Job 28
1 Thi Sølvet har sit Sted, hvorfra det kommer, og Guldet, man renser, har sit Sted.
Surely there is a mine for silver, a place where they refine gold.
2 Jern hentes af Støvet og Stene, som smeltes til Kobber.
Iron is taken out of the earth; copper is smelted out of the stone.
3 Man gør Ende paa Mørket, og indtil det yderste ransager man de Stene, som ligge i Mørket og Dødens Skygge.
A man sets an end to darkness and searches out, to the farthest limit, the stones in obscurity and thick darkness.
4 Man bryder en Skakt ned fra Jordboen; forglemte af Vandrerens Fod hænge de, borte fra Mennesker svæve de.
He breaks open a shaft away from where people live, places that are forgotten by anyone's foot. He hangs far away from people; he swings to and fro.
5 Af Jorden fremkommer Brød, men indeni omvæltes den som af Ild.
As for the earth, out of which comes bread, it is turned up below as if by fire.
6 Dens Stene ere Safirens Sted, og den har Guldstøv i sig.
Its stones are the place where sapphires are found, and its dust contains gold.
7 Stien derhen har ingen Rovfugl kendt, ingen Skades Øjne set.
No bird of prey knows the path to it, nor has the falcon's eye seen it.
8 De stolte Dyr have ikke betraadt den, og ingen Løve har gaaet ad den.
The proud animals have not walked such a path, nor has the fierce lion passed there.
9 Man lægger Haand paa den haarde Flint, man omvælter Bjerge fra Roden af.
A man lays his hand on the flinty rock; he overturns mountains by their roots.
10 Man udhugger Gange i Klipperne, og Øjet ser alt det dyrebare.
He cuts out channels among the rocks; his eye sees every valuable thing there.
11 Man binder for Strømmene, saa at ikke en Draabe siver ud, og fører de skjulte Ting frem til Lyset.
He ties up the streams so they do not run; what is hidden there he brings out to the light.
12 Men Visdommen — hvorfra vil man finde den? og hvor er Indsigtens Sted?
Where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
13 Et Menneske kender ikke dens Værdi, og den findes ikke i de levendes Land.
Man does not know its price; neither is it found in the land of the living.
14 Afgrunden siger: Den er ikke i mig, og Havet siger: Den er ikke hos mig.
The deep waters under the earth say, 'It is not in me'; the sea says, 'It is not with me.'
15 Den kan ikke faas for det fineste Guld, ej heller dens Værdi opvejes med Sølv.
It cannot be gotten for gold; neither can silver be weighed as its price.
16 Den kan ikke opvejes med Guld fra Ofir, ej heller med den dyrebare Onyks og Safir.
It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or 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 cannot equal it in worth; neither can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 Koraller og Ædelstene tales der ikke om; og Visdoms Besiddelse er bedre end Perler.
No mention is worth making of coral or jasper; indeed, the price of wisdom is more than rubies.
19 Topazer af Morland kunne ikke vurderes lige imod den; den kan ikke opvejes med det rene Guld.
The topaz of Cush does not equal it; neither can it be valued in terms of pure gold.
20 Men Visdommen — hvorfra kommer den? og hvor er Indsigtens Sted?
From where, then, comes wisdom? Where is the place of understanding?
21 Den er skjult for alle levendes Øjne, den er og dulgt for Fuglene under Himmelen.
Wisdom is hidden from the eyes of all living things and is kept hidden from the birds of the heavens.
22 Afgrunden og Døden sige: Kun et Rygte om den hørte vi med vore Øren.
Destruction and Death say, 'We have heard just a rumor about it with our ears.'
23 Gud forstaar dens Vej, og han kender dens Sted.
God understands the way to it; he knows its place.
24 Thi han skuer indtil Jordens Ender; han ser hen under al Himmelen.
For he looks to the very ends of the earth and sees under all the heavens.
25 Der han gav Vinden sin Vægt og bestemte Vandet dets Maal,
He made the force of the wind and parceled out the waters by measure.
26 der han satte en Lov for Regnen og en Vej for Lynet, som gaar foran Torden,
He made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunder.
27 da saa han den og kundgjorde den, beredte den, ja gennemskuede den.
Then he saw wisdom and announced it; he established it, indeed, and he examined it.
28 Og han sagde til Mennesket: Se, Herrens Frygt, det er Visdom, og at vige fra det onde, det er Forstand.
To people he said, 'See, the fear of the Lord—that is wisdom; to depart from evil is understanding.'”
