Joba 28
1 Cak ham a khorhui om tih sui ham khaw a ciil nah hmuen om.
Truly there is a vein for silver, And a place for gold, which men refine.
2 Thicung khaw laipi lamloh a loh tih lungto te rhohum la a tlae.
Iron is obtained from earth, And stone is melted into copper.
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 putteth an end to darkness; He searcheth to the lowest depths For the stone of darkness and the shadow of death.
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.
From the place where they dwell they open a shaft; Forgotten by the feet, They hang down, they swing away from men.
5 Diklai amah lamloh buh thoeng tih, a hmui ah hmai bangla om.
The earth, out of which cometh bread, Is torn up underneath, as it were by fire.
6 A lungto te minhum hmuen tih, a taengah sui laipi om.
Her stones are the place of sapphires, And she hath clods of gold for man.
7 A hawn te vatlung loh ming pawt tih, maisi mik loh hmu pawh.
The path thereto no bird knoweth, And the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
8 Te te sa ca rhoek loh cawt pawt tih te donglong te sathuengca long khaw pawn pawh.
The fierce wild beast hath not trodden it; The lion hath not passed over it.
9 Hmailung soah a kut a hlah tih tlang pataeng a yung ah a phil.
Man layeth his hand upon the rock; He upturneth mountains from their roots;
10 Sokko lungpang dongah a khoel tih umponah cungkuem khaw a mik loh a hmuh.
He cleaveth out streams in the rocks, And his eye seeth every precious thing;
11 Tuiva tuilong khaw a kueng tih, olhuep te khosae la a khuen.
He bindeth up the streams, that they trickle not, And bringeth hidden things to light.
12 Tedae me rhoek ah nim cueihnah a hmuh tih, yakmingnah hmuen he menim?
But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
13 A phu te hlanghing loh ming pawt tih, mulhing khohmuen ah a hmuh moenih.
Man knoweth not the price thereof, Nor can it be 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 deep saith, It is not in me; And the sea saith, 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 gotten for gold, Nor shall silver be weighed out as the price thereof.
16 Ophir sui nen khaw, oitha lung vang nen khaw minhum nen ting pawh.
It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, With the precious onyx or the sapphire.
17 Te te sui neh canglung neh tluk pawt tih, a hnothung he suicilh hnopai bal moenih.
Gold and crystal are not to be compared with it; Nor can it be purchased with jewels of fine gold.
18 Maerhuhlung neh disaehlung khaw thui lawk pawt tih, cueihnah rhovoep tah lungvang lakah then.
No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; For wisdom is more precious than pearls.
19 Te te Kusah vaya nen khaw tluk pawt tih, sui cilh nen khaw ting pawh.
The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be purchased with pure gold.
20 Te dongah cueihnah he me lamkah nim ha pawk tih, yakmingnah hmuen he menim?
Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?
21 Mulhing boeih kah mik lamloh a thuh pah tih, vaan kah vaa taeng lamloh a thuh.
Since it is hidden from the eyes of all living, And kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 Abaddon neh dueknah loh, “A olthang te kaimih hna neh ka yaak uh,” a ti.
Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.
23 Pathen loh a longpuei a yakming tih, a hmuen te khaw amah loh a ming.
God knoweth the way to it; He knoweth its dwelling-place.
24 Amah loh diklai khobawt hil a paelki tih, vaan hmui khaw boeih a hmuh.
For he seeth to the ends of the earth, And surveyeth all things under the whole heaven.
25 Yilh kah a khiing a khueh pah tih tui khaw cungnueh neh a nueh.
When he gave the winds their weight, And meted out the waters by measure;
26 Amah loh khotlan ham rhi a suem tih rhaek ol ham khaw longpuei a khueh.
When he prescribed a law to the rain, And a path to the thunder-flash, —
27 Cueihnah te a hmuh tih a tae. Cueihnah te a sikim sak tih a khe bal.
Then did he see it, and make it known; 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.
But he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.
