Job 28
1 Sølvet har jo sit Leje, som renses, 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 op af Jorden, og Sten smeltes om til Kobber.
For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone.
3 Paa Mørket gør man en Ende og ransager indtil de dybeste Kroge Mørkets og Mulmets Sten;
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 under Foden, og glemte, foruden Fodfæste, hænger de svævende fjernt fra Mennesker.
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 fremvokser Brød, imedens dens Indre omvæltes som af Ild;
[As for] the earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were fire.
6 i Stenen der sidder Safiren, og der er Guldstøv i den.
Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and [her] dust [supplies] man with gold.
7 Stien derhen er Rovfuglen ukendt, Falkens Øje udspejder den ikke;
[There is] a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it:
8 den trædes ikke af stolte Vilddyr, Løven skrider ej frem ad den.
neither have the sons of the proud trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it.
9 Paa Flinten lægger man Haand og omvælter Bjerge fra Roden;
He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp [rock], and turned up mountains by the roots:
10 i Klipperne hugger man Gange, alskens Klenodier skuer Øjet;
and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.
11 man tilstopper Strømmenes Kilder og bringer det skjulte for Lyset.
And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light.
12 Men Visdommen — hvor mon den findes, og hvor er Indsigtens Sted?
But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?
13 Mennesket kender ikke dens Vej, den findes ej i de levendes Land;
A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered among men.
14 Dybet siger: »I mig er den ikke!« Havet: »Ej heller hos mig!«
The depth said, It is not in me: and the sea said, It is not with me.
15 Man faar den ej for det fineste Guld, for Sølv kan den ikke købes,
One shall not give fine gold instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 den opvejes ikke med Ofirguld, med kostelig Sjoham eller Safir;
Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire.
17 Guld og Glar kan ej maale sig med den, den faas ej i Bytte for gyldne Kar,
Gold and crystal shall not be equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange.
18 Krystal og Koraller ikke at nævne. At eje Visdom er mere end Perler,
Coral and fine pearl shall not be mentioned: but do thou esteem wisdom above the most precious things.
19 Ætiopiens Topas kan ej maale sig med den, den opvejes ej 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 — hvor mon den kommer fra, og hvor er Indsigtens Sted?
Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind is the place of understanding?
21 Den er dulgt for alt levendes Øje og skjult for Himmelens Fugle;
It has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.
22 Afgrund og Død maa sige: »Vi hørte kun tale derom.«
Destruction and Death said, We have heard the report of it.
23 Gud er kendt med dens Vej, han ved, hvor den har sit Sted;
God has well ordered the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
24 thi han skuer til Jordens Ender, alt under Himmelen ser han.
For he surveys the whole [earth] under heaven, knowing the things in the earth:
25 Dengang han fastsatte Vindens Vægt og maalte Vandet med Maal,
all that he has made; the weight of the winds, the measures of the water.
26 da han satte en Lov for Regnen, afmærked Tordenskyen dens Vej,
When he made [them], thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way for the pealing of the thunder.
27 da skued og mønstred han den, han stilled den op og ransaged den.
Then he saw it, and declared it: he prepared it [and] traced 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, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.
