< Job 28 >

1 There are silver mines and places where gold is refined.
“Nĩ kũrĩ handũ harĩa betha yenjagwo o na nĩ harĩ handũ harĩa thahabu ĩtheragĩrio.
2 Iron is extracted from the earth and copper is smelted from its ore.
Kĩgera kĩrutagwo kuuma tĩĩri-inĩ, nakĩo gĩcango kĩrutagwo mahiga-inĩ gĩgatwekio.
3 Miners take lamps into the darkness underground and search for ore as far as they can go in the shadows and the gloom.
Mũndũ nĩkũniina aniinaga nduma; acaragia mahiga macio nginya kũrĩa kũriku mũno, o kũu nduma ĩrĩ ndumanu mũno.
4 They dig a mineshaft far from where people live or anyone ever goes. They swing from ropes that hang in the pits.
Mũndũ atũrĩkagia irima thĩ kũraya na kũrĩa andũ matũũraga, agakinya kũndũ kũrĩa mũndũ aariganĩirwo nĩgũthiiaga; kũu kũraihanĩrĩirie na andũ nĩkuo acunjuuraga akĩereeraga.
5 Bread comes from the earth, but underneath it looks as if it has been turned upside-down by fire.
Thĩ nĩkuo kuumaga irio, no na kũu thĩinĩ mũhuro kũgarũrũkĩte gũkahaana ta gũcinĩtwo na mwaki;
6 Here the rocks contain lapis lazuli and the dust contains gold.
mahiga-inĩ ma thĩ nĩkuo kuumaga yakuti ĩrĩa ya bururu, na mũthanga wayo ũkoragwo na ngũmba cia thahabu.
7 No birds of prey can see these paths, no falcon's eye can perceive.
Gũtirĩ nyoni ndĩa-nyama yũĩ gacĩra kau kahithe, na gatirĩ konwo nĩ riitho rĩa hũngũ.
8 No wild beasts have passed that way; the lion has not walked there.
Nyamũ iria ciĩtĩĩaga itirĩ ciagathiĩra, o na gũtirĩ mũrũũthi ũkageragĩra.
9 Miners attack the hard rock; they overturn the roots of mountains.
Guoko kwa mũndũ gũtharĩkagĩra gũkanyiita ihiga rĩa nyaigĩ, na gũkaguũria itina cia irĩma.
10 They tunnel through the rock, looking carefully for every precious stone.
Enjaga mungu ũgatũrĩkia rwaro rwa ihiga; maitho make makĩonaga igĩĩna ciaruo ciothe.
11 They dam the sources of the rivers, and bring to light what is hidden.
Ethaga itwe cia njũũĩ, na indo iria hithe agaciumĩria ũtheri-inĩ.
12 But where can wisdom be found? Where is the place to gain understanding?
“No ũũgĩ-rĩ, ũngĩoneka kũ? Ũmenyo ũtũũraga kũ?
13 Human beings do not know the way to wisdom; it is not found among the living.
Mũndũ ndangĩmenya thogora wa ũũgĩ; ndũngĩoneka bũrũri wa arĩa marĩ muoyo.
14 The deep waters say, ‘It's not here,’ and the sea says, ‘It's not here either.’
Kũrĩa kũriku mũno kuugaga atĩrĩ, ‘Ndũrĩ thĩinĩ wakwa’; narĩo iria rĩkoiga atĩrĩ, ‘Ndũrĩ gũkũ gwakwa.’
15 It cannot be bought with gold; nor can it be purchased with silver.
Ndũngĩgũrĩka na thahabu ĩrĩa therie mũno, kana thogora waguo ũthimwo na betha.
16 Its value cannot be measured, even with the gold of Ophir; it is more precious than onyx or lapis lazuli.
Ndũngĩgũrĩka na thahabu ya Ofiri, kana ũgũrĩke na onigithi ĩrĩa ĩrĩ goro mũno, o na kana yakuti ĩrĩa ya bururu.
17 Gold or fine glass cannot compare with wisdom; it cannot be exchanged for gold jewelry.
Thahabu kana icicio-rĩ, itingĩhota kũgerekanio naguo; o na kana ũkũũranio na mathaga ma thahabu.
18 Coral and crystal are not worth mentioning; the price of wisdom is far above rubies.
Maricani kana ngenyekenyi iria cia goro itiagĩrĩire kũgwetanio naguo; thogora wa ũũgĩ ũkĩrĩte wa ruru ĩrĩa ndune.
19 Topaz from Ethiopia can't compare with it; it cannot be bought with the purest gold.
Yakuti ya Kushi ndĩngĩigananio naguo; o na ndũngĩgũrĩka na thahabu ĩrĩa therie mũno.
20 So where does wisdom come from? Where is the place to gain understanding?
“Hakĩrĩ ũguo-rĩ, ũũgĩ ũngĩkiuma nakũ? Ũmenyo ũtũũraga kũ?
21 Wisdom is hidden from the sight of all living things, even the birds of the air cannot see it.
Nĩmũhithe kũrĩ maitho ma ciũmbe ciothe iria itũũraga muoyo, ũkahithwo o na nyoni cia rĩera-inĩ.
22 Abaddon and Death say, ‘We've only heard a rumor of it.’
Mwanangĩko na gĩkuũ ciugaga atĩrĩ, ‘No mũhuhu waguo ũkinyĩte matũ-inĩ maitũ.’
23 Only God understands the path to wisdom; he knows where it is found.
Ngai nĩooĩ njĩra ya gũthiĩ kũrĩa ũrĩ, na nowe wiki ũũĩ kũrĩa ũtũũraga,
24 For he looks to the very end of the earth; he sees everything under heaven.
nĩgũkorwo nĩonaga mũthia wa thĩ, na nĩonaga maũndũ marĩa mothe marĩ rungu rwa igũrũ.
25 He decided how strong the wind should blow, and regulated the waters.
Rĩrĩa aathimĩire rũhuho nditi yaruo, o na agĩthima maaĩ-rĩ,
26 He set a limit for the rain and made a path for the lightning.
rĩrĩa aarutĩire mbura watho ĩrũmagĩrĩre, na agĩtemera rũheni na marurumĩ njĩra-rĩ,
27 Then he considered wisdom. He examined it, gave it his approval, and declared it good.
nake nĩonire ũũgĩ na akĩũthima; aũrũmirie na akĩũthuthuuria.
28 He said to humankind, ‘To reverence the Lord is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
Agĩcooka akĩĩra andũ atĩrĩ, ‘Gwĩtigĩra Mwathani-rĩ, ũcio nĩguo ũũgĩ, Nakuo gũtheemaga ũũru nĩ ũmenyo.’”

< Job 28 >