Joba 28
1 Cak ham a khorhui om tih sui ham khaw a ciil nah hmuen om.
“It is true that there are places where men dig to find silver, and there are places where people refine/purify gold [that they have dug].
2 Thicung khaw laipi lamloh a loh tih lungto te rhohum la a tlae.
People dig iron [ore] out of the ground, and they (smelt copper ore/heat copper ore to get the copper from it).
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.
Men use lamps while they work far down under the ground to search for the ore inside the mines where it is very dark.
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 (shafts/narrow holes very deep down into the ground) in places that are far from where people live, where travelers do not go. They work far away from [other] people, swinging back and forth on ropes [as they descend into the mine shafts].
5 Diklai amah lamloh buh thoeng tih, a hmui ah hmai bangla om.
Food grows on the surface of the ground, but down under the ground, [where there is no food, ] the miners make fires to break apart the rocks.
6 A lungto te minhum hmuen tih, a taengah sui laipi om.
The stones [that are dug from under the ground] contain (sapphires/very valuable blue stones), and the dirt contains bits of gold.
7 A hawn te vatlung loh ming pawt tih, maisi mik loh hmu pawh.
[Some birds have very good eyes, ] but even hawks do not know [where the mines are], and falcons/vultures have not seen those places.
8 Te te sa ca rhoek loh cawt pawt tih te donglong te sathuengca long khaw pawn pawh.
Lions or [other] proud wild animals have not walked on the roads near those mines.
9 Hmailung soah a kut a hlah tih tlang pataeng a yung ah a phil.
Miners tear apart [MTY] very hard rock; [it is as though] they turn the mountains upside down [to get the ore].
10 Sokko lungpang dongah a khoel tih umponah cungkuem khaw a mik loh a hmuh.
They cut tunnels through the rocks, and they find (precious/very valuable) things.
11 Tuiva tuilong khaw a kueng tih, olhuep te khosae la a khuen.
They dam up small streams in order that water does not flow, and they bring up into the light valuable things that are hidden [in the ground and in the streams].
12 Tedae me rhoek ah nim cueihnah a hmuh tih, yakmingnah hmuen he menim?
“But wisdom: Where can people find that? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
13 A phu te hlanghing loh ming pawt tih, mulhing khohmuen ah a hmuh moenih.
Humans do not know where to find it; no one can find it [here on this earth] where they are living.
14 Tuidung loh, “Te te kai ah moenih,” a ti tih, tuitunli loh, “Kai taengah moenih,” a ti.
[It is as though] water that is deep [inside the earth] and [water that is in] the seas say [PRS], ‘Wisdom is not here!’
15 Te ham te sui cilh khaw pae thai pawt tih, cueihnah a phu te cak khaw a khiing pah.
[People] cannot buy wisdom by paying for it with silver or gold.
16 Ophir sui nen khaw, oitha lung vang nen khaw minhum nen ting pawh.
Wisdom is worth much more than fine gold from Ophir [land] or other very valuable stones.
17 Te te sui neh canglung neh tluk pawt tih, a hnothung he suicilh hnopai bal moenih.
It is worth much more than gold or beautiful glass, worth more than vases made from fine gold.
18 Maerhuhlung neh disaehlung khaw thui lawk pawt tih, cueihnah rhovoep tah lungvang lakah then.
Wisdom is worth more than coral or crystal/pure quartz; the price of wisdom is higher/more than the price of pearls.
19 Te te Kusah vaya nen khaw tluk pawt tih, sui cilh nen khaw ting pawh.
The prices of (topaz/very valuable yellow stones) from Ethiopia and of pure gold are lower/less than the price of wisdom.
20 Te dongah cueihnah he me lamkah nim ha pawk tih, yakmingnah hmuen he menim?
“So, where does wisdom come from? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
21 Mulhing boeih kah mik lamloh a thuh pah tih, vaan kah vaa taeng lamloh a thuh.
No living humans can see it [MTY]; and birds cannot see it while they are flying [MTY].
22 Abaddon neh dueknah loh, “A olthang te kaimih hna neh ka yaak uh,” a ti.
[It is as though] the places where people go after they die say [PRS], ‘We have only heard rumors about [where to find wisdom].’
23 Pathen loh a longpuei a yakming tih, a hmuen te khaw amah loh a ming.
God [is the only one who] knows how to find wisdom; he knows where it is,
24 Amah loh diklai khobawt hil a paelki tih, vaan hmui khaw boeih a hmuh.
because he can see things even in the most remote/distant places on the earth; he can see everything that is below the sky.
25 Yilh kah a khiing a khueh pah tih tui khaw cungnueh neh a nueh.
When he decided how strongly the winds should blow, and how much rain would be in the clouds,
26 Amah loh khotlan ham rhi a suem tih rhaek ol ham khaw longpuei a khueh.
and when he decided where rain [should fall], and what path lightning should take [from the clouds down to the ground],
27 Cueihnah te a hmuh tih a tae. Cueihnah te a sikim sak tih a khe bal.
at that time he saw wisdom and decided that it is extremely valuable. He examined it and (approved it/said that it was very good).
28 Hlang taengah khaw, ‘Ka Boeipa hinyahnah he cueihnah la om tih boethae lamloh nong he yakmingnah,’ a ti,” a ti nah.
And [then] he said to humans, ‘Listen! To have an awesome respect for me is [what will enable you to become] wise; and to truly understand everything, you must first turn away from doing what is evil.’”
