Job 28
1 Sølvet har jo sit Leje, som renses, sit Sted,
Truly there is a vein for silver, And a place for gold, which men refine.
2 Jern hentes op af Jorden, og Sten smeltes om til Kobber.
Iron is obtained from earth, And stone is melted into copper.
3 Paa Mørket gør man en Ende og ransager indtil de dybeste Kroge Mørkets og Mulmets Sten;
Man putteth an end to darkness; He searcheth to the lowest depths For the stone of darkness and the shadow of death.
4 man bryder en Skakt under Foden, og glemte, foruden Fodfæste, hænger de svævende fjernt fra Mennesker.
From the place where they dwell they open a shaft; Forgotten by the feet, They hang down, they swing away from men.
5 Af Jorden fremvokser Brød, imedens dens Indre omvæltes som af Ild;
The earth, out of which cometh bread, Is torn up underneath, as it were by fire.
6 i Stenen der sidder Safiren, og der er Guldstøv i den.
Her stones are the place of sapphires, And she hath clods of gold for man.
7 Stien derhen er Rovfuglen ukendt, Falkens Øje udspejder den ikke;
The path thereto no bird knoweth, And the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
8 den trædes ikke af stolte Vilddyr, Løven skrider ej frem ad den.
The fierce wild beast hath not trodden it; The lion hath not passed over it.
9 Paa Flinten lægger man Haand og omvælter Bjerge fra Roden;
Man layeth his hand upon the rock; He upturneth mountains from their roots;
10 i Klipperne hugger man Gange, alskens Klenodier skuer Øjet;
He cleaveth out streams in the rocks, And his eye seeth every precious thing;
11 man tilstopper Strømmenes Kilder og bringer det skjulte for Lyset.
He bindeth up the streams, that they trickle not, And bringeth hidden things 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, Nor can it be found in the land of the living.
14 Dybet siger: »I mig er den ikke!« Havet: »Ej heller hos mig!«
The deep 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, Nor shall silver be weighed out as the price thereof.
16 den opvejes ikke med Ofirguld, med kostelig Sjoham eller Safir;
It cannot be bought 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,
Gold and crystal are not to be compared with it; Nor can it be purchased with 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 crystal; For wisdom is more precious than pearls.
19 Ætiopiens Topas kan ej maale sig med den, den opvejes ej med det rene Guld.
The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be purchased 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;
Since it is hidden 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 a rumor of it with our ears.
23 Gud er kendt med dens Vej, han ved, hvor den har sit Sted;
God knoweth the way to it; He knoweth its dwelling-place.
24 thi han skuer til Jordens Ender, alt under Himmelen ser han.
For he seeth to the ends of the earth, And surveyeth all things under the whole heaven.
25 Dengang han fastsatte Vindens Vægt og maalte Vandet med Maal,
When he gave the winds their weight, And meted out the waters by measure;
26 da han satte en Lov for Regnen, afmærked Tordenskyen dens Vej,
When he prescribed a law to the rain, And a path to the thunder-flash, —
27 da skued og mønstred han den, han stilled den op og ransaged den.
Then did he see it, and make it known; 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.«
But he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.
