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 for gold which they refine.
2 鐵由土中掘出，銅自石中鎔煉。
Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the 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 sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick 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。
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 地上出產食糧，地下有火翻騰。
As for the earth, out of it comes bread. Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 那裏的石頭盡是碧玉，塵沙盡是金沙。
Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
7 礦中的幽徑，猛禽不知，鷹眼未見。
That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.
8 野獸未踐踏，猛獸未經過。
The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
9 人伸手擊打燧石，山基為之震撼動搖。
He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
10 在巖石中間開鑿隧道，所有珍寶盡入眼簾。
He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
11 探察江河之源流，使寶藏顯露於外。
He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
12 但是智慧在那裏尋覓，那裏是明智之所在﹖
“But where will wisdom be found? 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 doesn’t know its price, and it isn’t 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 says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’
15 她非精金所能購買，也不能稱量銀子作她的代價。
It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.
16 敖非爾金不能與她較量，寶石和碧玉也不能與她相比。
It can’t be valued 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 glass can’t equal it, neither will it be exchanged for 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 will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
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 will not equal it. It won’t be valued with pure gold.
20 究竟智慧由何處而來，那裏是明智之所在﹖
Where then does wisdom come from? 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。「
Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close 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 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 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 under the whole sky.
25 當他劃定風的重量，規定水的定量，
He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.
26 釐定下雨的季節，規定雷電的路線時，
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
27 他已見了她，講述了她，立定了她，考察了她。
then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, 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。」
To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
