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].
Cak ham a khorhui om tih sui ham khaw a ciil nah hmuen om.
2 People dig iron [ore] out of the ground, and they (smelt copper ore/heat copper ore to get the copper from it).
Thicung khaw laipi lamloh a loh tih lungto te rhohum la a tlae.
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.
A bawtnah te a hmuep neh a khuetnah a cungkuem hil a khueh. Anih loh lungto te a hmuep neh dueknah hlipkhup ah khaw a hoem.
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].
Soklong te aka bakuep taeng lamloh a yoe tih kho neh caeh khaw a hnilh uh. Hlanghing lamkah aka tlayae rhoek khaw hinghuen uh.
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.
Diklai amah lamloh buh thoeng tih a hmui ah hmai bangla om.
6 The stones [that are dug from under the ground] contain (sapphires/very valuable blue stones), and the dirt contains bits of gold.
A lungto te minhum hmuen tih a taengah sui laipi om.
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.
A hawn te vatlung loh ming pawt tih maisi mik loh hmu pawh.
8 Lions or [other] proud wild animals have not walked on the roads near those mines.
Te te sa ca rhoek loh cawt pawt tih te donglong te sathuengca long khaw pawn pawh.
9 Miners tear apart [MTY] very hard rock; [it is as though] they turn the mountains upside down [to get the ore].
Hmailung soah a kut a hlah tih tlang pataeng a yung ah a phil.
10 They cut tunnels through the rocks, and they find (precious/very valuable) things.
Sokko lungpang dongah a khoel tih umponah cungkuem khaw a mik loh a hmuh.
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].
Tuiva tuilong khaw a kueng tih olhuep te khosae la a khuen.
12 “But wisdom: Where can people find that? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
Tedae me rhoek ah nim cueihnah a hmuh tih yakmingnah hmuen he menim?
13 Humans do not know where to find it; no one can find it [here on this earth] where they are living.
A phu te hlanghing loh ming pawt tih mulhing khohmuen ah a hmuh moenih.
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!’
Tuidung loh, “Te te kai ah moenih,” a ti tih tuitunli loh, “Kai taengah moenih,” a ti.
15 [People] cannot buy wisdom by paying for it with silver or gold.
Te ham te cui cilh khaw pae thai pawt tih cueihnah a phu te cak khaw a khiing pah.
16 Wisdom is worth much more than fine gold from Ophir [land] or other very valuable stones.
Ophir sui nen khaw, oitha lung vang nen khaw minhum nen khawting pawh.
17 It is worth much more than gold or beautiful glass, worth more than vases made from fine gold.
Te te sui neh canglung neh tluk pawt tih a hnothung he suicilh hnopai bal moenih.
18 Wisdom is worth more than coral or crystal/pure quartz; the price of wisdom is higher/more than the price of pearls.
Maerhuhlung neh disaehlung khaw thui lawk pawt tih cueihnah rhovoep tah lungvang lakah then.
19 The prices of (topaz/very valuable yellow stones) from Ethiopia and of pure gold are lower/less than the price of wisdom.
Te te Kusah vaya nen khaw tluk pawt tih sui cilh nen khaw ting pawh.
20 “So, where does wisdom come from? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
Te dongah cueihnah he me lamkah nim ha pawk tih yakmingnah hmuen he menim?
21 No living humans can see it [MTY]; and birds cannot see it while they are flying [MTY].
Mulhing boeih kah mik lamloh a thuh pah tih vaan kah vaa taeng lamloh a thuh.
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].’
Abaddon neh dueknah loh, “A olthang te kaimih hna neh ka yaak uh,” a ti.
23 God [is the only one who] knows how to find wisdom; he knows where it is,
Pathen loh a longpuei a yakming tih a hmuen te khaw amah loh a ming.
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.
Amah loh diklai khobawt hil a paelki tih vaan hmui khaw boeih a hmuh.
25 When he decided how strongly the winds should blow, and how much rain would be in the clouds,
Yilh kah a khiing a khueh pah tih tui khaw cungnueh neh a nueh.
26 and when he decided where rain [should fall], and what path lightning should take [from the clouds down to the ground],
Amah loh khotlan ham rhi a suem tih rhaek ol ham khaw longpuei a khueh.
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).
Cueihnah te a hmuh tih a tae. Cueihnah te a sikim sak tih a khe bal.
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.’”
Hlang taengah khaw, 'Ka Boeipa hinyahnah he cueihnah la om tih boethae lamloh nong he yakmingnah,’ a ti,” a ti nah.
