< 約伯記 28 >
For there is a place for the silver, whence it comes, and a place for the gold, whence it is refined.
For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone.
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。
He has set a bound to darkness, and he searches out every limit: a stone [is] darkness, and the shadow of death.
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。
There is a cutting off the torrent by reason of dust: so they that forget the right way are weakened; they are removed from [among] men.
[As for] the earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were fire.
Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and [her] dust [supplies] man with gold.
[There is] a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it:
neither have the sons of the proud trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it.
He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp [rock], and turned up mountains by the roots:
and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.
And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light.
But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?
A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered among men.
14 深淵說:「她不在我這裏。」海洋說:「她不與我同域。」
The depth said, It is not in me: and the sea said, 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。
One shall not give fine gold instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 敖非爾金不能與她較量,寶石和碧玉也不能與她相比。
Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and 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。
Gold and crystal shall not be equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange.
Coral and fine pearl shall not be mentioned: but do you esteem wisdom above the most precious things.
19 雇士的黃玉不足與她相比,純金也不能與她較量。
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equalled to it; it shall not be compared with pure gold.
Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind is the place of understanding?
It has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.
22 毀滅」與「死亡」都說:「我們只風聞過她的聲望。」
Destruction and Death said, We have heard the report of it.
God has well ordered the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
For he surveys the whole [earth] under heaven, knowing the things in the earth:
all that he has made; the weight of the winds, the measures of the water.
When he made [them], thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way for the pealing of the thunder.
Then he saw it, and declared it: he prepared it [and] traced 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, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.