Hiob 28
1 “Beae a wotu dwetɛ wɔ hɔ ne beae a wɔnan sika kɔkɔɔ.
Truly there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is washed out.
2 Wotu dade fi fam, na wɔnan kɔbere fi dadebo mu.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone is changed into brass by the fire.
3 Onipa ma sum ba awiei; na ɔhwehwɛ kɔ akyirikyiri asase mu kɔhwehwɛ dadebo wɔ sum kabii mu.
Man puts an end to the dark, searching out to the farthest limit the stones of the deep places of the dark.
4 Wɔde fagudetu afiri hyɛ beae a ɛmmɛn ɔdesani atenae, mmeae a nnipa anan nsii hɔ da, baabi a ɛmmɛn nnipa no, ɛhɔ na wodi aforosian.
He makes a deep mine far away from those living in the light of day; when they go about on the earth, they have no knowledge of those who are under them, who are hanging far from men, twisting from side to side on a cord.
5 Asase a ɛbɔ aduan no, wɔdan ase no te sɛ nea wɔde ogya na ayɛ;
As for the earth, bread comes out of it; but under its face it is turned up as if by fire.
6 hoabo fi nʼabotan mu na sikakɔkɔɔ mpɔw nso wɔ ne mfutuma mu.
Its stones are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold.
7 Ɔkɔre biara nnim saa kwan a ahintaw no, akoroma biara ani nhuu ɛ.
No bird has knowledge of it, and the hawk's eye has never seen it.
8 Mmoa ahantanfo nsi hɔ na gyata nkɔdɛɛdɛɛ wɔ hɔ.
The great beasts have not gone over it, and the cruel lion has not taken that way.
9 Onipa nsa paapae abotan dennen na ɔma mmepɔw ase da hɔ.
Man puts out his hand on the hard rock, overturning mountains by the roots.
10 Otwa aka fa abotan mu, na ohu nʼademude nyinaa.
He makes deep ways, cut through the rock, and his eye sees everything of value.
11 Ɔhwehwɛ baabi a nsubɔnten ti wɔ na ɔda nneɛma a ahintaw adi.
He keeps back the streams from flowing, and makes the secret things come out into the light.
12 “Nanso ɛhe na yebehu nea nyansa hyɛ? Ɛhe na ntease te?
But where may wisdom be seen? and where is the resting-place of knowledge?
13 Onipa renhu ne bo a ɛsom; wɔrenhu wɔ ateasefo asase so.
Man has not seen the way to it, and it is not in the land of the living.
14 Na ebun ka se, ‘Enni me mu’; na po nso se, ‘Enni me nkyɛn.’
The deep waters say, It is not in me: and the sea says, It is not with me.
15 Wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ ankasa ntɔ, na wɔrentumi mfa dwetɛ nkari ne bo.
Gold may not be given for it, or a weight of silver in payment for it.
16 Wɔrentumi mfa Ofir sikakɔkɔɔ ntɔ apopobibiribo anaa hoabo nso saa ara.
It may not be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the onyx of great price, or the sapphire.
17 Wɔrentumi mfa ahwehwɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ ntoto ho, na wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ nnwinne nsesa.
Gold and glass are not equal to it in price, and it may not be exchanged for jewels of the best gold.
18 Ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛbɔ ahene panyin ne ahwehwɛbo din; nyansa bo sen nhene pa.
There is no need to say anything about coral or crystal; and the value of wisdom is greater than that of pearls.
19 Etiopia akraatebo ne no nsɛ; wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ kronkron ntɔ.
The topaz of Ethiopia is not equal to it, and it may not be valued with the best gold.
20 “Ɛno de, na ɛhe na nyansa fi? Ɛhe na ntease te?
From where then does wisdom come, and where is the resting-place of knowledge?
21 Wɔde asie abɔde biara ani, wɔde asie wim nnomaa mpo.
For it is kept secret from the eyes of all living, unseen by the birds of the air.
22 Ɔsɛe ne Owu ka se, ‘Yɛate no huhuhuhu kɛkɛ.’
Destruction and Death say, We have only had word of it with our ears.
23 Onyankopɔn te ɔkwan a ɛkɔ hɔ ase, na ɔno nko ara na onim faako a ɛte,
God has knowledge of the way to it, and of its resting-place;
24 efisɛ ɔhwɛ kodu nsase ano na ohu biribiara a ɛwɔ ɔsoro ase.
For his eyes go to the ends of the earth, and he sees everything under heaven.
25 Bere a ɔhyɛɛ mframa ano den too hɔ na osusuw nsuwa no,
When he made a weight for the wind, measuring out the waters;
26 bere a ɔkaa no ɔhyɛ so kyerɛɛ osutɔ na otwaa kwan maa aprannaa no,
When he made a law for the rain, and a way for the thunder-flames;
27 afei ɔhwɛɛ nyansa na ɔkarii no hwɛe; na ogyee no too mu na ɔsɔɔ no hwɛe.
Then he saw it, and put it on record; he gave it its fixed form, searching it out completely.
28 Na ɔka kyerɛɛ onipa se, ‘Awurade suro, ɛno ne nyansa; na sɛ wokyi bɔne, yɛ ntease.’”
And he said to man, Truly the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to keep from evil is the way to knowledge.
