1Siluer hath bigynnyngis of his veynes; and a place is to gold, in which it is wellid togidere.
银子有矿; 炼金有方。
2Irun is takun fro erthe, and a stoon resolued, `ethir meltid, bi heete, is turned in to money.
铁从地里挖出; 铜从石中熔化。
3God hath set tyme to derknessis, and he biholdith the ende of alle thingis.
人为黑暗定界限, 查究幽暗阴翳的石头,直到极处,
4Also a stronde departith a stoon of derknesse, and the schadewe of deth, fro the puple goynge in pilgrymage; it departith tho hillis, whiche the foot of a nedi man foryat, and hillis with out weie.
在无人居住之处刨开矿穴, 过路的人也想不到他们; 又与人远离,悬在空中摇来摇去。
5The erthe, wher of breed cam forth in his place, is destried bi fier.
至于地,能出粮食, 地内好像被火翻起来。
6The place of saphir ben stoonys therof, and the clottis therof ben gold.
地中的石头有蓝宝石, 并有金沙。
7A brid knewe not the weie, and the iye of a vultur, ethir rauenouse brid, bihelde it not.
矿中的路鸷鸟不得知道; 鹰眼也未见过。
8The sones of marchauntis tretiden not on it, and a lyonesse passide not therbi.
狂傲的野兽未曾行过; 猛烈的狮子也未曾经过。
9God stretchide forth his hond to a flynt; he distriede hillis fro the rootis.
人伸手凿开坚石, 倾倒山根,
10He hewide doun ryuers in stoonys; and his iye siy al precious thing.
在磐石中凿出水道, 亲眼看见各样宝物。
11And he souyte out the depthis of floodis; and he brouyte forth hid thingis in to liyt.
他封闭水不得滴流, 使隐藏的物显露出来。
12But where is wisdom foundun, and which is the place of vndurstondyng?
然而,智慧有何处可寻? 聪明之处在哪里呢?
13A man noot the prijs therof, nether it is foundun in the lond of men lyuynge swetli, `ether delicatli.
智慧的价值无人能知, 在活人之地也无处可寻。
14The depthe of watris seith, It is not in me; and the see spekith, It is not with me.
深渊说:不在我内; 沧海说:不在我中。
15Gold ful cleene schal not be youun for wisdom, nether siluer schal be weied in the chaungyng therof.
智慧非用黄金可得, 也不能平白银为它的价值。
16It schal not be comparysound to the died colours of Iynde, not to the moost preciouse stoon of sardius, nether to saphir.
俄斐金和贵重的红玛瑙, 并蓝宝石,不足与较量;
17Nether gold, nether glas schal be maad euene worth therto;
黄金和玻璃不足与比较; 精金的器皿不足与兑换。
18and hiye and fer apperynge vessels of gold schulen not be chaungid for wisdom, nether schulen be had in mynde in comparisoun therof. Forsothe wisdom is drawun of pryuy thingis;
珊瑚、水晶都不足论; 智慧的价值胜过珍珠。
19topasie of Ethiope schal not be maad euene worth to wisdom, and moost preciouse diyngis schulen not be set togidere in prijs, `ether comparisound, therto.
古实的红璧玺不足与比较; 精金也不足与较量。
20Therfor wherof cometh wisdom, and which is the place of vndurstondyng?
智慧从何处来呢? 聪明之处在哪里呢?
21It is hid fro the iyen of alle lyuynge men; also it is hid fro briddis of heuene.
是向一切有生命的眼目隐藏, 向空中的飞鸟掩蔽。
22Perdicioun and deeth seiden, With oure eeris we herden the fame therof.
灭没和死亡说: 我们风闻其名。
23God vndurstondith the weye therof, and he knowith the place therof.
神明白智慧的道路, 晓得智慧的所在。
24For he biholdith the endis of the world, and biholdith alle thingis that ben vndur heuene.
因他鉴察直到地极, 遍观普天之下,
25`Which God made weiyte to wyndis, and weiede watris in mesure.
要为风定轻重, 又度量诸水;
26Whanne he settide lawe to reyn, and weie to tempestis sownynge;
他为雨露定命令, 为雷电定道路。
27thanne he siy wisdom, and telde out, and made redi, and souyte out.
那时他看见智慧,而且述说; 他坚定,并且查究。
28And he seide to man, Lo! the drede of the Lord, thilke is wisdom; and to go awei fro yuel, is vndurstondyng.