約伯記 28
1 銀有出產之地，金有冶煉之所。
“Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
2 鐵由土中掘出，銅自石中鎔煉。
Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
3 人給黑暗制定了界限，探討幽暗陰晦的堅石，挖至地層深處。
Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.
4 在無人居住之處開鑿礦穴，上面過路的人，也想不到他們遠離人間，身懸半空，搖擺不定。
Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.
5 地上出產食糧，地下有火翻騰。
Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.
6 那裏的石頭盡是碧玉，塵沙盡是金沙。
Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.
7 礦中的幽徑，猛禽不知，鷹眼未見。
No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8 野獸未踐踏，猛獸未經過。
Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
9 人伸手擊打燧石，山基為之震撼動搖。
The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
10 在巖石中間開鑿隧道，所有珍寶盡入眼簾。
He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
11 探察江河之源流，使寶藏顯露於外。
He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
12 但是智慧在那裏尋覓，那裏是明智之所在﹖
But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
13 智慧的道路，人不認識，在眾生界尋不到她。
No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 深淵說：「她不在我這裏。」海洋說：「她不與我同域。」
The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’
15 她非精金所能購買，也不能稱量銀子作她的代價。
It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
16 敖非爾金不能與她較量，寶石和碧玉也不能與她相比。
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
17 黃金與琉璃不能與她同列，純金的器皿也不能與她交換。
Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
18 珊瑚與水晶都不足論，取得智慧勝過取得珍珠。
Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 雇士的黃玉不足與她相比，純金也不能與她較量。
Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20 究竟智慧由何處而來，那裏是明智之所在﹖
From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
21 眾生的眼目未曾見過，天空的飛鳥也未發現。「
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 毀滅」與「死亡」都說：「我們只風聞過她的聲望。」
Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
23 惟獨天主認識她的道路，惟有他知道她的處所。
But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
24 因為惟有他觀察地極，俯視天下的一切。
For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
25 當他劃定風的重量，規定水的定量，
When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
26 釐定下雨的季節，規定雷電的路線時，
when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,
27 他已見了她，講述了她，立定了她，考察了她。
then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.
28 然後對人說：「看，敬畏上主，就是智慧；遠離邪惡，就是明智。」
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
