ヨブ 記 28
1 白銀掘いだす坑あり 煉るところの黄金は出處あり
“Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
2 鐡は土より取り 銅は石より鎔して獲るなり
Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
3 人すなはち黑暗を破り極より極まで尋ね窮めて黑暗および死蔭の石を求む
Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.
4 その穴を穿つこと深くして上に住む人と遠く相離れ その上を歩む者まつたく之を覺えず 是のごとく身を縋下げ 遙に人と隔りて空に懸る
Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.
5 地その上は食物を出し 其下は火に覆へさるるがごとく覆へる
Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.
6 その石の中には碧の玉のある處あり 黄金の沙またその内にあり
Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.
7 その逕は鷙鳥もこれを知ず 鷹の目もこれを看ず
No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8 鷙き獸も未だこれを踐ず 猛き獅子も未だこれを通らず
Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
9 人堅き磐に手を加へまた山を根より倒し
The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
10 岩に河を掘り各種の貴き物を目に見とめ
He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
11 水路を塞ぎて漏ざらしめ隱れたる寳物を光明に取いだすなり
He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
12 然ながら智慧は何處よりか覓め得ん 明哲の在る所は何處ぞや
But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
13 人その價を知ず人のすめる地に獲べからず
No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 淵は言ふ我の内に在ずと 海は言ふ我と偕ならずと
The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’
15 精金も之に換るに足ず 銀も秤りてその價となすを得ず
It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
16 オフルの金にてもその價を量るべからず 貴き靑玉も碧玉もまた然り
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
17 黄金も玻璃もこれに並ぶ能はず 精金の器皿も之に換るに足ず
Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
18 珊瑚も水晶も論にたらず 智慧を得るは眞珠を得るに勝る
Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 エテオビアより出る黄玉もこれに並ぶあたはず 純金をもてするともその價を量るべからず
Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20 然ば智慧は何處より來るや 明哲の在る所は何處ぞや
From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
21 是は一切の生物の目に隱れ 天空の鳥にも見えず
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 滅亡も死も言ふ 我等はその風聲を耳に聞し而已
Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
23 神その道を曉り給ふ 彼その所を知りたまふ
But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
24 そは彼は地の極までも觀そなはし天が下を看きはめたまへばなり
For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
25 風にその重量を與へ 水を度りてその量を定めたまひし時
When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
26 雨のために法を立て 雷霆の光のために途を設けたまひし時
when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,
27 智慧を見て之を顯はし之を立て試みたまへり
then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.
28 また人に言たまはく視よ主を畏るるは是智慧なり 惡を離るるは明哲なり
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
