< Job 28 >
1 The siluer surely hath his veyne, and ye gold his place, where they take it.
銀有出產之地,金有冶煉之所。
2 Yron is taken out of the dust, and brasse is molten out of the stone.
鐵由土中掘出,銅自石中鎔煉。
3 God putteth an end to darkenesse, and he tryeth the perfection of all things: he setteth a bond of darkenesse, and of the shadowe of death.
人給黑暗制定了界限,探討幽暗陰晦的堅石,挖至地層深處。
4 The flood breaketh out against the inhabitant, and the waters forgotten of the foote, being higher then man, are gone away.
在無人居住之處開鑿礦穴,上面過路的人,也想不到他們遠離人間,身懸半空,搖擺不定。
5 Out of the same earth commeth bread, and vnder it, as it were fire is turned vp.
地上出產食糧,地下有火翻騰。
6 The stones thereof are a place of saphirs, and the dust of it is golde.
那裏的石頭盡是碧玉,塵沙盡是金沙。
7 There is a path which no foule hath knowen, neyther hath the kites eye seene it.
礦中的幽徑,猛禽不知,鷹眼未見。
8 The lyons whelpes haue not walked it, nor the lyon passed thereby.
野獸未踐踏,猛獸未經過。
9 He putteth his hand vpon the rockes, and ouerthroweth the mountaines by the rootes.
人伸手擊打燧石,山基為之震撼動搖。
10 He breaketh riuers in the rockes, and his eye seeth euery precious thing.
在巖石中間開鑿隧道,所有珍寶盡入眼簾。
11 He bindeth the floods, that they doe not ouerflowe, and the thing that is hid, bringeth he to light.
探察江河之源流,使寶藏顯露於外。
12 But where is wisdome found? and where is the place of vnderstanding?
但是智慧在那裏尋覓,那裏是明智之所在﹖
13 Man knoweth not the price thereof: for it is not found in the land of the liuing.
智慧的道路,人不認識,在眾生界尋不到她。
14 The depth sayth, It is not in mee: the sea also sayth, It is not with me.
深淵說:「她不在我這裏。」海洋說:「她不與我同域。」
15 Golde shall not be giuen for it, neyther shall siluer be weighed for the price thereof.
她非精金所能購買,也不能稱量銀子作她的代價。
16 It shall not be valued with the wedge of golde of Ophir, nor with the precious onix, nor the saphir.
敖非爾金不能與她較量,寶石和碧玉也不能與她相比。
17 The golde nor the chrystall shall be equall vnto it, nor the exchange shalbe for plate of fine golde.
黃金與琉璃不能與她同列,純金的器皿也不能與她交換。
18 No mention shall be made of coral, nor of the gabish: for wisedome is more precious then pearles.
珊瑚與水晶都不足論,取得智慧勝過取得珍珠。
19 The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equall vnto it, neither shall it be valued with the wedge of pure gold.
雇士的黃玉不足與她相比,純金也不能與她較量。
20 Whence then commeth wisedome? and where is the place of vnderstanding,
究竟智慧由何處而來,那裏是明智之所在﹖
21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all the liuing, and is hid from the foules of the heauen?
眾生的眼目未曾見過,天空的飛鳥也未發現。「
22 Destruction and death say, We haue heard the fame thereof with our eares.
毀滅」與「死亡」都說:「我們只風聞過她的聲望。」
23 But God vnderstandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
惟獨天主認識她的道路,惟有他知道她的處所。
24 For he beholdeth the endes of the world, and seeth all that is vnder heauen,
因為惟有他觀察地極,俯視天下的一切。
25 To make the weight of the windes, and to weigh the waters by measure.
當他劃定風的重量,規定水的定量,
26 When he made a decree for the rayne, and a way for the lightening of the thunders,
釐定下雨的季節,規定雷電的路線時,
27 Then did he see it, and counted it: he prepared it and also considered it.
他已見了她,講述了她,立定了她,考察了她。
28 And vnto man he said, Behold, the feare of the Lord is wisedome, and to depart from euil is vnderstanding.
然後對人說:「看,敬畏上主,就是智慧;遠離邪惡,就是明智。」