Job 28
1 “Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
Isibili kukhona umthapho wesiliva, lendawo yegolide abalicengayo.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.
Insimbi ithathwa enhlabathini, lethusi lincibilikiswa elitsheni.
3 Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
Umisela umnyama umngcele, udingisisa kuze kube sekupheleleni konke, amatshe obumnyama lethunzi lokufa.
4 He breaks open a shaft away from where people live. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth.
Uqhekeza umgodi khatshana lalapho okuhlala khona abantu, lapho abakhohlwe khona lunyawo; bayalenga bejikajika khatshana labantu.
5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread. Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
Umhlaba, kuphuma ukudla kuwo, langaphansi kwawo kuphenduka kwangathi ngumlilo.
6 Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
Amatshe awo ayindawo yesafire, njalo ulothuli lwegolide.
7 That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.
Inyoni edla inyama kayiyazi indlela, lelihlo lelinqe kaliyibonanga.
8 The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
Imidlwane yokuziqhenyayo kayiyinyathelanga, isilwane kasihambanga kuyo.
9 He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
Uyelula isandla sakhe elitsheni elilukhuni, uyagenqula izintaba ezimpandeni.
10 He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
Aqhekeze imisele emadwaleni, lelihlo lakhe libona konke okuligugu.
11 He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
Uyabopha izifula zingathonti, lokufihlakeleyo ukukhuphela ekukhanyeni.
12 “But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
Kodwa inhlakanipho ingatholakala ivela ngaphi? Lendawo yokuqedisisa ingaphi?
13 Man doesn’t know its price, and it isn’t found in the land of the living.
Umuntu kalazi ixabiso lakho, njalo kakutholakali elizweni labaphilayo.
14 The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’
Ukujula kuthi: Kakukho kimi. Lolwandle luthi: Kakulami.
15 It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.
Igolide elihle lingenikwe endaweni yakho, lesiliva singelinganiselwe intengo yakho.
16 It can’t be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
Kungelingane legolide leOfiri, le-onikse eligugu, lesafire.
17 Gold and glass can’t equal it, neither will it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
Igolide lekristali kungelingane lakho, futhi kungenaniswe ngesitsha segolide elicwengekileyo.
18 No mention will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
Ikorali lekristali kakuyikukhunjulwa, ngoba intengo yenhlakanipho ingaphezu kwamatshe aligugu.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it. It won’t be valued with pure gold.
Itopazi leEthiyophiya lingelinganiswe lakho, kungelingane legolide elicwengekileyo.
20 Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?
Pho, inhlakanipho ivela ngaphi? Lendawo yokuqedisisa ingaphi?
21 Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
Ngoba kusithekile emehlweni abo bonke abaphilayo, kwafihlwa ezinyonini zamazulu.
22 Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
Ukubhujiswa lokufa kuthi: Sizwile ngendlebe zethu umbiko wakho.
23 “God understands its way, and he knows its place.
UNkulunkulu uyayiqedisisa indlela yakho, njalo yena uyayazi indawo yakho.
24 For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.
Ngoba yena uyakhangela kuze kube semikhawulweni yomhlaba, abone ngaphansi kwawo wonke amazulu.
25 He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.
Esenzela umoya isisindo, walinganisa amanzi ngesilinganiso.
26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
Lapho esenzela izulu isimiso, lombane wokuduma indlela.
27 then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.
Ngalesosikhathi wakubona, walandisa ngakho; wakulungisa, yebo, wakuhlolisisa.
28 To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
Wasesithi emuntwini: Khangela, ukwesaba iNkosi, lokhu kuyinhlakanipho, lokusuka ebubini kuyikuqedisisa.
