Job 28
1 Sumkanglung takaehhaih ahmuen to oh moe, sui tui paciihaih ahmuen doeh oh tangtang.
“Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
2 Sum loe long thung hoiah takaeh moe, sumkamling loe thlung atui pacii naah ni oh.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.
3 Kami mah hmaiim to sin moe, sum tacawthaih ahmuen kathuk, duekhaih tahlip khoving thungah sum to pakrong.
Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
4 Kami ohhaih ahmuen hoi kangthla, panoek ai ih ahmuen ah, qui hoiah angbangh moe, long to takaeh.
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 Long mah caaknaek to tacawtsak, toe atlim ah loe hmai to oh.
As for the earth, out of it comes bread. Underneath it is turned up 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.
Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
7 Tavaa mah panoek ai ih, tahmu mah doeh hnu ai ih, loklam to oh;
That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.
8 to loklam loe kaipui mah cawh ai moe, hmawsaeng kaipui mah doeh pazui vai ai vop.
The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
9 Kami mah ban hoiah thlung to pakhoih moe, maenawk to takung khoek to takaeh boih.
He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
10 Thlung to pakhoih moe, athung ah kaom atho kana hmuennawk to a hnuk.
He cuts out channels amongst the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
11 Kalong tui to pakaa moe, hnuk ai ih hmuennawk to a lak.
He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
12 Toe palunghahaih loe naa ah maw hnu thai tih? Palunghahaih ahmuen loe naa ah maw oh?
“But where will wisdom be found? 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 doesn’t know its price, and it isn’t 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 says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’
15 Kaciim suitui hoiah palunghahaih to qan thai ai moe, phoisa to noek moe, paek cadoeh, palunghahaih to qan thai ai.
It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.
16 Ophir ih sui hoiah doeh qan thai ai moe, atho kaom onyx hoi sapphire mah doeh qan thai ai.
It can’t be valued 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 glass can’t equal it, neither will it be exchanged for 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 will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 Ethiopia ih Topaz thlung hoiah patah thai ai moe, kaciim suitui hoiah doeh qan thai ai.
The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it. It won’t be valued with pure gold.
20 To tih nahaeloe palunghahaih loe naa bang hoiah maw angzoh? Panoekthaihaih ahmuen loe naa ah maw oh?
Where then does wisdom come from? 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.
Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
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 rumour of it with our ears.’
23 Sithaw mah khue ni palunghahaih loklam to panoek moe, a ohhaih ahmuen to panoek.
“God understands its way, and he knows its place.
24 Anih loe long boenghaih to khet moe, van tlim ih hmuennawk boih to a hnuk.
For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.
25 Takhi thacakhaih to a noek moe, tuinawk to a tah.
He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.
26 Kho angzohhaih dan hoi khopazih tangphra puekhaih loklam to a sak naah,
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
27 palunghahaih to a hnuk moe, amtuengsak; ue, anih mah caksak moe, a sak tanoek.
then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, 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.
To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
