< Siope 28 >

1 “Ko e moʻoni ʻoku ai ʻae halanga ki he siliva, mo e potu ki he koula ʻoku fakamaʻa ʻe he kakai.
“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 ‌ʻOku toʻo ʻae ʻaione mei he kelekele, pea ʻoku haka ʻae palasa mei he maka.
People dig iron [ore] out of the ground, and they (smelt copper ore/heat copper ore to get the copper from it).
3 ‌ʻOku ne fakangata ʻae fakapoʻuli, pea ne kumi ki hono ngataʻanga: ko e ngaahi maka ʻoe poʻuli mo e ʻata ʻoe mate.
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 ‌ʻOku ʻoho mai ʻae vai mei he potu ʻoku ʻi ai ʻae kakai; ne ngalo ia ʻi he kau vaʻe: kuo matuʻu hake ia, ʻo mole atu mei he kakai.
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 ‌ʻOku tupu ʻae mā mei he kelekele: pea ʻoku fulihi ʻi lalo ia ʻo hangē ko e afi.
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 Ko hono ngaahi maka ko e potu ia ʻoe ngaahi safaia: pea ʻoku ʻi ai ʻae efu koula.
The stones [that are dug from under the ground] contain (sapphires/very valuable blue stones), and the dirt contains bits of gold.
7 Ko e hala eni ʻoku ʻikai ʻiloʻi ʻe he manupuna, pea kuo ʻikai mamata ki ai ʻae mata ʻoe vulita.
[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 Naʻe ʻikai moloki ia ʻe he fānganga ʻoe laione, pe ʻalu ʻi ai ʻae laione fekai.
Lions or [other] proud wild animals have not walked on the roads near those mines.
9 ‌ʻOku ne ʻai hono nima ki he maka; ʻoku taʻaki fuʻu hake ʻe ia ʻae ngaahi moʻunga.
Miners tear apart [MTY] very hard rock; [it is as though] they turn the mountains upside down [to get the ore].
10 ‌ʻOku ne matofa ʻae ngaahi tafeʻanga vai ʻi he ngaahi maka; pea ʻoku mamata ʻa hono mata ki he meʻa mahuʻinga kotoa pē.
They cut tunnels through the rocks, and they find (precious/very valuable) things.
11 ‌ʻOku ne nonoʻo ʻae ngaahi vai ke ʻoua naʻa mafola ia; pea ko ia naʻe fufū ʻoku ne ʻomi ki he maama.
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 “Ka ʻe ʻilo ki fē ʻae poto? Pea komaʻa ia ʻae potu ʻoe ʻilo?
“But wisdom: Where can people find that? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
13 Ko hono mahuʻinga ʻo ia ʻoku ʻikai ʻilo ʻe he tangata; pea ʻoku ʻikai ʻilo ia ʻi he fonua ʻoe moʻui.
Humans do not know where to find it; no one can find it [here on this earth] where they are living.
14 ‌ʻOku pehē ʻe he loloto, ‘ʻOku ʻikai ʻiate au ia:’ ʻoku pehē mo e tahi, ‘ʻOku ʻikai ʻiate 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 ‌ʻE ʻikai faʻa maʻu ia ʻaki ʻae koula, pea ʻe ʻikai fakamamafa ʻae siliva mo hono totongi ʻoʻona.
[People] cannot buy wisdom by paying for it with silver or gold.
16 ‌ʻE ʻikai fakatauʻaki ia ʻae koula ʻo Ofeli, pe ko e oniki mahuʻinga, pe ko e safaia.
Wisdom is worth much more than fine gold from Ophir [land] or other very valuable stones.
17 ‌ʻOku ʻikai tatau mo ia ʻae koula mo e kalisitala: pea ʻe ʻikai fetongi ʻaki ia ʻae ngaahi teunga koula lelei.
It is worth much more than gold or beautiful glass, worth more than vases made from fine gold.
18 ‌ʻE ʻikai lau ki ai ʻae feo kulokula, mo e mataʻitofe: he ko e mahuʻinga ʻoe poto ʻoku lahi hake ia ʻi he ngaahi maka mahuʻinga.
Wisdom is worth more than coral or crystal/pure quartz; the price of wisdom is higher/more than the price of pearls.
19 ‌ʻOku ʻikai tatau mo ia ʻae topasi ʻo ʻItiopea, pea ʻe ʻikai totongi ʻaki ia ʻae koula haohaoa.
The prices of (topaz/very valuable yellow stones) from Ethiopia and of pure gold are lower/less than the price of wisdom.
20 Ko ia, ʻoku haʻu mei fē ʻae poto? pea ko maʻā ia ʻae potu ʻoe ʻilo?
“So, where does wisdom come from? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
21 He kuo fufū ia mei he mata ʻoe moʻui kotoa pē, pea fakalilolilo mei he fanga manu ʻoe ʻatā.
No living humans can see it [MTY]; and birds cannot see it while they are flying [MTY].
22 ‌ʻOku pehē ʻe he fakaʻauha mo e mate, ‘Kuo ma fanongo ki hono ongoongo ʻo ia ʻaki homa telinga.’
[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 “ʻOku ʻiloʻi ʻe he ʻOtua ʻa hono hala, pea ʻoku ne ʻiloʻi mo hono potu.
God [is the only one who] knows how to find wisdom; he knows where it is,
24 He ʻoku ne sio ki he ngaahi ngataʻanga ʻo māmani, pea ʻoku ne ʻafioʻi ʻaia kotoa pē ʻoku ʻi lalo langi;
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 Ke ne ngaohi ʻae mamafa ʻoe matangi; pea ʻoku ne tuʻutuʻuni ʻae ngaahi vai ʻi he fuofua.
When he decided how strongly the winds should blow, and how much rain would be in the clouds,
26 ‌ʻI heʻene fokotuʻu ʻae fono ki he ʻuha, pea mo e hala ki he ʻuhila ʻoe mana:
and when he decided where rain [should fall], and what path lightning should take [from the clouds down to the ground],
27 Ko ia naʻa ne mamata ki ai, pea fakahā ia; naʻa ne fokotuʻumaʻu ia, ʻio, pea naʻa ne hakule ki ai.
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 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia ki he tangata, ‘Vakai, ko e manavahē kia Sihova, ko e poto ia; pea ko e afe mei he kovi ko e ʻilo ia.’”
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.’”

< Siope 28 >