Job 28
1 Ngun tainae tangkom ao katang, sui sôlêinae a hmuen hai ao.
“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 Sum teh talai dawk hoi la e lah a o, rahum teh talung dawk hoi thawng e lah ao.
People dig iron [ore] out of the ground, and they (smelt copper ore/heat copper ore to get the copper from it).
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.
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 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.
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 Talai e tui dawk hoi rawca tâconae lah a o, a rahim lah teh hmai ni talai a kâthungsak e patetlah ao.
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 Hote talungnaw teh, sapphire talung a phukaawm a tâconae a kung lah ao. Sui kanuinaw hai ao.
The stones [that are dug from under the ground] contain (sapphires/very valuable blue stones), and the dirt contains bits of gold.
7 Hote lamthung teh tavanaw ni panuek hoeh, mataw e mit ni hai hmawt hoeh.
[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 Ka po e sendek ni hai coungroe hoeh, ka matheng e sendek hai cet boihoeh.
Lions or [other] proud wild animals have not walked on the roads near those mines.
9 Talung dawk tami ni kut a toung teh, mon hah a kung koehoi pakhuppathan lah dek a palei.
Miners tear apart [MTY] very hard rock; [it is as though] they turn the mountains upside down [to get the ore].
10 Lungsongpui hah a kavi teh, ravohong a sak teh, a mit hoi a phukaawm poung e hno hah a hmu.
They cut tunnels through the rocks, and they find (precious/very valuable) things.
11 Tui ka phuek e hah a tawng teh, kâhrawk e hnonaw hah angnae dawk a tâcokhai.
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 Hateiteh, nâ lah maw lungangnae hmuthainae teh, nâ lah maw panuethainae hmuen hah ao.
“But wisdom: Where can people find that? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
13 Aphu onae tami ni panuek hoeh, Tami onae ram dawk hmu thai lah awm hoeh.
Humans do not know where to find it; no one can find it [here on this earth] where they are living.
14 Kadunge ni kai koe awm hoeh telah a ti, talî ni kai koe awm hoeh 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 Sui hoi ran thai lah awm hoeh, aphu teh ngun hoi hai bangnue thai lah awm hoeh.
[People] cannot buy wisdom by paying for it with silver or gold.
16 Ophir talung phu kaawm ni hai phat thai hoeh, aphu kaawm poung e onyx hoi sapphire ni hai phat thai hoeh.
Wisdom is worth much more than fine gold from Ophir [land] or other very valuable stones.
17 Sui hoi talung phukaawm ni hai phat thai hoeh, sui kathoung hoi hai thung thai lah awm hoeh.
It is worth much more than gold or beautiful glass, worth more than vases made from fine gold.
18 Koral hoi jasper hai deipan han kamcu hoeh, Bangkongtetpawiteh, lungangnae phu teh, Rubies talung hlak hai a phu hoe a rasang.
Wisdom is worth more than coral or crystal/pure quartz; the price of wisdom is higher/more than the price of pearls.
19 Ethiopia ram e topaz talung phu kaawm ni phat thai hoeh, sui kathoung ni hai aphu onae phat thai hoeh.
The prices of (topaz/very valuable yellow stones) from Ethiopia and of pure gold are lower/less than the price of wisdom.
20 Hot patet lae lungangnae teh, nâhoi maw a tho, thoumthainae hmuen teh nâ lah maw ao.
“So, where does wisdom come from? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
21 Kahringnaw pueng e mit ni a khet teh hmawt thai hoeh, kalvan e tavanaw ni hai a tawng teh hmawt thai hoeh.
No living humans can see it [MTY]; and birds cannot see it while they are flying [MTY].
22 Rawkphainae hoi duenae ni a dei awh e kamthang hah, ka hnâ ni a thai telah ati awh.
[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 Cathut ni a lamthung hah a panue pouh teh, hmuen hai a panue
God [is the only one who] knows how to find wisdom; he knows where it is,
24 Bangkongtetpawiteh, ama ni talai apout totouh a khet, kalvan rahim pueng hah a hmu.
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 Kahlî teh khing hane hoi, tui teh bangnuenae hoi bangnue hane,
When he decided how strongly the winds should blow, and how much rain would be in the clouds,
26 kho a rak nahanelah lamthung a sak pouh teh, khoparitnae hoi sumpapalik nahane lamthung a sak pouh navah,
and when he decided where rain [should fall], and what path lightning should take [from the clouds down to the ground],
27 Lungangnae a hmu teh a pâpho, a caksak teh a tawng.
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 Tami koe khenhaw! BAWIPA takinae teh lungangnae doeh, kahawihoehe ceitakhai e teh panuethainae doeh telah a ti.
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.’”
