Job 28
1 “Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
Kulomgodi wesiliva lendawo lapho okucengwa khona igolide.
2 Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
Insimbi ithathwa emhlabathini, lethusi lincibilikiswa emanyeleni.
3 Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.
Umuntu uyawuxotsha umnyama; uguduza ezingoxweni eziphansi kude edinga amanyele emnyameni othe bhuqe.
4 Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.
Khatshana kwezindawo zabantu ugebha umgodi, ezindaweni lapho okungafiki nyawo lwamuntu; khatshana kwabantu uyalenga, azunguzeke.
5 Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.
Umhlaba, okuphuma kuwo ukudla, uyaguquka ngaphansi ingathi utshiswe ngomlilo;
6 Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.
amasafire amatshe amahle ayaphuma emadwaleni, uthuli lwawo lugcwele igolide.
7 No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
Kakukho nyoni edla inyama eyaziyo leyondlela efihlekileyo, kakulalihlo laluphi ukhozi oselwake lwayibona.
8 Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
Izilo ezizithembileyo kazilubeki unyawo kuyo, njalo kakulasilwane esizingela khona.
9 The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
Isandla somuntu yiso esihlasela idwala eliyinsengetshe siveze obala impande zezintaba.
10 He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
Uyaligubha idwala angene; ilihlo lakhe liwabone wonke amagugu alo.
11 He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
Uyathungatha lapho okudabuka khona imifula aveze obala izinto ezifihlekileyo.
12 But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
Kodwa ukuhlakanipha kungafunyanwa ngaphi na? Kuhlala ngaphi na ukuzwisisa?
13 No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.
Umuntu kakuzwisisi ukuqakatheka kwakho; kakufunyanwa elizweni labaphilayo.
14 The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’
Phansi ekujuleni kuthi, “Kakukho kimi”; ulwandle luthi, “Kangilakho mina.”
15 It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
Kungeke kwathengwa ngegolide elicolekileyo, njalo lentengo yakho ingeke yalinganiswa ngesiliva.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
Kungeke kwathengwa ngegolide lase-Ofiri, loba nge-onikisi kumbe isafire.
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
Kungazake kulinganiswe legolide loba amatshe akhazimulayo, njalo kakuzuzwa ngemiceciso yegolide.
18 Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
Amatshe amahle ekhorali lejaspa lawo kawabalwa lapha; intengo yokuhlakanipha ingaphezulu kwamarubhi.
19 Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
Ithophazi yaseKhushi ngeke ilinganiswe lakho; ngeke kuthengwe langegolide elicolekileyo.
20 From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
Pho kuvela ngaphi ukuhlakanipha na? Kuhlala ngaphi ukuzwisisa?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.
Kufihliwe emehlweni ento yonke ephilayo, kucatshisiwe lakuzo izinyoni zasemoyeni.
22 Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
INcithakalo loKufa kuthi, “Amahungahunga akho yiwo kuphela esiwezwayo.”
23 But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
UNkulunkulu uyayizwisisa indlela yakho njalo nguye yedwa okwaziyo lapho okuhlala khona,
24 For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
ngoba uyayikhangela imikhawulo yomhlaba akubone konke okungaphansi kwamazulu.
25 When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
Wathi emisa umfutho womoya, elinganisa isimo samanzi,
26 when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,
wathi ebeka umthetho wezulu elinayo lendlela yezulu elilesiphepho,
27 then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.
wasekukhangela ukuhlakanipha wakuhlola butsha; wakukholwa wakuqinisa, wakulinga ukuthi kuqinile.
28 And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
Wathi emuntwini, “Ukumesaba uThixo yikho ukuhlakanipha, lokuxwaya ububi yikho ukuzwisisa.”
