Hiob Bua Sofar
1Na Hiob buae se,
2“Akyinnye nni ho, mo ne nnipa no
na muwu a na nyansa asa!
3Nanso mewɔ adwene sɛ mo ara
monnsen me.
Hena na onnim saa nneɛma yi nyinaa?
4“Mayɛ aserewde ama me nnamfonom,
mefrɛɛ Onyankopɔn na obuae,
aserewde teta bi, nanso meteɛ na me ho nni asɛm.
5Nnipa a wɔn ho tɔ wɔn no bu amanehunu animtiaa
sɛnea wobu wɔn a wɔn nan rewatiri no awiei animtiaa no.
6Wɔmmfa wɔn nsa nka akorɔmfo ntamadan,
na wɔn a woyi Onyankopɔn abufuw wɔ bammɔ
na Onyankopɔn bɔ nea ɔde ma wɔn ho ban.
7“Bisa mmoa no, na wɔbɛkyerɛ wo
anaasɛ wim nnomaa no, na wɔbɛka akyerɛ wo
8anaasɛ kasa kyerɛ asase, na ɛbɛkyerɛ wo,
anaasɛ ma po mu mpataa nka nkyerɛ wo.
9Wɔn nyinaa mu hena na onnim sɛ
Awurade nsa na ayɛ eyi.
10Ne nsam na abɔde nyinaa home wɔ
ne adesamma nyinaa home.
11So aso nsɔ nsɛm nhwɛ
sɛnea tɛkrɛma ka aduan hwɛ no ana?
12Wonnya nyansa mfi mpanyin nkyɛn,
na ɛnyɛ onyinkyɛ na ɛde ntease ba ana?
13“Nyansa ne tumi yɛ Onyankopɔn de;
afotu ne ntease yɛ ne dea.
14Nea obubu gu no, obiara rentumi nsi;
nea ɔde no to afiase no, obiara rentumi nyi no.
15Sɛ ɔma osu gyae tɔ a, asase no so yɛ wosee;
sɛ ogyaa osutɔ mu a, ɛsɛe asase no.
16Ahoɔden ne nkonimdi yɛ ne de
osisifo ne nea wosisi no no nso yɛ ne de.
17Ɔpa afotufo ho ntama ma wɔkɔ
na ɔma atemmufo yɛ nkwasea.
18Ɔworɔw ahemfo nkyehama
na ɔde abɔso bɔ wɔn asen.
19Ɔpa asɔfo ho ntama,
na otu nnipa a wɔn ase atim akyɛ gu.
20Ɔka afotufo a wogye wɔn di no kasaboa hyɛ,
na ogye mpanyimfo nhumu.
21Ɔde animguase gu atitiriw so
na otintim gye ahoɔdenfo nsam akode.
22Ɔda sum mu nneɛma a ahintaw adi
na ɔde sum kabii ba hann mu.
23Ɔyɛ aman akɛse, na ɔsɛe wɔn;
ɔtrɛw aman mu, na ɔhwete wɔn mu.
24Ogye wiase akannifo adwene fi wɔn nsam;
na ɔma wokyinkyin asase wosee a ɔkwan nna so so.
25Wɔkeka wɔ sum mu a wonni kanea;
na ɔma wɔtɔ ntintan sɛ asabowfo.”
Job’s Reply
1Job replied,
2“You people think you are the only ones who matter!
You are sure that wisdom will die with you!
3But I have a brain, just like you.
I’m as clever as you are.
In fact, everyone knows as much as you do.
4“My friends laugh at me all the time,
even though I called out to God and he answered.
My friends laugh at me,
even though I’m honest and right.
5People who have an easy life look down on those who have problems.
They think trouble comes only to those whose feet are slipping.
6Why doesn’t anyone bother the tents of robbers?
Why do those who make God angry remain secure?
They are in God’s hands!
7“But ask the animals what God does.
They will teach you.
Or ask the birds in the sky.
They will tell you.
8Or speak to the earth. It will teach you.
Or let the fish in the ocean educate you.
9Are there any of these creatures that don’t know
what the powerful hand of the Lord has done?
10He holds the life of every creature in his hand.
He controls the breath of every human being.
11Our tongues tell us what tastes good and what doesn’t.
And our ears tell us what’s true and what isn’t.
12Old people are wise.
Those who live a long time have understanding.
13“Wisdom and power belong to God.
Advice and understanding also belong to him.
14What he tears down can’t be rebuilt.
The people he puts in prison can’t be set free.
15If he holds back the water, everything dries up.
If he lets the water loose, it floods the land.
16Strength and understanding belong to him.
Those who tell lies and those who believe them also belong to him.
17He removes the wisdom of rulers and leads them away.
He makes judges look foolish.
18He sets people free from the chains that kings put on them.
Then he dresses the kings in the clothes of slaves.
19He removes the authority of priests and leads them away.
He removes from their positions
officials who have been in control for a long time.
20He shuts the mouths of trusted advisers.
He takes away the understanding of elders.
21He looks down on proud leaders.
He takes away the strength of those who are mighty.
22He tells people the secrets of darkness.
He brings total darkness out into the light.
23He makes nations great, and then he destroys them.
He makes nations grow, and then he scatters them.
24He takes away the understanding of the leaders of the earth.
He makes them wander in a desert where no one lives.
25Without any light, they feel their way along in darkness.
God makes them unsteady like those who get drunk.
