Job 28
1 “Surely there is a source for silver, And a place for the gold they refine;
Habet argentum, venarum suarum principia: et auro locus est, in quo conflatur.
2 Iron is taken from the dust, And bronze [from] the firm stone.
Ferrum de terra tollitur: et lapis solutus calore, in æs vertitur.
3 He has set an end to darkness, And he is searching to all perfection, A stone of darkness and death-shade.
Tempus posuit tenebris, et universorum finem ipse considerat, lapidem quoque caliginis, et umbram mortis.
4 A stream has broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, they wandered from man.
Dividit torrens a populo peregrinante, eos, quos oblitus est pes egentis hominis, et invios.
5 The earth! Bread comes forth from it, And its under-part is turned like fire.
Terra, de qua oriebatur panis in loco suo, igni subversa est.
6 A place of the sapphire [are] its stones, And it has dust of gold.
Locus sapphiri lapides eius, et glebæ illius aurum.
7 A path—a ravenous bird has not known it, Nor has an eye of the falcon scorched it,
Semitam ignoravit avis, nec intuitus est eam oculus vulturis.
8 Nor have the sons of pride trodden it, The fierce lion has not passed over it.
Non calcaverunt eam filii institorum, nec pertransivit per eam leæna.
9 He sent forth his hand against the flint, He overturned mountains from the root.
Ad silicem extendit manum suam, subvertit a radicibus montes.
10 Among rocks, he has cleaved brooks, And his eye has seen every precious thing.
In petris rivos excidit, et omne pretiosum vidit oculus eius.
11 He has bound overflowing rivers, And the hidden thing brings out [to] light.
Profunda quoque fluviorum scrutatus est, et abscondita in lucem produxit.
12 And the wisdom—from where is it found? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
Sapientia vero ubi invenitur? et quis est locus intelligentiæ?
13 Man has not known its arrangement, Nor is it found in the land of the living.
Nescit homo pretium eius, nec invenitur in terra suaviter viventium.
14 The deep has said, It [is] not in me, And the sea has said, It is not with me.
Abyssus dicit: Non est in me: et mare loquitur: Non est mecum.
15 Gold is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed—its price.
Non dabitur aurum obrizum pro ea, nec appendetur argentum in commutatione eius.
16 It is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire,
Non conferetur tinctis Indiæ coloribus, nec lapidi sardonycho pretiosissimo, vel sapphiro.
17 Gold and crystal do not equal it, Nor [is] its exchange a vessel of fine gold.
Non adæquabitur ei aurum vel vitrum, nec commutabuntur pro ea vasa auri:
18 Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom [is] above rubies.
Excelsa et eminentia non memorabuntur comparatione eius: trahitur autem sapientia de occultis.
19 The topaz of Cush does not equal it, It is not valued with pure gold.
Non adæquabitur ei topazius de Æthiopia, nec tincturæ mundissimæ componetur.
20 And the wisdom—from where does it come? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
Unde ergo sapientia venit? et quis est locus intelligentiæ?
21 It has been hid from the eyes of all living. And from the bird of the heavens It has been hidden.
Abscondita est ab oculis omnium viventium, volucres quoque cæli latet.
22 Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard its fame.
Perditio et mors dixerunt: Auribus nostris audivimus famam eius.
23 God has understood its way, And He has known its place.
Deus intelligit viam eius, et ipse novit locum illius.
24 For He looks to the ends of the earth, He sees under the whole heavens,
Ipse enim fines mundi intuetur: et omnia, quæ sub cælo sunt, respicit.
25 To make a weight for the wind, And He meted out the waters in measure.
Qui fecit ventis pondus, et aquas appendit in mensura.
26 In His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices,
Quando ponebat pluviis legem, et viam procellis sonantibus:
27 Then He has seen and declares it, He has prepared it, and also searched it out,
Tunc vidit illam, et enarravit, et præparavit, et investigavit.
28 And He says to man: Behold, fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom, And to turn from evil [is] understanding.”
Et dixit homini: Ecce timor Domini, ipsa est sapientia: et recedere a malo, intelligentia.
