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