Job 28
1 Ngun tainae tangkom ao katang, sui sôlêinae a hmuen hai ao.
“Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
2 Sum teh talai dawk hoi la e lah a o, rahum teh talung dawk hoi thawng e lah ao.
Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
3 Tami ni hnonae dawk a pout sak teh, a hmuen kingkadi e pueng totouh a tawng awh, duenae tâhlip hoi hmonae thung vah a cei awh teh a tawng awh.
Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.
4 Tami a ohoehnae koe vah tangkom a tai teh, khok ni a pahnim e hmuennaw hah tami hoi a kâhlanae hmuen koe a bang awh teh, pou a kâhuet awh.
Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.
5 Talai e tui dawk hoi rawca tâconae lah a o, a rahim lah teh hmai ni talai a kâthungsak e patetlah ao.
Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.
6 Hote talungnaw teh, sapphire talung a phukaawm a tâconae a kung lah ao. Sui kanuinaw hai ao.
Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.
7 Hote lamthung teh tavanaw ni panuek hoeh, mataw e mit ni hai hmawt hoeh.
No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8 Ka po e sendek ni hai coungroe hoeh, ka matheng e sendek hai cet boihoeh.
Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
9 Talung dawk tami ni kut a toung teh, mon hah a kung koehoi pakhuppathan lah dek a palei.
The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
10 Lungsongpui hah a kavi teh, ravohong a sak teh, a mit hoi a phukaawm poung e hno hah a hmu.
He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
11 Tui ka phuek e hah a tawng teh, kâhrawk e hnonaw hah angnae dawk a tâcokhai.
He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
12 Hateiteh, nâ lah maw lungangnae hmuthainae teh, nâ lah maw panuethainae hmuen hah ao.
But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
13 Aphu onae tami ni panuek hoeh, Tami onae ram dawk hmu thai lah awm hoeh.
No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 Kadunge ni kai koe awm hoeh telah a ti, talî ni kai koe awm hoeh a ti.
The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’
15 Sui hoi ran thai lah awm hoeh, aphu teh ngun hoi hai bangnue thai lah awm hoeh.
It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
16 Ophir talung phu kaawm ni hai phat thai hoeh, aphu kaawm poung e onyx hoi sapphire ni hai phat thai hoeh.
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Sui hoi talung phukaawm ni hai phat thai hoeh, sui kathoung hoi hai thung thai lah awm hoeh.
Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
18 Koral hoi jasper hai deipan han kamcu hoeh, Bangkongtetpawiteh, lungangnae phu teh, Rubies talung hlak hai a phu hoe a rasang.
Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 Ethiopia ram e topaz talung phu kaawm ni phat thai hoeh, sui kathoung ni hai aphu onae phat thai hoeh.
Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20 Hot patet lae lungangnae teh, nâhoi maw a tho, thoumthainae hmuen teh nâ lah maw ao.
From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
21 Kahringnaw pueng e mit ni a khet teh hmawt thai hoeh, kalvan e tavanaw ni hai a tawng teh hmawt thai hoeh.
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 Rawkphainae hoi duenae ni a dei awh e kamthang hah, ka hnâ ni a thai telah ati awh.
Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
23 Cathut ni a lamthung hah a panue pouh teh, hmuen hai a panue
But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
24 Bangkongtetpawiteh, ama ni talai apout totouh a khet, kalvan rahim pueng hah a hmu.
For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
25 Kahlî teh khing hane hoi, tui teh bangnuenae hoi bangnue hane,
When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
26 kho a rak nahanelah lamthung a sak pouh teh, khoparitnae hoi sumpapalik nahane lamthung a sak pouh navah,
when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,
27 Lungangnae a hmu teh a pâpho, a caksak teh a tawng.
then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.
28 Tami koe khenhaw! BAWIPA takinae teh lungangnae doeh, kahawihoehe ceitakhai e teh panuethainae doeh telah a ti.
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
