Job 28
1 For there is a place for the silver, whence it comes, and a place for the gold, whence it is refined.
“Beae a wotu dwetɛ wɔ hɔ ne beae a wɔnan sika kɔkɔɔ.
2 For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone.
Wotu dade fi fam, na wɔnan kɔbere fi dadebo mu.
3 He has set a bound to darkness, and he searches out every limit: a stone [is] darkness, and the shadow of death.
Onipa ma sum ba awiei; na ɔhwehwɛ kɔ akyirikyiri asase mu kɔhwehwɛ dadebo wɔ sum kabii mu.
4 There is a cutting off the torrent by reason of dust: so they that forget the right way are weakened; they are removed from [among] men.
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.
5 [As for] the earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were fire.
Asase a ɛbɔ aduan no, wɔdan ase no te sɛ nea wɔde ogya na ayɛ;
6 Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and [her] dust [supplies] man with gold.
hoabo fi nʼabotan mu na sikakɔkɔɔ mpɔw nso wɔ ne mfutuma mu.
7 [There is] a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it:
Ɔkɔre biara nnim saa kwan a ahintaw no, akoroma biara ani nhuu ɛ.
8 neither have the sons of the proud trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it.
Mmoa ahantanfo nsi hɔ na gyata nkɔdɛɛdɛɛ wɔ hɔ.
9 He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp [rock], and turned up mountains by the roots:
Onipa nsa paapae abotan dennen na ɔma mmepɔw ase da hɔ.
10 and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.
Otwa aka fa abotan mu, na ohu nʼademude nyinaa.
11 And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light.
Ɔhwehwɛ baabi a nsubɔnten ti wɔ na ɔda nneɛma a ahintaw adi.
12 But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?
“Nanso ɛhe na yebehu nea nyansa hyɛ? Ɛhe na ntease te?
13 A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered among men.
Onipa renhu ne bo a ɛsom; wɔrenhu wɔ ateasefo asase so.
14 The depth said, It is not in me: and the sea said, It is not with me.
Na ebun ka se, ‘Enni me mu’; na po nso se, ‘Enni me nkyɛn.’
15 One shall not give fine gold instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
Wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ ankasa ntɔ, na wɔrentumi mfa dwetɛ nkari ne bo.
16 Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire.
Wɔrentumi mfa Ofir sikakɔkɔɔ ntɔ apopobibiribo anaa hoabo nso saa ara.
17 Gold and crystal shall not be equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange.
Wɔrentumi mfa ahwehwɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ ntoto ho, na wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ nnwinne nsesa.
18 Coral and fine pearl shall not be mentioned: but do you esteem wisdom above the most precious things.
Ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛbɔ ahene panyin ne ahwehwɛbo din; nyansa bo sen nhene pa.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equalled to it; it shall not be compared with pure gold.
Etiopia akraatebo ne no nsɛ; wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ kronkron ntɔ.
20 Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind is the place of understanding?
“Ɛno de, na ɛhe na nyansa fi? Ɛhe na ntease te?
21 It has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.
Wɔde asie abɔde biara ani, wɔde asie wim nnomaa mpo.
22 Destruction and Death said, We have heard the report of it.
Ɔsɛe ne Owu ka se, ‘Yɛate no huhuhuhu kɛkɛ.’
23 God has well ordered the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
Onyankopɔn te ɔkwan a ɛkɔ hɔ ase, na ɔno nko ara na onim faako a ɛte,
24 For he surveys the whole [earth] under heaven, knowing the things in the earth:
efisɛ ɔhwɛ kodu nsase ano na ohu biribiara a ɛwɔ ɔsoro ase.
25 all that he has made; the weight of the winds, the measures of the water.
Bere a ɔhyɛɛ mframa ano den too hɔ na osusuw nsuwa no,
26 When he made [them], thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way for the pealing of the thunder.
bere a ɔkaa no ɔhyɛ so kyerɛɛ osutɔ na otwaa kwan maa aprannaa no,
27 Then he saw it, and declared it: he prepared it [and] traced it out.
afei ɔhwɛɛ nyansa na ɔkarii no hwɛe; na ogyee no too mu na ɔsɔɔ no hwɛe.
28 And he said to man, Behold, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.
Na ɔka kyerɛɛ onipa se, ‘Awurade suro, ɛno ne nyansa; na sɛ wokyi bɔne, yɛ ntease.’”
