Job 28
1 Sølvet har jo sit Leje, som renses, sit Sted,
“Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
2 Jern hentes op af Jorden, og Sten smeltes om til Kobber.
Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
3 Paa Mørket gør man en Ende og ransager indtil de dybeste Kroge Mørkets og Mulmets Sten;
Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.
4 man bryder en Skakt under Foden, og glemte, foruden Fodfæste, hænger de svævende fjernt fra Mennesker.
Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.
5 Af Jorden fremvokser Brød, imedens dens Indre omvæltes som af Ild;
Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.
6 i Stenen der sidder Safiren, og der er Guldstøv i den.
Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.
7 Stien derhen er Rovfuglen ukendt, Falkens Øje udspejder den ikke;
No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8 den trædes ikke af stolte Vilddyr, Løven skrider ej frem ad den.
Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
9 Paa Flinten lægger man Haand og omvælter Bjerge fra Roden;
The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
10 i Klipperne hugger man Gange, alskens Klenodier skuer Øjet;
He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
11 man tilstopper Strømmenes Kilder og bringer det skjulte for Lyset.
He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
12 Men Visdommen — hvor mon den findes, og hvor er Indsigtens Sted?
But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
13 Mennesket kender ikke dens Vej, den findes ej i de levendes Land;
No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 Dybet siger: »I mig er den ikke!« Havet: »Ej heller hos mig!«
The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’
15 Man faar den ej for det fineste Guld, for Sølv kan den ikke købes,
It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
16 den opvejes ikke med Ofirguld, med kostelig Sjoham eller Safir;
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Guld og Glar kan ej maale sig med den, den faas ej i Bytte for gyldne Kar,
Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
18 Krystal og Koraller ikke at nævne. At eje Visdom er mere end Perler,
Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 Ætiopiens Topas kan ej maale sig med den, den opvejes ej med det rene Guld.
Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20 Men Visdommen — hvor mon den kommer fra, og hvor er Indsigtens Sted?
From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
21 Den er dulgt for alt levendes Øje og skjult for Himmelens Fugle;
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 Afgrund og Død maa sige: »Vi hørte kun tale derom.«
Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
23 Gud er kendt med dens Vej, han ved, hvor den har sit Sted;
But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
24 thi han skuer til Jordens Ender, alt under Himmelen ser han.
For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
25 Dengang han fastsatte Vindens Vægt og maalte Vandet med Maal,
When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
26 da han satte en Lov for Regnen, afmærked Tordenskyen dens Vej,
when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,
27 da skued og mønstred han den, han stilled den op og ransaged den.
then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.
28 Men til Mennesket sagde han: »Se, HERRENS Frygt, det er Visdom, at sky det onde er Indsigt.«
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
