Siope 28
1 “Ko e moʻoni ʻoku ai ʻae halanga ki he siliva, mo e potu ki he koula ʻoku fakamaʻa ʻe he kakai.
“Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
2 ʻOku toʻo ʻae ʻaione mei he kelekele, pea ʻoku haka ʻae palasa mei he maka.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.
3 ʻOku ne fakangata ʻae fakapoʻuli, pea ne kumi ki hono ngataʻanga: ko e ngaahi maka ʻoe poʻuli mo e ʻata ʻoe mate.
Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
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.
He breaks open a shaft away from where people live. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth.
5 ʻOku tupu ʻae mā mei he kelekele: pea ʻoku fulihi ʻi lalo ia ʻo hangē ko e afi.
As for the earth, out of it comes bread. Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 Ko hono ngaahi maka ko e potu ia ʻoe ngaahi safaia: pea ʻoku ʻi ai ʻae efu koula.
Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
7 Ko e hala eni ʻoku ʻikai ʻiloʻi ʻe he manupuna, pea kuo ʻikai mamata ki ai ʻae mata ʻoe vulita.
That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.
8 Naʻe ʻikai moloki ia ʻe he fānganga ʻoe laione, pe ʻalu ʻi ai ʻae laione fekai.
The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
9 ʻOku ne ʻai hono nima ki he maka; ʻoku taʻaki fuʻu hake ʻe ia ʻae ngaahi moʻunga.
He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
10 ʻOku ne matofa ʻae ngaahi tafeʻanga vai ʻi he ngaahi maka; pea ʻoku mamata ʻa hono mata ki he meʻa mahuʻinga kotoa pē.
He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
11 ʻOku ne nonoʻo ʻae ngaahi vai ke ʻoua naʻa mafola ia; pea ko ia naʻe fufū ʻoku ne ʻomi ki he maama.
He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
12 “Ka ʻe ʻilo ki fē ʻae poto? Pea komaʻa ia ʻae potu ʻoe ʻilo?
“But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
13 Ko hono mahuʻinga ʻo ia ʻoku ʻikai ʻilo ʻe he tangata; pea ʻoku ʻikai ʻilo ia ʻi he fonua ʻoe moʻui.
Man doesn’t know its price, and it isn’t found in the land of the living.
14 ʻOku pehē ʻe he loloto, ‘ʻOku ʻikai ʻiate au ia:’ ʻoku pehē mo e tahi, ‘ʻOku ʻikai ʻiate au.’
The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’
15 ʻE ʻikai faʻa maʻu ia ʻaki ʻae koula, pea ʻe ʻikai fakamamafa ʻae siliva mo hono totongi ʻoʻona.
It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.
16 ʻE ʻikai fakatauʻaki ia ʻae koula ʻo Ofeli, pe ko e oniki mahuʻinga, pe ko e safaia.
It can’t be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 ʻOku ʻikai tatau mo ia ʻae koula mo e kalisitala: pea ʻe ʻikai fetongi ʻaki ia ʻae ngaahi teunga koula lelei.
Gold and glass can’t equal it, neither will it be exchanged for jewels of 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.
No mention will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 ʻOku ʻikai tatau mo ia ʻae topasi ʻo ʻItiopea, pea ʻe ʻikai totongi ʻaki ia ʻae koula haohaoa.
The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it. It won’t be valued with pure gold.
20 Ko ia, ʻoku haʻu mei fē ʻae poto? pea ko maʻā ia ʻae potu ʻoe ʻilo?
Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?
21 He kuo fufū ia mei he mata ʻoe moʻui kotoa pē, pea fakalilolilo mei he fanga manu ʻoe ʻatā.
Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
22 ʻOku pehē ʻe he fakaʻauha mo e mate, ‘Kuo ma fanongo ki hono ongoongo ʻo ia ʻaki homa telinga.’
Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
23 “ʻOku ʻiloʻi ʻe he ʻOtua ʻa hono hala, pea ʻoku ne ʻiloʻi mo hono potu.
“God understands its way, and he knows its place.
24 He ʻoku ne sio ki he ngaahi ngataʻanga ʻo māmani, pea ʻoku ne ʻafioʻi ʻaia kotoa pē ʻoku ʻi lalo langi;
For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.
25 Ke ne ngaohi ʻae mamafa ʻoe matangi; pea ʻoku ne tuʻutuʻuni ʻae ngaahi vai ʻi he fuofua.
He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.
26 ʻI heʻene fokotuʻu ʻae fono ki he ʻuha, pea mo e hala ki he ʻuhila ʻoe mana:
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
27 Ko ia naʻa ne mamata ki ai, pea fakahā ia; naʻa ne fokotuʻumaʻu ia, ʻio, pea naʻa ne hakule ki ai.
then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.
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.’”
To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
