Job 28
1 Sølvet har jo sit Leje, som renses, sit Sted,
Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold [where] they fine [it].
2 Jern hentes op af Jorden, og Sten smeltes om til Kobber.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass [is] molten [out of] the stone.
3 Paa Mørket gør man en Ende og ransager indtil de dybeste Kroge Mørkets og Mulmets Sten;
He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.
4 man bryder en Skakt under Foden, og glemte, foruden Fodfæste, hænger de svævende fjernt fra Mennesker.
The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; [even the waters] forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.
5 Af Jorden fremvokser Brød, imedens dens Indre omvæltes som af Ild;
[As for] the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.
6 i Stenen der sidder Safiren, og der er Guldstøv i den.
The stones of it [are] the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.
7 Stien derhen er Rovfuglen ukendt, Falkens Øje udspejder den ikke;
[There is] a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen:
8 den trædes ikke af stolte Vilddyr, Løven skrider ej frem ad den.
The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
9 Paa Flinten lægger man Haand og omvælter Bjerge fra Roden;
He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
10 i Klipperne hugger man Gange, alskens Klenodier skuer Øjet;
He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
11 man tilstopper Strømmenes Kilder og bringer det skjulte for Lyset.
He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and [the thing that is] hid bringeth he forth to light.
12 Men Visdommen — hvor mon den findes, og hvor er Indsigtens Sted?
But where shall wisdom be found? and where [is] the place of understanding?
13 Mennesket kender ikke dens Vej, den findes ej i de levendes Land;
Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
14 Dybet siger: »I mig er den ikke!« Havet: »Ej heller hos mig!«
The depth saith, It [is] not in me: and the sea saith, [It is] not with me.
15 Man faar den ej for det fineste Guld, for Sølv kan den ikke købes,
It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed [for] the price thereof.
16 den opvejes ikke med Ofirguld, med kostelig Sjoham eller Safir;
It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Guld og Glar kan ej maale sig med den, den faas ej i Bytte for gyldne Kar,
The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it [shall not be for] jewels of fine gold.
18 Krystal og Koraller ikke at nævne. At eje Visdom er mere end Perler,
No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom [is] above rubies.
19 Ætiopiens Topas kan ej maale sig med den, den opvejes ej med det rene Guld.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
20 Men Visdommen — hvor mon den kommer fra, og hvor er Indsigtens Sted?
Whence then cometh wisdom? and where [is] the place of understanding?
21 Den er dulgt for alt levendes Øje og skjult for Himmelens Fugle;
Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 Afgrund og Død maa sige: »Vi hørte kun tale derom.«
Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
23 Gud er kendt med dens Vej, han ved, hvor den har sit Sted;
God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
24 thi han skuer til Jordens Ender, alt under Himmelen ser han.
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, [and] seeth under the whole heaven;
25 Dengang han fastsatte Vindens Vægt og maalte Vandet med Maal,
To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
26 da han satte en Lov for Regnen, afmærked Tordenskyen dens Vej,
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
27 da skued og mønstred han den, han stilled den op og ransaged den.
Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.
28 Men til Mennesket sagde han: »Se, HERRENS Frygt, det er Visdom, at sky det onde er Indsigt.«
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom; and to depart from evil [is] understanding.
