Job 28
1 Sølvet har jo sit Leje, som renses, sit Sted,
“Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
2 Jern hentes op af Jorden, og Sten smeltes om til Kobber.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.
3 Paa Mørket gør man en Ende og ransager indtil de dybeste Kroge Mørkets og Mulmets Sten;
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 under Foden, og glemte, foruden Fodfæste, hænger de svævende fjernt fra Mennesker.
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 fremvokser Brød, imedens dens Indre omvæltes som af Ild;
As for the earth, out of it comes bread. Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 i Stenen der sidder Safiren, og der er Guldstøv i den.
Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
7 Stien derhen er Rovfuglen ukendt, Falkens Øje udspejder den ikke;
That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.
8 den trædes ikke af stolte Vilddyr, Løven skrider ej frem ad den.
The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
9 Paa Flinten lægger man Haand og omvælter Bjerge fra Roden;
He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
10 i Klipperne hugger man Gange, alskens Klenodier skuer Øjet;
He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
11 man tilstopper Strømmenes Kilder og bringer det skjulte for Lyset.
He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
12 Men Visdommen — hvor mon den findes, og hvor er Indsigtens Sted?
“But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
13 Mennesket kender ikke dens Vej, den findes ej i de levendes Land;
Man doesn’t know its price, and it isn’t found in the land of the living.
14 Dybet siger: »I mig er den ikke!« Havet: »Ej heller hos mig!«
The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’
15 Man faar den ej for det fineste Guld, for Sølv kan den ikke købes,
It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.
16 den opvejes ikke med Ofirguld, med kostelig Sjoham eller Safir;
It can’t 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,
Gold and glass can’t equal it, neither will it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 Krystal og Koraller ikke at nævne. At eje Visdom er mere end Perler,
No mention will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, 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 will not equal it. It won’t be valued with pure gold.
20 Men Visdommen — hvor mon den kommer fra, og hvor er Indsigtens Sted?
Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?
21 Den er dulgt for alt levendes Øje og skjult for Himmelens Fugle;
Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
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 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 under the whole sky.
25 Dengang han fastsatte Vindens Vægt og maalte Vandet med Maal,
He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out 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 he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.
28 Men til Mennesket sagde han: »Se, HERRENS Frygt, det er Visdom, at sky det onde er Indsigt.«
To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
