Ioba 28
1 HE oiaio, he wahi ahu no ke kala, A he wahi no ke gula, kahi a lakou e hoomaemae ai.
“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 Ua laweia ka hao mailoko mai o ka lepo, A ua hooheheeia ke keleawe mailoko mai o ka pohaku.
People dig iron [ore] out of the ground, and they (smelt copper ore/heat copper ore to get the copper from it).
3 Hoonoho no ia i ka hope no ka pouli, A imi no ia ma na wahi hohonu a pau; I ka pohaku o ka pouli a me ka malu make.
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 Eli ae ia i lua mao aku mai kahi e noho ai na kanaka; Iho lakou ilalo aole ma ka wawae, A lewa lakou mai kanaka aku.
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 O ka honua, kahi i puka mai ai ka berena, Ua hoohuaiia oia malalo iho ona e like me ke ahi.
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 O kona mau pohaku, kahi o ka sapira; A he lepo gula kona.
The stones [that are dug from under the ground] contain (sapphires/very valuable blue stones), and the dirt contains bits of gold.
7 O ke alanui aole i ikeia e ka manu, Aole i ikeia e ka maka o ka vuletura;
[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 Aole i hehi iho na holoholona hihiu ia ia, Aole ka liona i maalo ae ilaila.
Lions or [other] proud wild animals have not walked on the roads near those mines.
9 Kau aku no ia i kona lima maluna o ka pohakupaa; Hookahuli ae ia i na mauna mai ke kumu aku.
Miners tear apart [MTY] very hard rock; [it is as though] they turn the mountains upside down [to get the ore].
10 Hoopoha no ia i ke kahawai mawaena o na pohaku; A ike no kona maka i na mea waiwai nui a pau.
They cut tunnels through the rocks, and they find (precious/very valuable) things.
11 Pani aku no ia i na wai i ke kahe ana iho, A o na mea i hunaia kana i lawe mai ai i ka malamalama.
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 Aka, mahea la e loaa'i ka noeau? Mahea hoi kahi o ka naauao?
“But wisdom: Where can people find that? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
13 Aohe kanaka i ike i kona kumukuai; Aole hoi e loaa ia ma ka aina o ka poe e ola ana.
Humans do not know where to find it; no one can find it [here on this earth] where they are living.
14 I mai ka hohonu, Aole ia iloko o'u: I mai la hoi ke kai, Aole ia me au.
[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 Aole e haawiia ke gula maikai i kumu e loaa mai ai, Aole hoi e kaupaona ke kala i kumukuai nona.
[People] cannot buy wisdom by paying for it with silver or gold.
16 Aole e kau pu ia oia me ke gula o Opira, Me ka pohaku onika maikai a me ka sapira.
Wisdom is worth much more than fine gold from Ophir [land] or other very valuable stones.
17 Aole e hoolikeia ke gula a me ka pohaku aniani me ia: Aole e hooliloia ia mea no na ipu gula maikai.
It is worth much more than gold or beautiful glass, worth more than vases made from fine gold.
18 Aole e manaoia ke akoakoa, a me ka pohaku maikai: No ka mea, o ka waiwai o ka noeau ua oi aku ia mamua o na momi.
Wisdom is worth more than coral or crystal/pure quartz; the price of wisdom is higher/more than the price of pearls.
19 Aole e hoolikeia ke topaza o Aitiopa me ia, Aole hoi ia e kau pu ia me ke gula maikai.
The prices of (topaz/very valuable yellow stones) from Ethiopia and of pure gold are lower/less than the price of wisdom.
20 Mai hea mai hoi ka noeau? A mahea hoi kahi o ka naauao?
“So, where does wisdom come from? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
21 No ka mea, ua hunaia oia mai na maka aku o ka poe a pau e ola ana, A ua nalo oia mai na manu o ka lewa aku.
No living humans can see it [MTY]; and birds cannot see it while they are flying [MTY].
22 I mai la ka po a me ka make, Ua lohe no maua me ko maua pepeiao i kona lono.
[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 Ua maopopo no i ke Akua kona aoao, A oia ka i ike i kona wahi.
God [is the only one who] knows how to find wisdom; he knows where it is,
24 No ka mea, oia ka i nana aku i na welau o ka honua, Ua ike no ia malalo o ka lani a pau;
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 E hana i ka mea kaupaona no ka makani, A ua ana no ia i na wai maloko o ka mea ana.
When he decided how strongly the winds should blow, and how much rain would be in the clouds,
26 I kana hana ana i ke kanawai no ka ua, A me ke ala no ka uwila o ka hekili;
and when he decided where rain [should fall], and what path lightning should take [from the clouds down to the ground],
27 Alaila ike no oia ia mea, a hoike mai hoi ia; Hoomakaukau oia ia mea, a imi aku hoi ia mea.
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 A ua i mai no ia i ke kanaka, Aia hoi, o ka makau i ka Haku, oia ka noeau; A o ka haalele i ka hewa, oia ka naauao.
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.’”
