Job 28
1 Habet argentum, venarum suarum principia: et auro locus est, in quo conflatur.
“Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
2 Ferrum de terra tollitur: et lapis solutus calore, in aes vertitur.
Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
3 Tempus posuit tenebris, et universorum finem ipse considerat, lapidem quoque caliginis, et umbram mortis.
Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.
4 Dividit torrens a populo peregrinante, eos, quos oblitus est pes egentis hominis, et invios.
Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.
5 Terra, de qua oriebatur panis in loco suo, igni subversa est.
Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.
6 Locus sapphiri lapides eius, et glebae illius aurum.
Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.
7 Semitam ignoravit avis, nec intuitus est eam oculus vulturis.
No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8 Non calcaverunt eam filii institorum, nec pertransivit per eam leaena.
Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
9 Ad silicem extendit manum suam, subvertit a radicibus montes.
The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
10 In petris rivos excidit, et omne pretiosum vidit oculus eius.
He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
11 Profunda quoque fluviorum scrutatus est, et abscondita in lucem produxit.
He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
12 Sapientia vero ubi invenitur? et quis est locus intelligentiae?
But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
13 Nescit homo pretium eius, nec invenitur in terra suaviter viventium.
No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 Abyssus dicit: Non est in me: et mare loquitur: Non est mecum.
The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’
15 Non dabitur aurum obrizum pro ea, nec appendetur argentum in commutatione eius.
It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
16 Non conferetur tinctis Indiae coloribus, nec lapidi sardonycho pretiosissimo, vel sapphiro.
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Non adaequabitur ei aurum vel vitrum, nec commutabuntur pro ea vasa auri:
Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
18 Excelsa et eminentia non memorabuntur comparatione eius: trahitur autem sapientia de occultis.
Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 Non adaequabitur ei topazius de Aethiopia, nec tincturae mundissimae componetur.
Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20 Unde ergo sapientia venit? et quis est locus intelligentiae?
From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
21 Abscondita est ab oculis omnium viventium, volucres quoque caeli latet.
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 Perditio et mors dixerunt: Auribus nostris audivimus famam eius.
Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
23 Deus intelligit viam eius, et ipse novit locum illius.
But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
24 Ipse enim fines mundi intuetur: et omnia, quae sub caelo sunt, respicit.
For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
25 Qui fecit ventis pondus, et aquas appendit in mensura.
When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
26 Quando ponebat pluviis legem, et viam procellis sonantibus:
when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,
27 Tunc vidit illam, et enarravit, et praeparavit, et investigavit.
then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.
28 Et dixit homini: Ecce timor Domini, ipsa est sapientia: et recedere a malo, intelligentia.
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
