Job 28
1 Sumkanglung takaehhaih ahmuen to oh moe, sui tui paciihaih ahmuen doeh oh tangtang.
There are silver mines and places where gold is refined.
2 Sum loe long thung hoiah takaeh moe, sumkamling loe thlung atui pacii naah ni oh.
Iron is extracted from the earth and copper is smelted from its ore.
3 Kami mah hmaiim to sin moe, sum tacawthaih ahmuen kathuk, duekhaih tahlip khoving thungah sum to pakrong.
Miners take lamps into the darkness underground and search for ore as far as they can go in the shadows and the gloom.
4 Kami ohhaih ahmuen hoi kangthla, panoek ai ih ahmuen ah, qui hoiah angbangh moe, long to takaeh.
They dig a mineshaft far from where people live or anyone ever goes. They swing from ropes that hang in the pits.
5 Long mah caaknaek to tacawtsak, toe atlim ah loe hmai to oh.
Bread comes from the earth, but underneath it looks as if it has been turned upside-down by fire.
6 To ah kaom thlungnawk loe Sapphire thlung tacawthaih ahmuen ah oh moe, maiphu doeh sui tacawthaih maiphu ah oh.
Here the rocks contain lapis lazuli and the dust contains gold.
7 Tavaa mah panoek ai ih, tahmu mah doeh hnu ai ih, loklam to oh;
No birds of prey can see these paths, no falcon's eye can perceive.
8 to loklam loe kaipui mah cawh ai moe, hmawsaeng kaipui mah doeh pazui vai ai vop.
No wild beasts have passed that way; the lion has not walked there.
9 Kami mah ban hoiah thlung to pakhoih moe, maenawk to takung khoek to takaeh boih.
Miners attack the hard rock; they overturn the roots of mountains.
10 Thlung to pakhoih moe, athung ah kaom atho kana hmuennawk to a hnuk.
They tunnel through the rock, looking carefully for every precious stone.
11 Kalong tui to pakaa moe, hnuk ai ih hmuennawk to a lak.
They dam the sources of the rivers, and bring to light what is hidden.
12 Toe palunghahaih loe naa ah maw hnu thai tih? Palunghahaih ahmuen loe naa ah maw oh?
But where can wisdom be found? Where is the place to gain understanding?
13 Palunghahaih atho nazetto maw oh, tito kami mah panoek thai ai; kahing kaminawk ohhaih prae ah doeh hnu thai ai.
Human beings do not know the way to wisdom; it is not found among the living.
14 Kathuk tui mah, Kai thungah om ai; tuipui mah doeh kai khaeah om ai, tiah thuih.
The deep waters say, ‘It's not here,’ and the sea says, ‘It's not here either.’
15 Kaciim suitui hoiah palunghahaih to qan thai ai moe, phoisa to noek moe, paek cadoeh, palunghahaih to qan thai ai.
It cannot be bought with gold; nor can it be purchased with silver.
16 Ophir ih sui hoiah doeh qan thai ai moe, atho kaom onyx hoi sapphire mah doeh qan thai ai.
Its value cannot be measured, even with the gold of Ophir; it is more precious than onyx or lapis lazuli.
17 Palunghahaih loe sui, atho kaom kawbaktih thlung hoiah doeh patah thai ai; kaciim suitui hoiah doeh alaih thai mak ai.
Gold or fine glass cannot compare with wisdom; it cannot be exchanged for gold jewelry.
18 Koral hoi pale loe thuih han koi om ai; palunghahaih atho loe thlung kathim pongah doeh atho oh kue.
Coral and crystal are not worth mentioning; the price of wisdom is far above rubies.
19 Ethiopia ih Topaz thlung hoiah patah thai ai moe, kaciim suitui hoiah doeh qan thai ai.
Topaz from Ethiopia can't compare with it; it cannot be bought with the purest gold.
20 To tih nahaeloe palunghahaih loe naa bang hoiah maw angzoh? Panoekthaihaih ahmuen loe naa ah maw oh?
So where does wisdom come from? Where is the place to gain understanding?
21 Palunghahaih loe hinghaih katawn hmuennawk boih ih mik hoiah hnu thai ai, van ih tavaanawk mah doeh hnu thai ai.
Wisdom is hidden from the sight of all living things, even the birds of the air cannot see it.
22 Amrohaih hoi duekhaih hnik mah loe, Palunghahaih lok to naa hoi khue ni ka thaih, tiah a thuih hoi.
Abaddon and Death say, ‘We've only heard a rumor of it.’
23 Sithaw mah khue ni palunghahaih loklam to panoek moe, a ohhaih ahmuen to panoek.
Only God understands the path to wisdom; he knows where it is found.
24 Anih loe long boenghaih to khet moe, van tlim ih hmuennawk boih to a hnuk.
For he looks to the very end of the earth; he sees everything under heaven.
25 Takhi thacakhaih to a noek moe, tuinawk to a tah.
He decided how strong the wind should blow, and regulated the waters.
26 Kho angzohhaih dan hoi khopazih tangphra puekhaih loklam to a sak naah,
He set a limit for the rain and made a path for the lightning.
27 palunghahaih to a hnuk moe, amtuengsak; ue, anih mah caksak moe, a sak tanoek.
Then he considered wisdom. He examined it, gave it his approval, and declared it good.
28 Anih mah kami khaeah, Khenah, Angraeng zithaih loe, palunghahaih ah oh; kasae caeh taakhaih loe, panoekthaihaih ah oh, tiah a naa.
He said to humankind, ‘To reverence the Lord is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
