Job 28
1 “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].
Ngun tainae tangkom ao katang, sui sôlêinae a hmuen hai ao.
2 People dig iron [ore] out of the ground, and they (smelt copper ore/heat copper ore to get the copper from it).
Sum teh talai dawk hoi la e lah a o, rahum teh talung dawk hoi thawng e lah ao.
3 Men use lamps while they work far down under the ground to search for the ore inside the mines where it is very dark.
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.
4 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].
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.
5 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.
Talai e tui dawk hoi rawca tâconae lah a o, a rahim lah teh hmai ni talai a kâthungsak e patetlah ao.
6 The stones [that are dug from under the ground] contain (sapphires/very valuable blue stones), and the dirt contains bits of gold.
Hote talungnaw teh, sapphire talung a phukaawm a tâconae a kung lah ao. Sui kanuinaw hai ao.
7 [Some birds have very good eyes, ] but even hawks do not know [where the mines are], and falcons/vultures have not seen those places.
Hote lamthung teh tavanaw ni panuek hoeh, mataw e mit ni hai hmawt hoeh.
8 Lions or [other] proud wild animals have not walked on the roads near those mines.
Ka po e sendek ni hai coungroe hoeh, ka matheng e sendek hai cet boihoeh.
9 Miners tear apart [MTY] very hard rock; [it is as though] they turn the mountains upside down [to get the ore].
Talung dawk tami ni kut a toung teh, mon hah a kung koehoi pakhuppathan lah dek a palei.
10 They cut tunnels through the rocks, and they find (precious/very valuable) things.
Lungsongpui hah a kavi teh, ravohong a sak teh, a mit hoi a phukaawm poung e hno hah a hmu.
11 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].
Tui ka phuek e hah a tawng teh, kâhrawk e hnonaw hah angnae dawk a tâcokhai.
12 “But wisdom: Where can people find that? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
Hateiteh, nâ lah maw lungangnae hmuthainae teh, nâ lah maw panuethainae hmuen hah ao.
13 Humans do not know where to find it; no one can find it [here on this earth] where they are living.
Aphu onae tami ni panuek hoeh, Tami onae ram dawk hmu thai lah awm hoeh.
14 [It is as though] water that is deep [inside the earth] and [water that is in] the seas say [PRS], ‘Wisdom is not here!’
Kadunge ni kai koe awm hoeh telah a ti, talî ni kai koe awm hoeh a ti.
15 [People] cannot buy wisdom by paying for it with silver or gold.
Sui hoi ran thai lah awm hoeh, aphu teh ngun hoi hai bangnue thai lah awm hoeh.
16 Wisdom is worth much more than fine gold from Ophir [land] or other very valuable stones.
Ophir talung phu kaawm ni hai phat thai hoeh, aphu kaawm poung e onyx hoi sapphire ni hai phat thai hoeh.
17 It is worth much more than gold or beautiful glass, worth more than vases made from fine gold.
Sui hoi talung phukaawm ni hai phat thai hoeh, sui kathoung hoi hai thung thai lah awm hoeh.
18 Wisdom is worth more than coral or crystal/pure quartz; the price of wisdom is higher/more than the price of pearls.
Koral hoi jasper hai deipan han kamcu hoeh, Bangkongtetpawiteh, lungangnae phu teh, Rubies talung hlak hai a phu hoe a rasang.
19 The prices of (topaz/very valuable yellow stones) from Ethiopia and of pure gold are lower/less than the price of wisdom.
Ethiopia ram e topaz talung phu kaawm ni phat thai hoeh, sui kathoung ni hai aphu onae phat thai hoeh.
20 “So, where does wisdom come from? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
Hot patet lae lungangnae teh, nâhoi maw a tho, thoumthainae hmuen teh nâ lah maw ao.
21 No living humans can see it [MTY]; and birds cannot see it while they are flying [MTY].
Kahringnaw pueng e mit ni a khet teh hmawt thai hoeh, kalvan e tavanaw ni hai a tawng teh hmawt thai hoeh.
22 [It is as though] the places where people go after they die say [PRS], ‘We have only heard rumors about [where to find wisdom].’
Rawkphainae hoi duenae ni a dei awh e kamthang hah, ka hnâ ni a thai telah ati awh.
23 God [is the only one who] knows how to find wisdom; he knows where it is,
Cathut ni a lamthung hah a panue pouh teh, hmuen hai a panue
24 because he can see things even in the most remote/distant places on the earth; he can see everything that is below the sky.
Bangkongtetpawiteh, ama ni talai apout totouh a khet, kalvan rahim pueng hah a hmu.
25 When he decided how strongly the winds should blow, and how much rain would be in the clouds,
Kahlî teh khing hane hoi, tui teh bangnuenae hoi bangnue hane,
26 and when he decided where rain [should fall], and what path lightning should take [from the clouds down to the ground],
kho a rak nahanelah lamthung a sak pouh teh, khoparitnae hoi sumpapalik nahane lamthung a sak pouh navah,
27 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).
Lungangnae a hmu teh a pâpho, a caksak teh a tawng.
28 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.’”
Tami koe khenhaw! BAWIPA takinae teh lungangnae doeh, kahawihoehe ceitakhai e teh panuethainae doeh telah a ti.
