Job 28
1 Sumkanglung takaehhaih ahmuen to oh moe, sui tui paciihaih ahmuen doeh oh tangtang.
Truly there is a vein for silver, And a place for gold, which men refine.
2 Sum loe long thung hoiah takaeh moe, sumkamling loe thlung atui pacii naah ni oh.
Iron is obtained from earth, And stone is melted into copper.
3 Kami mah hmaiim to sin moe, sum tacawthaih ahmuen kathuk, duekhaih tahlip khoving thungah sum to pakrong.
Man putteth an end to darkness; He searcheth to the lowest depths For the stone of darkness and the shadow of death.
4 Kami ohhaih ahmuen hoi kangthla, panoek ai ih ahmuen ah, qui hoiah angbangh moe, long to takaeh.
From the place where they dwell they open a shaft; Forgotten by the feet, They hang down, they swing away from men.
5 Long mah caaknaek to tacawtsak, toe atlim ah loe hmai to oh.
The earth, out of which cometh bread, Is torn up underneath, as it were by fire.
6 To ah kaom thlungnawk loe Sapphire thlung tacawthaih ahmuen ah oh moe, maiphu doeh sui tacawthaih maiphu ah oh.
Her stones are the place of sapphires, And she hath clods of gold for man.
7 Tavaa mah panoek ai ih, tahmu mah doeh hnu ai ih, loklam to oh;
The path thereto no bird knoweth, And the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
8 to loklam loe kaipui mah cawh ai moe, hmawsaeng kaipui mah doeh pazui vai ai vop.
The fierce wild beast hath not trodden it; The lion hath not passed over it.
9 Kami mah ban hoiah thlung to pakhoih moe, maenawk to takung khoek to takaeh boih.
Man layeth his hand upon the rock; He upturneth mountains from their roots;
10 Thlung to pakhoih moe, athung ah kaom atho kana hmuennawk to a hnuk.
He cleaveth out streams in the rocks, And his eye seeth every precious thing;
11 Kalong tui to pakaa moe, hnuk ai ih hmuennawk to a lak.
He bindeth up the streams, that they trickle not, And bringeth hidden things to light.
12 Toe palunghahaih loe naa ah maw hnu thai tih? Palunghahaih ahmuen loe naa ah maw oh?
But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
13 Palunghahaih atho nazetto maw oh, tito kami mah panoek thai ai; kahing kaminawk ohhaih prae ah doeh hnu thai ai.
Man knoweth not the price thereof, Nor can it be found in the land of the living.
14 Kathuk tui mah, Kai thungah om ai; tuipui mah doeh kai khaeah om ai, tiah thuih.
The deep saith, It is not in me; And the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 Kaciim suitui hoiah palunghahaih to qan thai ai moe, phoisa to noek moe, paek cadoeh, palunghahaih to qan thai ai.
It cannot be gotten for gold, Nor shall silver be weighed out as the price thereof.
16 Ophir ih sui hoiah doeh qan thai ai moe, atho kaom onyx hoi sapphire mah doeh qan thai ai.
It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, With the precious onyx or the sapphire.
17 Palunghahaih loe sui, atho kaom kawbaktih thlung hoiah doeh patah thai ai; kaciim suitui hoiah doeh alaih thai mak ai.
Gold and crystal are not to be compared with it; Nor can it be purchased with jewels of fine gold.
18 Koral hoi pale loe thuih han koi om ai; palunghahaih atho loe thlung kathim pongah doeh atho oh kue.
No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; For wisdom is more precious than pearls.
19 Ethiopia ih Topaz thlung hoiah patah thai ai moe, kaciim suitui hoiah doeh qan thai ai.
The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be purchased with pure gold.
20 To tih nahaeloe palunghahaih loe naa bang hoiah maw angzoh? Panoekthaihaih ahmuen loe naa ah maw oh?
Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?
21 Palunghahaih loe hinghaih katawn hmuennawk boih ih mik hoiah hnu thai ai, van ih tavaanawk mah doeh hnu thai ai.
Since it is hidden from the eyes of all living, And kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 Amrohaih hoi duekhaih hnik mah loe, Palunghahaih lok to naa hoi khue ni ka thaih, tiah a thuih hoi.
Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.
23 Sithaw mah khue ni palunghahaih loklam to panoek moe, a ohhaih ahmuen to panoek.
God knoweth the way to it; He knoweth its dwelling-place.
24 Anih loe long boenghaih to khet moe, van tlim ih hmuennawk boih to a hnuk.
For he seeth to the ends of the earth, And surveyeth all things under the whole heaven.
25 Takhi thacakhaih to a noek moe, tuinawk to a tah.
When he gave the winds their weight, And meted out the waters by measure;
26 Kho angzohhaih dan hoi khopazih tangphra puekhaih loklam to a sak naah,
When he prescribed a law to the rain, And a path to the thunder-flash, —
27 palunghahaih to a hnuk moe, amtuengsak; ue, anih mah caksak moe, a sak tanoek.
Then did he see it, and make it known; He established it, and searched it out.
28 Anih mah kami khaeah, Khenah, Angraeng zithaih loe, palunghahaih ah oh; kasae caeh taakhaih loe, panoekthaihaih ah oh, tiah a naa.
But he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.
