< Job 28 >

1 “Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
“Kuna machimbo ya fedha, na mahali dhahabu isafishwapo.
2 Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
Chuma hupatikana ardhini, nayo shaba huyeyushwa kutoka mawe ya madini.
3 Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.
Mwanadamu hukomesha giza; huyatafuta hadi sehemu iliyo mbali, kwa ajili ya kuchimbua mawe yenye madini katika giza jeusi sana.
4 Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.
Huchimba shimo jembamba mbali na makao ya watu, mahali paliposahaulika na nyayo za wanadamu; mbali na wanadamu huningʼinia na kupembea kwa kamba.
5 Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.
Ardhi, ambako chakula hutoka, chini hugeuzwa kwa moto;
6 Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.
yakuti samawi hutoka katika miamba yake, nalo vumbi lake lina vipande vya dhahabu.
7 No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
Hakuna ndege awindaye aijuaye njia ile iliyofichika, wala hakuna jicho la mwewe lililoiona.
8 Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
Wanyama wa porini wanaotamba hawajawahi kupakanyaga, wala simba azungukaye huko.
9 The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
Mikono ya mwanadamu hushambulia miamba migumu sana, na kuiacha wazi mizizi ya milima.
10 He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
Hutoboa shimo refu la kupenya chini kwa chini kwenye miamba; macho yake huona hazina zake zote.
11 He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
Hutafuta vyanzo vya mito na kuvileta vitu vilivyofichika katika nuru.
12 But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
“Lakini hekima inaweza kupatikana wapi? Ufahamu unakaa wapi?
13 No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.
Mwanadamu hatambui thamani yake; haiwezi kupatikana katika nchi ya walio hai.
14 The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’
Kilindi husema, ‘Haiko ndani yangu’; bahari nayo husema, ‘Haiko pamoja nami.’
15 It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
Haiwezi kununuliwa kwa dhahabu safi kuliko zote, wala thamani yake haiwezi kupimwa kwa fedha.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
Haiwezi kununuliwa kwa dhahabu ya Ofiri, kwa shohamu ya thamani kubwa au yakuti samawi ya thamani kubwa.
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
Dhahabu wala mawe maangavu haviwezi kulinganishwa nayo, wala haiwezi hubadilishwa na vito vya dhahabu.
18 Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
Marijani na yaspi hazistahili kutajwa; thamani ya hekima ni zaidi ya akiki nyekundu.
19 Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
Yakuti manjano ipatikanayo Kushi haiwezi kulinganishwa nayo, wala haiwezi kununuliwa kwa dhahabu safi.
20 From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
“Ni wapi basi hekima itokako? Ufahamu hukaa wapi?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.
Imefichika machoni pa kila kitu kilicho hai, imesitiriwa hata kwa ndege wa angani.
22 Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
Uharibifu na Mauti husema, ‘Ni uvumi wake tu uliotufikia masikioni mwetu.’
23 But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
Mungu anaifahamu njia ya kuiendea hekima na ndiye peke yake anayefahamu inakokaa,
24 For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
kwa maana yeye huitazama miisho ya dunia na huona kila kitu chini ya mbingu.
25 When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
Alipofanyiza nguvu za upepo na kuyapima maji,
26 when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,
alipofanya maagizo kwa ajili ya mvua na njia kwa ajili ya umeme wa radi,
27 then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.
ndipo alipoitazama hekima na kuikadiria thamani yake, akaithibitisha na kuihakikisha.
28 And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
Naye Mungu akamwambia mwanadamu, ‘Kumcha Bwana: hiyo ndiyo hekima, nako kujitenga na uovu ndio ufahamu.’”

< Job 28 >