Joba 28
1 Cak ham a khorhui om tih sui ham khaw a ciil nah hmuen om.
“Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
2 Thicung khaw laipi lamloh a loh tih lungto te rhohum la a tlae.
Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
3 A bawtnah te a hmuep neh a khuetnah a cungkuem hil a khueh. Anih loh lungto te a hmuep neh dueknah hlipkhup ah khaw a hoem.
Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.
4 Soklong te aka bakuep taeng lamloh a yoe tih kho neh caeh khaw a hnilh uh. Hlanghing lamkah aka tlayae rhoek khaw hinghuen uh.
Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.
5 Diklai amah lamloh buh thoeng tih, a hmui ah hmai bangla om.
Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.
6 A lungto te minhum hmuen tih, a taengah sui laipi om.
Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.
7 A hawn te vatlung loh ming pawt tih, maisi mik loh hmu pawh.
No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8 Te te sa ca rhoek loh cawt pawt tih te donglong te sathuengca long khaw pawn pawh.
Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
9 Hmailung soah a kut a hlah tih tlang pataeng a yung ah a phil.
The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
10 Sokko lungpang dongah a khoel tih umponah cungkuem khaw a mik loh a hmuh.
He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
11 Tuiva tuilong khaw a kueng tih, olhuep te khosae la a khuen.
He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
12 Tedae me rhoek ah nim cueihnah a hmuh tih, yakmingnah hmuen he menim?
But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
13 A phu te hlanghing loh ming pawt tih, mulhing khohmuen ah a hmuh moenih.
No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 Tuidung loh, “Te te kai ah moenih,” a ti tih, tuitunli loh, “Kai taengah moenih,” a ti.
The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’
15 Te ham te sui cilh khaw pae thai pawt tih, cueihnah a phu te cak khaw a khiing pah.
It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
16 Ophir sui nen khaw, oitha lung vang nen khaw minhum nen ting pawh.
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Te te sui neh canglung neh tluk pawt tih, a hnothung he suicilh hnopai bal moenih.
Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
18 Maerhuhlung neh disaehlung khaw thui lawk pawt tih, cueihnah rhovoep tah lungvang lakah then.
Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 Te te Kusah vaya nen khaw tluk pawt tih, sui cilh nen khaw ting pawh.
Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20 Te dongah cueihnah he me lamkah nim ha pawk tih, yakmingnah hmuen he menim?
From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
21 Mulhing boeih kah mik lamloh a thuh pah tih, vaan kah vaa taeng lamloh a thuh.
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 Abaddon neh dueknah loh, “A olthang te kaimih hna neh ka yaak uh,” a ti.
Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
23 Pathen loh a longpuei a yakming tih, a hmuen te khaw amah loh a ming.
But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
24 Amah loh diklai khobawt hil a paelki tih, vaan hmui khaw boeih a hmuh.
For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
25 Yilh kah a khiing a khueh pah tih tui khaw cungnueh neh a nueh.
When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
26 Amah loh khotlan ham rhi a suem tih rhaek ol ham khaw longpuei a khueh.
when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,
27 Cueihnah te a hmuh tih a tae. Cueihnah te a sikim sak tih a khe bal.
then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.
28 Hlang taengah khaw, ‘Ka Boeipa hinyahnah he cueihnah la om tih boethae lamloh nong he yakmingnah,’ a ti,” a ti nah.
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
