Hiob 4
1 Na Temanni Elifas buaa Hiob sɛ,
Then Eliphaz, from Teman, replied to Job. He said,
2 “Sɛ obi pɛ sɛ ɔne wo kasa a, worennya ntoboaseɛ mma no anaa? Hwan na wɔbɛtumi aka nʼano ato mu?
“Will you please let me say something to you? I am not [RHQ] able to remain silent [any longer].
3 Dwene sɛdeɛ wakyerɛkyerɛ nnipa bebree, sɛdeɛ woahyɛ nsa a emu ayɛ mmerɛ den.
In the past, you have instructed/taught many people, and you have encouraged those who were weak.
4 Wo nsɛm ahyɛ wɔn a wɔasunti no den; woahyɛ nkotodwe a ayɛ mmerɛ mu den.
By what you said, you have helped those who (needed spiritual help/almost quit trusting in God) [MET], and you have enabled them to become spiritually strong again [MET].
5 Na afei a ɔhaw aba no, wʼaba mu abu; aba wo so, na wo ho adwiri wo.
But now, when you experience disasters, you become discouraged. The disasters hit you, and you are stunned.
6 Wo nyamesuro mma wo ahotosoɔ anaa, na wʼakwan a ɛho nni asɛm mma wo anidasoɔ anaa?
You revere God; (does that not cause you to trust [in him]?/that should cause you to trust [in him].) [RHQ] If you were guiltless, you would [RHQ] be confident that [God] would not [have allowed] these disasters [to] happen to you!
7 “Dwene ho: Wɔasɛe obi a ne ho nni asɛm pɛn anaa? Ɛhefa na wɔsɛee obi a ɔyɛ pɛ?
Think about this: Do innocent people die [while they are still young] [RHQ]? Does God get rid of godly people [RHQ]? [No!]
8 Sɛdeɛ mahunu no, wɔn a wɔfɛntɛm bɔne ne wɔn a wɔdua ɔhaw no, wɔtwa so aba.
What I have experienced is this: [Just as] [MET] farmers who plant bad [seeds] do not harvest good [crops], [just as those who start] trouble for others, later bring trouble on themselves.
9 Sɛ Onyankopɔn home a, wɔsɛe; nʼabufuo ma wɔyera.
They die when God angrily blows his breath on them, when he is very angry with them.
10 Agyata bɛtumi abobom na wɔapɔ so, nanso wɔbɛbubu gyata akɛseɛ no se.
[Even though wicked people may be very powerful like] young lions, [God] will get rid of them [MET].
11 Gyata annya haboa a ɔwu, na gyatabereɛ mma no bɔ hwete.
[They will die like] fierce lions [that] starve to death when there are no animals that they can kill and eat, and [their children will be separated from each other like] young lions separate from each other [to find food].”
12 “Wɔbɛkaa kokoamsɛm bi kyerɛɛ me na mʼaso tee no sɛ asomusɛm.
“I heard a message that someone came and whispered to me.
13 Wɔ anadwo daeɛso basabasa mu, ɛberɛ a nnipa adeda nnahɔɔ no,
He spoke to me at night when I was having a bad dream that disturbed/frightened me while I was fast asleep.
14 ehu ne nketenkete kyeree me. Ɛmaa me nnompe nyinaa wosoeɛ.
It caused me to be afraid and tremble; it caused all my bones to shake.
15 Honhom bi twaa mʼani so, na me ho nwi sɔre gyinaeɛ.
A ghost glided past my face and caused the hair on [on the back of] my neck to stand straight up.
16 Ɛgyinaeɛ, nanso, manhunu nʼabɔsuo. Biribi bɛgyinaa mʼanim, na metee nne bɔkɔɔ bi a ɛrebisa sɛ,
It stopped, but I could not see what form it had. But [I could sense that] there was some being in front of me, and it said in a quiet voice,
17 ‘Onipa dasani bɛtumi atene asene Onyankopɔn? Onipa bɛtumi ayɛ kronn asene ne Yɛfoɔ anaa?
‘(Does God consider anyone to be righteous?/No human beings can be righteous in God’s sight!) [RHQ] (Their creator cannot consider them to be pure./Can their creator consider them to be pure?) [RHQ]
18 Sɛ Onyankopɔn ntumi mfa ne ho nto nʼankasa asomfoɔ so, na sɛ ɔka nʼabɔfoɔ mpo anim a,
God cannot be sure that his own angels [will always do what is right]; he declares that some of them have done what is wrong.
19 hwan ne onipa a wɔde dɔteɛ anwene no, a ne fapem sisi mfuturo mu na wɔdwerɛ no ntɛm so sene abubummabaa?
So he certainly cannot trust human beings who were made from dust and clay, who are crushed as easily as moths are crushed!
20 Ɛfiri anɔpahema kɔsi anwummerɛ wɔbubu wɔn mu nketenkete; na wɔyera korakora a obiara nhunu wɔn bio.
People are sometimes well in the morning, but in the evening they are dead. They are gone forever and do not even know it (OR, and no one pays any attention to it).
21 Wɔtete wɔn ntomadan nhoma mu, ɛno enti wɔwuwu a wɔnnim.’
They are like [MET] tents that collapse [suddenly]: They die [suddenly] before they become wise.’”
