Job 28
1 There are silver mines and places where gold is refined.
ἔστιν γὰρ ἀργυρίῳ τόπος ὅθεν γίνεται τόπος δὲ χρυσίῳ ὅθεν διηθεῖται
2 Iron is extracted from the earth and copper is smelted from its ore.
σίδηρος μὲν γὰρ ἐκ γῆς γίνεται χαλκὸς δὲ ἴσα λίθῳ λατομεῖται
3 Miners take lamps into the darkness underground and search for ore as far as they can go in the shadows and the gloom.
τάξιν ἔθετο σκότει καὶ πᾶν πέρας αὐτὸς ἐξακριβάζεται λίθος σκοτία καὶ σκιὰ θανάτου
4 They dig a mineshaft far from where people live or anyone ever goes. They swing from ropes that hang in the pits.
διακοπὴ χειμάρρου ἀπὸ κονίας οἱ δὲ ἐπιλανθανόμενοι ὁδὸν δικαίαν ἠσθένησαν ἐκ βροτῶν
5 Bread comes from the earth, but underneath it looks as if it has been turned upside-down by fire.
γῆ ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐξελεύσεται ἄρτος ὑποκάτω αὐτῆς ἐστράφη ὡσεὶ πῦρ
6 Here the rocks contain lapis lazuli and the dust contains gold.
τόπος σαπφείρου οἱ λίθοι αὐτῆς καὶ χῶμα χρυσίον αὐτῷ
7 No birds of prey can see these paths, no falcon's eye can perceive.
τρίβος οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτὴν πετεινόν καὶ οὐ παρέβλεψεν αὐτὴν ὀφθαλμὸς γυπός
8 No wild beasts have passed that way; the lion has not walked there.
οὐκ ἐπάτησαν αὐτὴν υἱοὶ ἀλαζόνων οὐ παρῆλθεν ἐπ’ αὐτῆς λέων
9 Miners attack the hard rock; they overturn the roots of mountains.
ἐν ἀκροτόμῳ ἐξέτεινεν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ κατέστρεψεν δὲ ἐκ ῥιζῶν ὄρη
10 They tunnel through the rock, looking carefully for every precious stone.
δίνας δὲ ποταμῶν ἔρρηξεν πᾶν δὲ ἔντιμον εἶδέν μου ὁ ὀφθαλμός
11 They dam the sources of the rivers, and bring to light what is hidden.
βάθη δὲ ποταμῶν ἀνεκάλυψεν ἔδειξεν δὲ ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν εἰς φῶς
12 But where can wisdom be found? Where is the place to gain understanding?
ἡ δὲ σοφία πόθεν εὑρέθη ποῖος δὲ τόπος ἐστὶν τῆς ἐπιστήμης
13 Human beings do not know the way to wisdom; it is not found among the living.
οὐκ οἶδεν βροτὸς ὁδὸν αὐτῆς οὐδὲ μὴ εὑρεθῇ ἐν ἀνθρώποις
14 The deep waters say, ‘It's not here,’ and the sea says, ‘It's not here either.’
ἄβυσσος εἶπεν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἐμοί καὶ θάλασσα εἶπεν οὐκ ἔστιν μετ’ ἐμοῦ
15 It cannot be bought with gold; nor can it be purchased with silver.
οὐ δώσει συγκλεισμὸν ἀντ’ αὐτῆς καὶ οὐ σταθήσεται ἀργύριον ἀντάλλαγμα αὐτῆς
16 Its value cannot be measured, even with the gold of Ophir; it is more precious than onyx or lapis lazuli.
καὶ οὐ συμβασταχθήσεται χρυσίῳ Ωφιρ ἐν ὄνυχι τιμίῳ καὶ σαπφείρῳ
17 Gold or fine glass cannot compare with wisdom; it cannot be exchanged for gold jewelry.
οὐκ ἰσωθήσεται αὐτῇ χρυσίον καὶ ὕαλος καὶ τὸ ἄλλαγμα αὐτῆς σκεύη χρυσᾶ
18 Coral and crystal are not worth mentioning; the price of wisdom is far above rubies.
μετέωρα καὶ γαβις οὐ μνησθήσεται καὶ ἕλκυσον σοφίαν ὑπὲρ τὰ ἐσώτατα
19 Topaz from Ethiopia can't compare with it; it cannot be bought with the purest gold.
οὐκ ἰσωθήσεται αὐτῇ τοπάζιον Αἰθιοπίας χρυσίῳ καθαρῷ οὐ συμβασταχθήσεται
20 So where does wisdom come from? Where is the place to gain understanding?
ἡ δὲ σοφία πόθεν εὑρέθη ποῖος δὲ τόπος ἐστὶν τῆς συνέσεως
21 Wisdom is hidden from the sight of all living things, even the birds of the air cannot see it.
λέληθεν πάντα ἄνθρωπον καὶ ἀπὸ πετεινῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐκρύβη
22 Abaddon and Death say, ‘We've only heard a rumor of it.’
ἡ ἀπώλεια καὶ ὁ θάνατος εἶπαν ἀκηκόαμεν δὲ αὐτῆς τὸ κλέος
23 Only God understands the path to wisdom; he knows where it is found.
ὁ θεὸς εὖ συνέστησεν αὐτῆς τὴν ὁδόν αὐτὸς δὲ οἶδεν τὸν τόπον αὐτῆς
24 For he looks to the very end of the earth; he sees everything under heaven.
αὐτὸς γὰρ τὴν ὑπ’ οὐρανὸν πᾶσαν ἐφορᾷ εἰδὼς τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ πάντα ἃ ἐποίησεν
25 He decided how strong the wind should blow, and regulated the waters.
ἀνέμων σταθμὸν ὕδατός τε μέτρα
26 He set a limit for the rain and made a path for the lightning.
ὅτε ἐποίησεν οὕτως ὑετὸν ἠρίθμησεν καὶ ὁδὸν ἐν τινάγματι φωνάς
27 Then he considered wisdom. He examined it, gave it his approval, and declared it good.
τότε εἶδεν αὐτὴν καὶ ἐξηγήσατο αὐτήν ἑτοιμάσας ἐξιχνίασεν
28 He said to humankind, ‘To reverence the Lord is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
εἶπεν δὲ ἀνθρώπῳ ἰδοὺ ἡ θεοσέβειά ἐστιν σοφία τὸ δὲ ἀπέχεσθαι ἀπὸ κακῶν ἐστιν ἐπιστήμη
