Hiob Bua Sofar
1Na Hiob buaa sɛ,
2“Ampa ara mone nnipa no,
na mowu a na nyansa asa!
3Nanso mewɔ adwene sɛ mo ara
na monnsene me.
Hwan na ɔnnim saa nneɛma yi nyinaa?
4“Mayɛ aseredeɛ ama me nnamfonom,
mefrɛɛ Onyankopɔn na ɔbuaeɛ.
Mayɛ aseredeɛ tata, nanso metene, na me ho nni asɛm.
5Nnipa a wɔn ho tɔ wɔn bu amanehunu animtiaa
sɛdeɛ wɔbu wɔn a wɔn nan rewatiri no awieeɛ animtiaa.
6Wɔmmfa wɔn nsa nka akorɔmfoɔ ntomadan,
na wɔn a wɔma Onyankopɔn bo fuo no wɔ banbɔ
na Onyankopɔn bɔ deɛ ɔde ma wɔn ho ban.
7“Bisa mmoa no, na wɔbɛkyerɛ wo
anaasɛ ewiem nnomaa no, na wɔbɛka akyerɛ wo
8anaasɛ kasa kyerɛ asase, na ɛbɛkyerɛ wo,
anaasɛ ma ɛpo mu mpataa nka nkyerɛ wo.
9Wɔn nyinaa mu hwan na ɔnnim sɛ
Awurade nsa na ayɛ yei.
10Ne nsam na abɔdeɛ nyinaa ahome wɔ
ne adasamma nyinaa ahome.
11Aso nsɔ nsɛm nnhwɛ,
sɛdeɛ tɛkrɛma ka aduane hwɛ no anaa?
12Wɔnnya nyansa mfiri mpanin nkyɛn,
na ɛnyɛ ɔnyinkyerɛ na ɛde nteaseɛ ba anaa?
13“Nyansa ne tumi yɛ Onyankopɔn dea;
afotuo ne nteaseɛ yɛ ne dea.
14Deɛ ɔbubu guo no, obiara rentumi nsi;
deɛ ɔde no to nneduadan mu no, obiara rentumi nyi no.
15Sɛ ɔma osuo gyae tɔ a, asase no so yɛ wesee;
sɛ ɔgyaa osutɔ mu a, ɛsɛe asase no.
16Ahoɔden ne nkonimdie wɔ no
osisifoɔ ne deɛ wɔsisi noɔ nso wɔ no.
17Ɔpa afotufoɔ ho ntoma ma wɔkɔ
na ɔma atemmufoɔ yɛ nkwasea.
18Ɔworɔ ahemfo nkyehoma
na ɔde abɔsoɔ bɔ wɔn asene.
19Ɔpa asɔfoɔ ho ntoma,
na ɔtu nnipa a wɔn ase atim akyɛre gu.
20Ɔka afotufoɔ a wɔgye wɔn die no kasaboa hyɛ,
na ɔgye mpanimfoɔ nhunumu.
21Ɔde animguaseɛ gu atitire so
na ɔtintim gye ahoɔdenfoɔ nsam akodeɛ.
22Ɔda esum mu nneɛma a ahinta adi
na ɔde esum kabii ba hann mu.
23Ɔyɛ aman akɛseɛ, na ɔsɛe wɔn;
ɔtrɛ aman mu, na ɔhwete wɔn mu.
24Ɔgye ewiase akannifoɔ adwene firi wɔn nsam;
na ɔma wɔkyinkyini asase wesee a ɛkwan nna soɔ so.
25Wɔhwehwɛ wɔ esum mu a wɔnni kanea;
na ɔma wɔtɔ ntintan sɛ asabofoɔ.
Job
1Then Job replied:
2“Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
and wisdom will die with you!
3But I have a mind as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know all these things?
4“I have become a laughingstock to my friends,
though I called on God and he answered—
a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!
5Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortune
as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
6The tents of marauders are undisturbed,
and those who provoke God are secure—
those God has in his hand.12:6 Or those whose god is in their own hand
7“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.
11Does not the ear test words
as the tongue tastes food?
12Is not wisdom found among the aged?
Does not long life bring understanding?
13“To God belong wisdom and power;
counsel and understanding are his.
14What he tears down cannot be rebuilt;
those he imprisons cannot be released.
15If he holds back the waters, there is drought;
if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.
16To him belong strength and insight;
both deceived and deceiver are his.
17He leads rulers away stripped
and makes fools of judges.
18He takes off the shackles put on by kings
and ties a loincloth12:18 Or shackles of kings / and ties a belt around their waist.
19He leads priests away stripped
and overthrows officials long established.
20He silences the lips of trusted advisers
and takes away the discernment of elders.
21He pours contempt on nobles
and disarms the mighty.
22He reveals the deep things of darkness
and brings utter darkness into the light.
23He makes nations great, and destroys them;
he enlarges nations, and disperses them.
24He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;
he makes them wander in a trackless waste.
25They grope in darkness with no light;
he makes them stagger like drunkards.