Job 28
1 “Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
[Habet argentum venarum suarum principia, et auro locus est in quo conflatur.
2 Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
Ferrum de terra tollitur, et lapis solutus calore in æs vertitur.
3 Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.
Tempus posuit tenebris, et universorum finem ipse considerat: lapidem quoque caliginis et umbram mortis.
4 Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.
Dividit torrens a populo peregrinante eos quos oblitus est pes egentis hominis, et invios.
5 Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.
Terra de qua oriebatur panis, in loco suo igni subversa est.
6 Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.
Locus sapphiri lapides ejus, et glebæ illius aurum.
7 No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
Semitam ignoravit avis, nec intuitus est eam oculus vulturis.
8 Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
Non calcaverunt eam filii institorum, nec pertransivit per eam leæna.
9 The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
Ad silicem extendit manum suam: subvertit a radicibus montes.
10 He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
In petris rivos excidit, et omne pretiosum vidit oculus ejus.
11 He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
Profunda quoque fluviorum scrutatus est, et abscondita in lucem produxit.
12 But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
Sapientia vero ubi invenitur? et quis est locus intelligentiæ?
13 No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.
Nescit homo pretium ejus, nec invenitur in terra suaviter viventium.
14 The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’
Abyssus dicit: Non est in me, et mare loquitur: Non est mecum.
15 It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
Non dabitur aurum obrizum pro ea, nec appendetur argentum in commutatione ejus.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
Non conferetur tinctis Indiæ coloribus, nec lapidi sardonycho pretiosissimo vel sapphiro.
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
Non adæquabitur ei aurum vel vitrum, nec commutabuntur pro ea vasa auri.
18 Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
Excelsa et eminentia non memorabuntur comparatione ejus: trahitur autem sapientia de occultis.
19 Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
Non adæquabitur ei topazius de Æthiopia, nec tincturæ mundissimæ componetur.
20 From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
Unde ergo sapientia venit? et quis est locus intelligentiæ?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.
Abscondita est ab oculis omnium viventium: volucres quoque cæli latet.
22 Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
Perditio et mors dixerunt: Auribus nostris audivimus famam ejus.
23 But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
Deus intelligit viam ejus, et ipse novit locum illius.
24 For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
Ipse enim fines mundi intuetur, et omnia quæ sub cælo sunt respicit.
25 When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
Qui fecit ventis pondus, et aquas appendit in mensura.
26 when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,
Quando ponebat pluviis legem, et viam procellis sonantibus:
27 then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.
tunc vidit illam et enarravit, et præparavit, et investigavit.
28 And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
Et dixit homini: Ecce timor Domini, ipsa est sapientia; et recedere a malo, intelligentia.]
