mede esum kabii kyekyeree noɔ,
when I made clouds its clothing, and thick darkness its swaddling bands?
10 ɛberɛ a metoo hyeɛ maa noɔ na mesisii nʼapono ne nʼadaban,
That was when I marked out for the sea my boundary, and when I placed its bars and doors,
11 ɛberɛ a mekaa sɛ, ‘Ɛha ara na wobɛduru, ɛntra ha; ɛha na wʼahantan asorɔkyeɛ no mmɛso’?
and when I said to it, 'You may come this far, but no farther; here is where I will put a boundary to the pride of your waves.'
12 “Woahyɛ mmara ama adekyeeɛ da? Anaa woakyerɛ no nʼafa,
Have you given orders to the morning, or caused the dawn to know its place,
13 sɛ ɛnkɔka asase ano na ɛntu amumuyɛfoɔ mfiri so?
so that it might take hold of the edges of the earth and shake the wicked out of it?
14 Asase fa ne bɔberɛ sɛ dɔteɛ a ɛhyɛ nsɔano ase; na ɛso tebea da adi te sɛ atadeɛ.
The earth is changed in appearance like clay changes under a seal; all things on it stand out clearly like the folds of a piece of clothing.
15 Wɔde amumuyɛfoɔ hann akame wɔn, na wɔn abasa a wɔapagya no mu abu.
From wicked people their 'light' is taken away; their uplifted arm is broken.
16 “Woapɛɛpɛɛ mu ahunu nsutire a ɛpo firi mu ba anaa woanante ne bunu mu?
Have you gone to the sources of the waters of the sea? Have you walked in the lowest parts of the deep?
17 Wɔde owuo apono akyerɛ wo? Woahunu owuo sunsumma apono anaa?
Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?
18 Woate ewiase a ɛda hɔ hahanaa no ase anaa? Sɛ wonim yeinom nyinaa a, ka kyerɛ me.
Have you understood the earth in its expanse? Tell me, if you know it all.
19 “Ɛhe na hann firi ba? Na ɛhe na esum nso kɔ?
Where is the way to the resting place of light— as for darkness, where is its place?
20 Wobɛtumi de wɔn akɔ wɔn siberɛ? Wonim akwan a ɛkɔ wɔn atenaeɛ?
Can you lead light and darkness to their places of work? Can you find the way back to their houses for them?
21 Ampa ara wonim, ɛfiri sɛ na woawo wo dada. Woanyini yie!
Undoubtedly you know, for you were born then; the number of your days is so large!
22 “Woakɔ sukyerɛmma adekoradan mu da, anaa woahunu asukɔtweaa adekoradan
Have you entered the storehouses for the snow, or have you seen the storehouses for the hail,
23 a makora so ama ahohiahia berɛ, ɔsa ne akodie nna?
these things that I have kept for times of trouble, for days of battle and war?
24 Ɛkwan bɛn na ɛkɔ baabi a anyinam firi ba, anaa baabi a apueeɛ mframa firi na ɛbɔ fa asase so?
What is the path to where the lightning bolts are distributed or to where the winds are scattered from the east over the earth?
25 Hwan na ɔtwaa ɛka maa osubransam, ne ɛkwan maa aprannaa mmobom,
Who has created the channels for the floods of rain, or who has made a path for the thunder,
26 sɛ ɛbɛtɔ agu asase a obiara nte soɔ so, anweatam a obiara nni soɔ,
to cause it to rain on lands where no person exists, and on the wilderness, in which there is no one,
27 na ama asase bonini a ɛyɛ wesee yi afɔ na ɛserɛ afifiri so?
to satisfy the devastated and desolate places, and to make the ground sprout with grass?
28 Osutɔ wɔ agya anaa? Hwan na ɔyɛ agya ma obosuo?
Does the rain have a father, or, who fathers the drops of dew?
29 Hwan yafunu mu na nsukyeneeɛ fire? Hwan na ɔwoo nsukyeneeɛ mporoporowa firi soro
Out of whose womb did the ice come? Who bore the white frost out of the sky?
30 ɛberɛ a nsuo kyene dane sɛ ɛboɔ, na ebunu ani kyene?
The waters hide themselves and become like stone; the surface of the deep becomes frozen.
31 “Wobɛtumi de ahoma akyekyere Akokɔbaatan ne ne mma? Wobɛtumi asane Nwenwenente nhoma anaa?
Can you fasten chains on the Pleiades, or undo the cords of Orion?
32 Wobɛtumi de anɔpa nsoromma aba wɔ ne berɛ mu anaasɛ wobɛtumi ayi sisire ne ne mma afiri hɔ?
Can you lead the constellations to appear at their proper times? Can you guide the Bear with its children?
33 Wonim mmara a ɛfa ewiem ho? Wobɛtumi de Onyankopɔn ahennie aba asase so?
Do you know the regulations of the sky? Could you set in place the sky's rule over the earth?
34 “Wobɛtumi ama wo nne aduru omununkum so na wode nsuo akata wo ho anaa?
Can you raise your voice up to the clouds, so that an abundance of rainwater may cover you?
35 Wobɛtumi ama anyinam atwa? Wɔbɛka akyerɛ wo sɛ, ‘Yɛnnie anaa’?
Can you send out bolts of lightning that they may go out, that they say to you, 'Here we are'?
36 Hwan na ɔde nyansa ma akoma anaasɛ ɔde nteaseɛ hyɛ adwene mu.
Who has put wisdom in the clouds or has given understanding to the mists?
37 Hwan na ɔwɔ nyansa a wɔde kan omununkum? Hwan na ɔbɛtumi akyea ɔsoro nsuo nkotokuo,
Who can number the clouds by his skill? Who can pour out the water skins of the sky
38 ɛberɛ a mfuturo ayɛ den ama dɔteɛ atɔatɔ keka bɔ mu.
when the dust runs into a hard mass and the clods of earth clump tightly together?
39 “Wokɔ ahayɔ ma gyatabereɛ ma agyata didi mee
Can you hunt down a victim for a lioness or satisfy the appetite of her young lion cubs
40 ɛberɛ a wɔbutubutu wɔn abɔn ano anaasɛ wɔtetɛ nnɔtɔ ase?
when they are crouching in their dens and sheltering in hiding to lie in wait?
41 Hwan na ɔma anene aduane ɛberɛ a ne mma su frɛ Onyankopɔn na wɔkyinkyini pɛ aduane?
Who provides victims for the ravens when their young ones cry out to God and stagger about for lack of food?
