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 aes 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 hominum 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 igne subversa est
6 Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.
locus sapphyri lapides eius et glebae illius aurum
7 No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
semitam ignoravit avis nec intuitus est 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 leaena
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 eius
11 He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
profunda quoque fluviorum scrutatus est et abscondita produxit in lucem
12 But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
sapientia vero ubi invenitur et quis est locus intellegentiae
13 No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.
nescit homo pretium eius 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 adpendetur argentum in commutatione eius
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
non conferetur tinctis Indiae coloribus nec lapidi sardonico pretiosissimo vel sapphyro
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
non adaequabitur 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 conparatione eius trahitur autem sapientia de occultis
19 Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
non adaequabitur ei topazium de Aethiopia nec tincturae mundissimae conponetur
20 From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
unde ergo sapientia veniet et quis est locus intellegentiae
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 caeli latet
22 Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
perditio et mors dixerunt auribus nostris audivimus famam eius
23 But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
Deus intellegit viam eius 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 quae sub caelo sunt respicit
25 When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
qui fecit ventis pondus et aquas adpendit 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 praeparavit 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 intellegentia
