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, and a place for gold which they refine.
2 Jern hentes af Støvet og Stene, som smeltes til Kobber.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.
3 Man gør Ende paa Mørket, og indtil det yderste ransager man de Stene, som ligge i Mørket og Dødens Skygge.
Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of 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. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth.
5 Af Jorden fremkommer Brød, men indeni omvæltes den som af Ild.
As for the earth, out of it comes bread. Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 Dens Stene ere Safirens Sted, og den har Guldstøv i sig.
Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
7 Stien derhen har ingen Rovfugl kendt, ingen Skades Øjne set.
That path no bird of prey knows, neither 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 trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
9 Man lægger Haand paa den haarde Flint, man omvælter Bjerge fra Roden af.
He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
10 Man udhugger Gange i Klipperne, og Øjet ser alt det dyrebare.
He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
11 Man binder for Strømmene, saa at ikke en Draabe siver ud, og fører de skjulte Ting frem til Lyset.
He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
12 Men Visdommen — hvorfra vil man finde den? og hvor er Indsigtens Sted?
“But 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 doesn’t know its price, and it isn’t 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 says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’
15 Den kan ikke faas for det fineste Guld, ej heller dens Værdi opvejes med Sølv.
It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.
16 Den kan ikke opvejes med Guld fra Ofir, ej heller med den dyrebare Onyks og Safir.
It can’t be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Den kan ikke vurderes lige med Guld og Krystal; man kan ikke tilbytte sig den for Kar af fint Guld.
Gold and glass can’t equal it, neither will 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 will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 Topazer af Morland kunne ikke vurderes lige imod den; den kan ikke opvejes med det rene Guld.
The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it. It won’t be valued with pure gold.
20 Men Visdommen — hvorfra kommer den? og hvor er Indsigtens Sted?
Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?
21 Den er skjult for alle levendes Øjne, den er og dulgt for Fuglene under Himmelen.
Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
22 Afgrunden og Døden sige: Kun et Rygte om den hørte vi med vore Øren.
Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
23 Gud forstaar dens Vej, og han kender dens Sted.
“God understands its way, and he knows its place.
24 Thi han skuer indtil Jordens Ender; han ser hen under al Himmelen.
For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.
25 Der han gav Vinden sin Vægt og bestemte Vandet dets Maal,
He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.
26 der han satte en Lov for Regnen og en Vej for Lynet, som gaar foran Torden,
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
27 da saa han den og kundgjorde den, beredte den, ja gennemskuede den.
then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.
28 Og han sagde til Mennesket: Se, Herrens Frygt, det er Visdom, og at vige fra det onde, det er Forstand.
To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
