Joba 28
1 Cak ham a khorhui om tih sui ham khaw a ciil nah hmuen om.
There are silver mines and places where gold is refined.
2 Thicung khaw laipi lamloh a loh tih lungto te rhohum la a tlae.
Iron is extracted from the earth and copper is smelted from its 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.
Miners take lamps into the darkness underground and search for ore as far as they can go in the shadows and the gloom.
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.
They dig a mineshaft far from where people live or anyone ever goes. They swing from ropes that hang in the pits.
5 Diklai amah lamloh buh thoeng tih a hmui ah hmai bangla om.
Bread comes from the earth, but underneath it looks as if it has been turned upside-down by fire.
6 A lungto te minhum hmuen tih a taengah sui laipi om.
Here the rocks contain lapis lazuli and the dust contains gold.
7 A hawn te vatlung loh ming pawt tih maisi mik loh hmu pawh.
No birds of prey can see these paths, no falcon's eye can perceive.
8 Te te sa ca rhoek loh cawt pawt tih te donglong te sathuengca long khaw pawn pawh.
No wild beasts have passed that way; the lion has not walked there.
9 Hmailung soah a kut a hlah tih tlang pataeng a yung ah a phil.
Miners attack the hard rock; they overturn the roots of mountains.
10 Sokko lungpang dongah a khoel tih umponah cungkuem khaw a mik loh a hmuh.
They tunnel through the rock, looking carefully for every precious stone.
11 Tuiva tuilong khaw a kueng tih olhuep te khosae la a khuen.
They dam the sources of the rivers, and bring to light what is hidden.
12 Tedae me rhoek ah nim cueihnah a hmuh tih yakmingnah hmuen he menim?
But where can wisdom be found? Where is the place to gain understanding?
13 A phu te hlanghing loh ming pawt tih mulhing khohmuen ah a hmuh moenih.
Human beings do not know the way to wisdom; it is not found among the living.
14 Tuidung loh, “Te te kai ah moenih,” a ti tih tuitunli loh, “Kai taengah moenih,” a ti.
The deep waters say, ‘It's not here,’ and the sea says, ‘It's not here either.’
15 Te ham te cui cilh khaw pae thai pawt tih cueihnah a phu te cak khaw a khiing pah.
It cannot be bought with gold; nor can it be purchased with silver.
16 Ophir sui nen khaw, oitha lung vang nen khaw minhum nen khawting pawh.
Its value cannot be measured, even with the gold of Ophir; it is more precious than onyx or lapis lazuli.
17 Te te sui neh canglung neh tluk pawt tih a hnothung he suicilh hnopai bal moenih.
Gold or fine glass cannot compare with wisdom; it cannot be exchanged for gold jewelry.
18 Maerhuhlung neh disaehlung khaw thui lawk pawt tih cueihnah rhovoep tah lungvang lakah then.
Coral and crystal are not worth mentioning; the price of wisdom is far above rubies.
19 Te te Kusah vaya nen khaw tluk pawt tih sui cilh nen khaw ting pawh.
Topaz from Ethiopia can't compare with it; it cannot be bought with the purest gold.
20 Te dongah cueihnah he me lamkah nim ha pawk tih yakmingnah hmuen he menim?
So where does wisdom come from? Where is the place to gain understanding?
21 Mulhing boeih kah mik lamloh a thuh pah tih vaan kah vaa taeng lamloh a thuh.
Wisdom is hidden from the sight of all living things, even the birds of the air cannot see it.
22 Abaddon neh dueknah loh, “A olthang te kaimih hna neh ka yaak uh,” a ti.
Abaddon and Death say, ‘We've only heard a rumor of it.’
23 Pathen loh a longpuei a yakming tih a hmuen te khaw amah loh a ming.
Only God understands the path to wisdom; he knows where it is found.
24 Amah loh diklai khobawt hil a paelki tih vaan hmui khaw boeih a hmuh.
For he looks to the very end of the earth; he sees everything under heaven.
25 Yilh kah a khiing a khueh pah tih tui khaw cungnueh neh a nueh.
He decided how strong the wind should blow, and regulated the waters.
26 Amah loh khotlan ham rhi a suem tih rhaek ol ham khaw longpuei a khueh.
He set a limit for the rain and made a path for the lightning.
27 Cueihnah te a hmuh tih a tae. Cueihnah te a sikim sak tih a khe bal.
Then he considered wisdom. He examined it, gave it his approval, and declared it good.
28 Hlang taengah khaw, 'Ka Boeipa hinyahnah he cueihnah la om tih boethae lamloh nong he yakmingnah,’ a ti,” a ti nah.
He said to humankind, ‘To reverence the Lord is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
