Ayubu 28
1 “Nĩ kũrĩ handũ harĩa betha yenjagwo o na nĩ harĩ handũ harĩa thahabu ĩtheragĩrio.
“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 Kĩgera kĩrutagwo kuuma tĩĩri-inĩ, nakĩo gĩcango kĩrutagwo mahiga-inĩ gĩgatwekio.
People dig iron [ore] out of the ground, and they (smelt copper ore/heat copper ore to get the copper from it).
3 Mũndũ nĩkũniina aniinaga nduma; acaragia mahiga macio nginya kũrĩa kũriku mũno, o kũu nduma ĩrĩ ndumanu mũno.
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 Mũndũ atũrĩkagia irima thĩ kũraya na kũrĩa andũ matũũraga, agakinya kũndũ kũrĩa mũndũ aariganĩirwo nĩgũthiiaga; kũu kũraihanĩrĩirie na andũ nĩkuo acunjuuraga akĩereeraga.
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 Thĩ nĩkuo kuumaga irio, no na kũu thĩinĩ mũhuro kũgarũrũkĩte gũkahaana ta gũcinĩtwo na mwaki;
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 mahiga-inĩ ma thĩ nĩkuo kuumaga yakuti ĩrĩa ya bururu, na mũthanga wayo ũkoragwo na ngũmba cia thahabu.
The stones [that are dug from under the ground] contain (sapphires/very valuable blue stones), and the dirt contains bits of gold.
7 Gũtirĩ nyoni ndĩa-nyama yũĩ gacĩra kau kahithe, na gatirĩ konwo nĩ riitho rĩa hũngũ.
[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 Nyamũ iria ciĩtĩĩaga itirĩ ciagathiĩra, o na gũtirĩ mũrũũthi ũkageragĩra.
Lions or [other] proud wild animals have not walked on the roads near those mines.
9 Guoko kwa mũndũ gũtharĩkagĩra gũkanyiita ihiga rĩa nyaigĩ, na gũkaguũria itina cia irĩma.
Miners tear apart [MTY] very hard rock; [it is as though] they turn the mountains upside down [to get the ore].
10 Enjaga mungu ũgatũrĩkia rwaro rwa ihiga; maitho make makĩonaga igĩĩna ciaruo ciothe.
They cut tunnels through the rocks, and they find (precious/very valuable) things.
11 Ethaga itwe cia njũũĩ, na indo iria hithe agaciumĩria ũtheri-inĩ.
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 “No ũũgĩ-rĩ, ũngĩoneka kũ? Ũmenyo ũtũũraga kũ?
“But wisdom: Where can people find that? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
13 Mũndũ ndangĩmenya thogora wa ũũgĩ; ndũngĩoneka bũrũri wa arĩa marĩ muoyo.
Humans do not know where to find it; no one can find it [here on this earth] where they are living.
14 Kũrĩa kũriku mũno kuugaga atĩrĩ, ‘Ndũrĩ thĩinĩ wakwa’; narĩo iria rĩkoiga atĩrĩ, ‘Ndũrĩ gũkũ gwakwa.’
[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 Ndũngĩgũrĩka na thahabu ĩrĩa therie mũno, kana thogora waguo ũthimwo na betha.
[People] cannot buy wisdom by paying for it with silver or gold.
16 Ndũngĩgũrĩka na thahabu ya Ofiri, kana ũgũrĩke na onigithi ĩrĩa ĩrĩ goro mũno, o na kana yakuti ĩrĩa ya bururu.
Wisdom is worth much more than fine gold from Ophir [land] or other very valuable stones.
17 Thahabu kana icicio-rĩ, itingĩhota kũgerekanio naguo; o na kana ũkũũranio na mathaga ma thahabu.
It is worth much more than gold or beautiful glass, worth more than vases made from fine gold.
18 Maricani kana ngenyekenyi iria cia goro itiagĩrĩire kũgwetanio naguo; thogora wa ũũgĩ ũkĩrĩte wa ruru ĩrĩa ndune.
Wisdom is worth more than coral or crystal/pure quartz; the price of wisdom is higher/more than the price of pearls.
19 Yakuti ya Kushi ndĩngĩigananio naguo; o na ndũngĩgũrĩka na thahabu ĩrĩa therie mũno.
The prices of (topaz/very valuable yellow stones) from Ethiopia and of pure gold are lower/less than the price of wisdom.
20 “Hakĩrĩ ũguo-rĩ, ũũgĩ ũngĩkiuma nakũ? Ũmenyo ũtũũraga kũ?
“So, where does wisdom come from? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
21 Nĩmũhithe kũrĩ maitho ma ciũmbe ciothe iria itũũraga muoyo, ũkahithwo o na nyoni cia rĩera-inĩ.
No living humans can see it [MTY]; and birds cannot see it while they are flying [MTY].
22 Mwanangĩko na gĩkuũ ciugaga atĩrĩ, ‘No mũhuhu waguo ũkinyĩte matũ-inĩ maitũ.’
[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 Ngai nĩooĩ njĩra ya gũthiĩ kũrĩa ũrĩ, na nowe wiki ũũĩ kũrĩa ũtũũraga,
God [is the only one who] knows how to find wisdom; he knows where it is,
24 nĩgũkorwo nĩonaga mũthia wa thĩ, na nĩonaga maũndũ marĩa mothe marĩ rungu rwa igũrũ.
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 Rĩrĩa aathimĩire rũhuho nditi yaruo, o na agĩthima maaĩ-rĩ,
When he decided how strongly the winds should blow, and how much rain would be in the clouds,
26 rĩrĩa aarutĩire mbura watho ĩrũmagĩrĩre, na agĩtemera rũheni na marurumĩ njĩra-rĩ,
and when he decided where rain [should fall], and what path lightning should take [from the clouds down to the ground],
27 nake nĩonire ũũgĩ na akĩũthima; aũrũmirie na akĩũthuthuuria.
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 Agĩcooka akĩĩra andũ atĩrĩ, ‘Gwĩtigĩra Mwathani-rĩ, ũcio nĩguo ũũgĩ, Nakuo gũtheemaga ũũru nĩ ũmenyo.’”
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.’”
