The First Speech of Eliphaz
1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied,
2“Job, suppose someone tries to talk to you.
Will that make you uneasy?
I can’t keep from speaking up.
3Look, you taught many people.
You made weak hands strong.
4Your words helped those who had fallen down.
You made shaky knees strong.
5Now trouble comes to you. And you are unhappy about it.
It strikes you down. And you are afraid.
6Shouldn’t you worship God and trust in him?
Shouldn’t your honest life give you hope?
7“Here’s something to think about.
Have people who aren’t guilty ever been wiped out?
Have honest people ever been completely destroyed?
8Here’s what I’ve observed.
People gather a crop from what they plant.
If they plant evil and trouble, that’s what they will harvest.
9The breath of God destroys them.
The blast of his anger wipes them out.
10Powerful lions might roar and growl.
But their teeth are broken.
11Lions die because they don’t have any food.
Then their cubs are scattered.
12“A message came to me in secret.
It was as quiet as a whisper.
13I had a scary dream one night.
I was sound asleep.
14Fear and trembling seized me.
That made every bone in my body shake.
15A spirit glided past my face.
The hair on my body stood on end.
16Then the spirit stopped.
But I couldn’t tell what it was.
Something stood there in front of me.
I heard a soft voice.
17It said, ‘Can a human being be more right than God?
Can even a strong man be more pure than the God who made him?
18God doesn’t trust those who serve him.
He even brings charges against his angels.
19So he’ll certainly find fault with human beings.
After all, they are made out of dust.
They can be crushed more easily than a moth.
20Between sunrise and sunset they are broken to pieces.
Nobody even notices. They disappear forever.
21Like a tent that falls down, they get weak.
They die because they didn’t follow God’s wisdom.’ ”
Elifas Mmuae A Edi Kan
1Na Temanni Elifas buaa Hiob se,
2“Sɛ obi pɛ sɛ ɔne wo kasa a, worennya ntoboase ana?
Hena na wobetumi aka nʼano ato mu?
3Dwene sɛnea wakyerɛkyerɛ nnipa bebree,
sɛnea woahyɛ nsa a emu ayɛ mmerɛw no den.
4Wo nsɛm ahyɛ wɔn a wɔahintiw no den;
woahyɛ nkotodwe a ayɛ mmerɛw mu den.
5Na afei a ɔhaw aba no, wʼaba mu abu;
adwira wo, na wo werɛ ahow.
6So ɛnsɛ sɛ wo nyamesuro yɛ wʼahotoso
na wʼakwan a ɛho nni asɛm no yɛ wʼanidaso ana?
7“Dwene ho: Wɔasɛe obi a ne ho nni asɛm pɛn ana?
Ɛhefa na wɔsɛee obi a ɔyɛ pɛ?
8Sɛnea mahu no, wɔn a wofuntum bɔne
ne wɔn a wodua ɔhaw no twa so aba.
9Onyankopɔn home ano, wɔsɛe;
nʼabufuw turuw a wɔyera.
10Gyata betumi abobɔ mu na wɔaworo so,
nanso wɔabubu gyata akɛse no se.
11Gyata annya hanam a owu,
na gyatabere mma no bɔ hwete.
12“Wɔbɛkaa kokoamsɛm bi kyerɛɛ me
na mʼaso tee no sɛ asomsɛm.
13Wɔ anadwo daeso basabasa mu,
bere a nnipa adeda nnahɔɔ no,
14ehu ne nketenkete kyeree me
ɛmaa me nnompe nyinaa wosowee.
15Honhom bi twaa mʼani so,
na me ho nwi sɔre gyinae.
16Egyinae,
nanso, manhu nʼabɔsu.
Biribi begyinaa mʼanim,
na metee nne bɔkɔɔ bi a ɛrebisa se,
17‘Onipa desani betumi ateɛ asen Onyankopɔn?
Na mpo ɔhoɔdenfo betumi ayɛ kronkron asen ne Yɛfo ana?
18Sɛ Onyankopɔn ntumi mfa ne ho nto nʼankasa asomfo so,
sɛ ɔka nʼabɔfo mfomso kyerɛ wɔn a,
19na nkantom wɔn a wɔtete dɔte afi mu,
wɔn a wɔn fapem sisi mfutuma mu
na wɔdwerɛw wɔn ntɛm so sen abubummaba!
20Efi anɔpahema kosi anwummere wobubu wɔn mu nketenkete;
na wɔyera korakora a obiara nhu wɔn bio.
21So wommiamia wɔn ntamadan ahama mu,
a ɛno nti wowuwu a wonni nyansa ana?’
