Job 28
1 Thi Sølvet har sit Sted, hvorfra det kommer, og Guldet, man renser, har sit Sted.
For there is a place for the silver, whence it comes, and a place for the gold, whence it is refined.
2 Jern hentes af Støvet og Stene, som smeltes til Kobber.
For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone.
3 Man gør Ende paa Mørket, og indtil det yderste ransager man de Stene, som ligge i Mørket og Dødens Skygge.
He has set a bound to darkness, and he searches out every limit: a stone [is] darkness, and the shadow of death.
4 Man bryder en Skakt ned fra Jordboen; forglemte af Vandrerens Fod hænge de, borte fra Mennesker svæve de.
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.
5 Af Jorden fremkommer Brød, men indeni omvæltes den som af Ild.
[As for] the earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were fire.
6 Dens Stene ere Safirens Sted, og den har Guldstøv i sig.
Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and [her] dust [supplies] man with gold.
7 Stien derhen har ingen Rovfugl kendt, ingen Skades Øjne set.
[There is] a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it:
8 De stolte Dyr have ikke betraadt den, og ingen Løve har gaaet ad den.
neither have the sons of the proud trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it.
9 Man lægger Haand paa den haarde Flint, man omvælter Bjerge fra Roden af.
He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp [rock], and turned up mountains by the roots:
10 Man udhugger Gange i Klipperne, og Øjet ser alt det dyrebare.
and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.
11 Man binder for Strømmene, saa at ikke en Draabe siver ud, og fører de skjulte Ting frem til Lyset.
And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light.
12 Men Visdommen — hvorfra vil man finde den? og hvor er Indsigtens Sted?
But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?
13 Et Menneske kender ikke dens Værdi, og den findes ikke i de levendes Land.
A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered among men.
14 Afgrunden siger: Den er ikke i mig, og Havet siger: Den er ikke hos mig.
The depth said, It is not in me: and the sea said, It is not with me.
15 Den kan ikke faas for det fineste Guld, ej heller dens Værdi opvejes med Sølv.
One shall not give fine gold instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 Den kan ikke opvejes med Guld fra Ofir, ej heller med den dyrebare Onyks og Safir.
Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire.
17 Den kan ikke vurderes lige med Guld og Krystal; man kan ikke tilbytte sig den for Kar af fint Guld.
Gold and crystal shall not be equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange.
18 Koraller og Ædelstene tales der ikke om; og Visdoms Besiddelse er bedre end Perler.
Coral and fine pearl shall not be mentioned: but do thou esteem wisdom above the most precious things.
19 Topazer af Morland kunne ikke vurderes lige imod den; den kan ikke opvejes med det rene Guld.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equalled to it; it shall not be compared with pure gold.
20 Men Visdommen — hvorfra kommer den? og hvor er Indsigtens Sted?
Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind is the place of understanding?
21 Den er skjult for alle levendes Øjne, den er og dulgt for Fuglene under Himmelen.
It has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.
22 Afgrunden og Døden sige: Kun et Rygte om den hørte vi med vore Øren.
Destruction and Death said, We have heard the report of it.
23 Gud forstaar dens Vej, og han kender dens Sted.
God has well ordered the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
24 Thi han skuer indtil Jordens Ender; han ser hen under al Himmelen.
For he surveys the whole [earth] under heaven, knowing the things in the earth:
25 Der han gav Vinden sin Vægt og bestemte Vandet dets Maal,
all that he has made; the weight of the winds, the measures of the water.
26 der han satte en Lov for Regnen og en Vej for Lynet, som gaar foran Torden,
When he made [them], thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way for the pealing of the thunder.
27 da saa han den og kundgjorde den, beredte den, ja gennemskuede den.
Then he saw it, and declared it: he prepared it [and] traced it out.
28 Og han sagde til Mennesket: Se, Herrens Frygt, det er Visdom, og at vige fra det onde, det er Forstand.
And he said to man, Behold, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.
