約伯記 28
1 銀有出產之地，金有冶煉之所。
Truly there is a vein for silver, And a place for gold, which men refine.
2 鐵由土中掘出，銅自石中鎔煉。
Iron is obtained from earth, And stone is melted into copper.
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 putteth an end to darkness; He searcheth to the lowest depths For the stone of 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。
From the place where they dwell they open a shaft; Forgotten by the feet, They hang down, they swing away from men.
5 地上出產食糧，地下有火翻騰。
The earth, out of which cometh bread, Is torn up underneath, as it were by fire.
6 那裏的石頭盡是碧玉，塵沙盡是金沙。
Her stones are the place of sapphires, And she hath clods of gold for man.
7 礦中的幽徑，猛禽不知，鷹眼未見。
The path thereto no bird knoweth, And the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
8 野獸未踐踏，猛獸未經過。
The fierce wild beast hath not trodden it; The lion hath not passed over it.
9 人伸手擊打燧石，山基為之震撼動搖。
Man layeth his hand upon the rock; He upturneth mountains from their roots;
10 在巖石中間開鑿隧道，所有珍寶盡入眼簾。
He cleaveth out streams in the rocks, And his eye seeth every precious thing;
11 探察江河之源流，使寶藏顯露於外。
He bindeth up the streams, that they trickle not, And bringeth hidden things to light.
12 但是智慧在那裏尋覓，那裏是明智之所在﹖
But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
13 智慧的道路，人不認識，在眾生界尋不到她。
Man knoweth not the price thereof, Nor can it be 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 deep saith, It is not in me; And the sea saith, 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 gotten for gold, Nor shall silver be weighed out as the price thereof.
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 bought with the gold of Ophir, With the precious onyx or the 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 are not to be compared with it; Nor can it be purchased with jewels of fine gold.
18 珊瑚與水晶都不足論，取得智慧勝過取得珍珠。
No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; For wisdom is more precious than pearls.
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 cannot equal it, Nor can it be purchased with pure gold.
20 究竟智慧由何處而來，那裏是明智之所在﹖
Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?
21 眾生的眼目未曾見過，天空的飛鳥也未發現。「
Since it is hidden from the eyes of all living, And kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 毀滅」與「死亡」都說：「我們只風聞過她的聲望。」
Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.
23 惟獨天主認識她的道路，惟有他知道她的處所。
God knoweth the way to it; He knoweth its dwelling-place.
24 因為惟有他觀察地極，俯視天下的一切。
For he seeth to the ends of the earth, And surveyeth all things under the whole heaven.
25 當他劃定風的重量，規定水的定量，
When he gave the winds their weight, And meted out the waters by measure;
26 釐定下雨的季節，規定雷電的路線時，
When he prescribed a law to the rain, And a path to the thunder-flash, —
27 他已見了她，講述了她，立定了她，考察了她。
Then did he see it, and make it known; 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。」
But he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.
