Bildad Asɛnka A Ɛdi Ɛkan
1Ɛnna Suhini Bildad buaa sɛ:
2“Wobɛkɔ so aka saa nsɛm yi akɔsi da bɛn?
Wo nsɛm yɛ mframa huhuo.
3Onyankopɔn kyea atɛntenenee anaa?
Otumfoɔ kyea deɛ ɛtene anaa?
4Ɛberɛ a wo mma yɛɛ bɔne tiaa noɔ no,
ɔgyaa wɔn maa wɔn bɔne so akatua.
5Nanso sɛ wode wʼani bɛto Onyankopɔn so
na woabɔ Otumfoɔ no mpaeɛ,
6sɛ woyɛ kronn, na wotene a,
wo enti, ɔbɛma ne ho so seesei
na wama wo asi wo dada mu.
7Wo ahyɛaseɛ bɛyɛ nkakra nkakra
na daakye woanya ama abu so.
8“Bisa awoɔ ntoatoasoɔ a atwam no,
na hwehwɛ deɛ wɔn agyanom hunuiɛ.
9Na wɔwoo yɛn nkyɛreeɛ na yɛnnim hwee.
Yɛn nna wɔ asase yi so te sɛ sunsumma.
10Nanso adikanfoɔ no bɛkyerɛkyerɛ wo.
Wɔbɛfiri wɔn nteaseɛ mu akyerɛ wo nyansa.
11Paparɔs bɛtumi anyini akɔ soro wɔ baabi a ɛnyɛ ɔwora?
Demmire bɛtumi afifiri baabi a nsuo nni anaa?
12Ɛberɛ a ɛrenyini a wɔntwaeɛ no,
ɛdwane ntɛm so sene ɛserɛ.
13Saa na wɔn a wɔn werɛ firi Onyankopɔn no awieeɛ teɛ;
saa na wɔn a wɔnni nyamesu no anidasoɔ nkɔsi hwee.
14Biribiara a nʼani da so no nni ahoɔden;
deɛ ɔde ne ho to soɔ yɛ ananse ntontan.
15Ɔtwere ne ntontan, nanso ɛtete;
ɔsɔ mu denden nanso ɛnyɛ yie.
16Ɔte sɛ afifideɛ a wɔgugu so nsuo yie a ɛsi owia mu.
Ɛtrɛtrɛ ne mman mu wɔ turo no so;
17Ne nhini nyini fa abotan ho,
na ɛhwehwɛ ɛkwan kɔ aboɔ mu.
18Nanso sɛ wɔtu firi ne siberɛ a,
saa beaeɛ no nnim no bio na ɛka sɛ, ‘Menhunuu wo da.’
19Ampa ara ne nkwa twam,
na afifideɛ foforɔ nyini asase no so.
20“Ampa ara Onyankopɔn mpo onipa a ne ho nni asɛm
na ɔnhyɛ amumuyɛfoɔ nsa mu dene.
21Ɔbɛma woasere bio,
na wode ahosɛpɛ ateateam.
22Wɔde aniwuo bɛfira wɔn a wɔtan woɔ,
na amumuyɛfoɔ ntomadan bɛsɛe.”
The First Speech of Bildad
1Then Bildad the Shuhite replied,
2“Job, how long will you talk like that?
Your words don’t have any meaning.
3Does God ever treat people unfairly?
Does the Mighty One make what is wrong
appear to be right?
4Your children sinned against him.
So he punished them for their sin.
5But seek God with all your heart.
Make your appeal to the Mighty One.
6Be pure and honest.
And he will rise up and help you now.
He’ll give you everything you had before.
7In the past, things went well with you.
But in days to come, things will get even better.
8“Find out what our parents taught.
Discover what those who lived before them learned.
9After all, we were born only yesterday.
So we don’t know anything.
Our days on this earth are like a shadow that disappears.
10Won’t your people of long ago teach you and tell you?
Won’t the things they said help you understand?
11Can grass grow tall where there isn’t any swamp?
Can plants grow well where there isn’t any water?
12While they are still growing and haven’t been cut,
they dry up faster than grass does.
13The same thing happens to everyone who forgets God.
The hope of ungodly people dies out.
14What they trust in is very weak.
What they depend on is like a spider’s web.
15They lean on it, but it falls apart.
They hold on to it, but it gives way.
16They are like a plant in the sunshine
that receives plenty of water.
It spreads its new growth all over the garden.
17It wraps its roots around a pile of rocks.
It tries to find places to grow among the stones.
18But when the plant is pulled up from its spot,
that place says, ‘I never saw you.’
19The life of that plant is sure to dry up.
But from the same soil other plants will grow.
20“I’m sure God doesn’t turn his back on anyone who is honest.
And he doesn’t help those who do what is evil.
21He will fill your mouth with laughter.
Shouts of joy will come from your lips.
22Your enemies will put on shame as if it were clothes.
The tents of sinful people will be gone.”
