1Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, 2Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?15.2 vain…: Heb. knowledge of wind 3Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good? 4Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.15.4 castest…: Heb. makest void15.4 prayer: or, speech 5For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.15.5 uttereth: Heb. teacheth 6Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee. 7Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills? 8Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? 9What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us? 10With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father. 11Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee? 12Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at, 13That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth? 14What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? 15Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. 16How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
17I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare; 18Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it: 19Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them. 20The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor. 21A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.15.21 A dreadful…: Heb. A sound of fears 22He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword. 23He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand. 24Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle. 25For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty. 26He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers: 27Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks. 28And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps. 29He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth. 30He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away. 31Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence. 32It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.15.32 accomplished: or, cut off 33He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive. 34For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery. 35They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.15.35 vanity: or, iniquity
Elifas Mmuae A Ɛto So Abien
1Na Temanni Elifas buae se,
2“Enti onyansafo de nsɛm a aba biara nni mu beyi nʼano
anaasɛ ɔde apuei mframa a emu yɛ hyew bɛhyɛ nʼafuru ma?
3Ɔde nsɛm huhuw begye akyinnye,
aka nsɛm a mfaso biara nni so ana?
4Wototo onyamesuro ase mmom
na wusiw Onyankopɔn som ho kwan.
5Wo bɔne kyerɛ wʼano nea ɔnka;
na woafa anitew tɛkrɛma.
6Wʼankasa wʼano bu wo kumfɔ, ɛnyɛ me de;
wʼankasa wʼano di adanse tia wo.
7“Wone onipa a wɔwoo wo dii kan ana?
Wɔwoo wo ansa na wɔrewo nkoko ana?
8Wutie Onyankopɔn afotu ana?
Wo nko ara na wunim nyansa ana?
9Dɛn na wunim a, yennim?
Nhumu bɛn na wowɔ a yenni?
10Nea wafuw dwen ne akwakoraa wɔ yɛn afa
wɔn a wɔanyinyin sen wʼagya mpo.
11Onyankopɔn awerɛkyekye
ne nsɛm a wɔka no brɛoo kyerɛ wo no sua ma wo ana?
12Adɛn nti na wo koma atwe wo akɔ
adɛn nti na wʼani asɔ gya,
13na woadan wʼabufuw agu Onyankopɔn so
na woma saa nsɛm yi pue fi wʼano?
14“Ɔdesani ne hena a obetumi ayɛ pɛ,
anaasɛ nea ɔbea awo no bɛn na obetumi ayɛ ɔtreneeni?
15Onyankopɔn nni ahotoso wɔ nʼakronkronfo mu
ɔsorosoro mpo nyɛ kronkron wɔ nʼani so,
16na me ne onipa debɔneyɛfo ne omumɔyɛfo a
ɔnom bɔne sɛ nsu.
17“Tie me, na mɛkyerɛ wo mu;
ma menka nea mahu nkyerɛ wo,
18nea anyansafo apae mu aka,
a wɔamfa biribiara a wonya fii wɔn agyanom hɔ no ansie
19(wɔn nko ara na wɔde asase no maa wɔn
bere a ananafo biara nni wɔn mu):
20Omumɔyɛfo kɔ ahohia mu, ne nkwanna nyinaa,
na basabasayɛni nso, ne mfe a wɔahyehyɛ ama no nyinaa.
21Nnyigyei a ɛyɛ hu hyɛ nʼasom ma;
na sɛ ɛyɛ sɛ nneɛma rekɔ yiye ma no a, akorɔmfo tow hyɛ ne so.
22Ɔpa abaw sɛ obeguan afi sum mu;
wɔabɔ no ato hɔ ama afoa.
23Okyinkyin hwehwɛ aduan;
onim sɛ sum da no abɛn.
24Ɔhaw ne ahoyeraw yi no hu;
ɛhyɛ ne so sɛ ɔhene a wasiesie ne ho ama ɔko,
25efisɛ ɔteɛteɛ ne nsa kyerɛ Onyankopɔn
na ɔma ne ho so tia Otumfo,
26wɔde nkatabo a mu piw na ɛyɛ den
kɔ ne so a, onsuro obiara.
27“Ɛwɔ mu sɛ srade ama nʼafono atotɔ
na nʼasen mu nam abubu agu so de,
28nanso ɔbɛtena nkurow a agu so
na watena afi a obi nte mu,
afi a ɛrebubu mu.
29Ɔrenkɔ so nyɛ ɔdefo bio, na nʼahonya rennyina,
na nʼagyapade so bɛtew na ayera wɔ asase so.
30Ɔrenguan sum no;
ogyaframa bɛhyew ne mman,
na Onyankopɔn anom ahomegu bɛsoa no akɔ.
31Ɛnsɛ sɛ ɔde ne ho to nneɛma huhuw so de daadaa ne ho,
efisɛ ɔrennya hwee mfi mu.
32Ansa na ne da bedu no, wobetua no ka a bi nka,
na ne mman renyɛ frɔmfrɔm.
33Ɔbɛyɛ sɛ bobedua a wɔaporow so aba a ennyin ɛ,
te sɛ ngodua a ne nhwiren reporow gu fam.
34Na abɔnefo fekuw a wonnim Onyankopɔn no rensow aba,
na ogya bɛhyew wɔn a wɔdɔ kɛtɛasehyɛ no ntamadan.
35Wonyinsɛn ɔhaw na wɔwo bɔne;
wɔn awotwaa siesie nnaadaa.”
