Hiob 28
1 Ɛwɔ deɛ wɔtu dwetɛ ne beaeɛ a wɔhoa sika kɔkɔɔ ho.
“Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
2 Wɔtu dadeɛ firi fam, na wɔnane kɔbere firi dadeben mu.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.
3 Onipa ma esum ba awieeɛ; na ɔhwehwɛ kɔ akyirikyiri asase mu kɔpɛ dadeben wɔ esum kabii mu.
Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
4 Baabi a ɛne deɛ ɔdasani teɛ ntam ɛkwan ware no, ɔtu amena de fagudeɛtuo afidie hyɛ hɔ, mmeammea a onipa nan sii hɔ akyɛre baabi a ɛmmɛn nnipa no, ɛhɔ na ɔdi aforosiane.
He breaks open a shaft away from where people live. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth.
5 Asase a ɛbɔ aduane no, wɔnane aseɛ no te sɛ deɛ wɔde ogya na ayɛ;
As for the earth, out of it comes bread. Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 aboɔdemmoɔ firi nʼabotan mu na sikakɔkɔɔ mpɔ nso wɔ ne mfuturo mu.
Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
7 Ɔkɔdeɛ biara nnim saa kwan a ahinta no, akorɔma biara ani nhunuiɛ.
That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.
8 Mmoa ahantanfoɔ nnante wɔ hɔ na agyata nkɔdɛɛdɛɛ wɔ hɔ.
The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
9 Onipa nsa paapae abotan denden na ɔma mmepɔ ase da hɔ.
He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
10 Ɔtwa aka fa abotan mu, na ɔhunu nʼademudeɛ nyinaa.
He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
11 Ɔhwehwɛ baabi a nsubɔntene ti wɔ na ɔda nneɛma a ahinta adi.
He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
12 Nanso ɛhe na yɛbɛhunu deɛ nyansa hyɛ? Ɛhe na nteaseɛ teɛ?
“But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
13 Onipa renhunu ne bo a ɛsom; wɔrenhunu wɔ ateasefoɔ asase so.
Man doesn’t know its price, and it isn’t found in the land of the living.
14 Na ebunu ka sɛ, “Ɛnni me mu”; na ɛpo nso sɛ, “Ɛnni me nkyɛn.”
The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’
15 Wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ amapa ntɔ, na wɔrentumi mfa dwetɛ nkari ne boɔ.
It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.
16 Wɔrentumi mfa Ofir sikakɔkɔɔ ntɔ apopobibirieboɔ anaa aboɔdemmoɔ nso saa ara.
It can’t be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Wɔrentumi mfa ahwehwɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ ntoto ho, na wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ nnwinneɛ nsesa.
Gold and glass can’t equal it, neither will it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 Ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛbɔ ahwene panin ne ahwehwɛboɔ din; nyansa boɔ sene nhwene pa.
No mention will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 Etiopia akarateboɔ ne no nsɛ; wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ kronn ntɔ.
The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it. It won’t be valued with pure gold.
20 Ɛnneɛ na ɛhe na nyansa firie? Ɛhe na nteaseɛ teɛ?
Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?
21 Wɔde asie abɔdeɛ biara ani, wɔde asie ewiem nnomaa mpo.
Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
22 Ɔsɛeɛ ne Owuo ka sɛ, “Yɛate no huhuhuhu kɛkɛ.”
Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
23 Onyankopɔn te ɛkwan a ɛkɔ hɔ ase, na ɔno nko ara na ɔnim baabi a ɛteɛ,
“God understands its way, and he knows its place.
24 ɛfiri sɛ ɔhwɛ kɔduru nsase ano na ɔhunu biribiara a ɛwɔ ɔsoro ase.
For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.
25 Ɛberɛ a ɔhyɛɛ mframa ano den too hɔ na ɔsusuu nsuwa no,
He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.
26 ɛberɛ a ɔkaa no ɔhyɛ so kyerɛɛ osutɔ na ɔtwaa ɛkwan maa aprannaa no,
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
27 afei ɔhwɛɛ nyansa na ɔkarii no hwɛeɛ; na ɔgyee no too mu na ɔsɔɔ no hwɛeɛ.
then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.
28 Na ɔka kyerɛɛ onipa sɛ, “Awurade suro, ɛno ne nyansa; na sɛ wɔkyiri bɔne a, wowɔ nteaseɛ.”
To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
