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 for gold which they refine.
2 Ferrum de terra tollitur: et lapis solutus calore, in aes vertitur.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.
3 Tempus posuit tenebris, et universorum finem ipse considerat, lapidem quoque caliginis, et umbram mortis.
Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
4 Dividit torrens a populo peregrinante, eos, quos oblitus est pes egentis hominis, et invios.
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.
5 Terra, de qua oriebatur panis in loco suo, igni subversa est.
As for the earth, out of it comes bread. Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 Locus sapphiri lapides eius, et glebae illius aurum.
Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
7 Semitam ignoravit avis, nec intuitus est eam oculus vulturis.
That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.
8 Non calcaverunt eam filii institorum, nec pertransivit per eam leaena.
The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
9 Ad silicem extendit manum suam, subvertit a radicibus montes.
He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
10 In petris rivos excidit, et omne pretiosum vidit oculus eius.
He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
11 Profunda quoque fluviorum scrutatus est, et abscondita in lucem produxit.
He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
12 Sapientia vero ubi invenitur? et quis est locus intelligentiae?
“But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
13 Nescit homo pretium eius, nec invenitur in terra suaviter viventium.
Man doesn’t know its price, and it isn’t found in the land of the living.
14 Abyssus dicit: Non est in me: et mare loquitur: Non est mecum.
The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’
15 Non dabitur aurum obrizum pro ea, nec appendetur argentum in commutatione eius.
It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.
16 Non conferetur tinctis Indiae coloribus, nec lapidi sardonycho pretiosissimo, vel sapphiro.
It can’t be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Non adaequabitur ei aurum vel vitrum, nec commutabuntur pro ea vasa auri:
Gold and glass can’t equal it, neither will it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 Excelsa et eminentia non memorabuntur comparatione eius: trahitur autem sapientia de occultis.
No mention will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 Non adaequabitur ei topazius de Aethiopia, nec tincturae mundissimae componetur.
The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it. It won’t be valued with pure gold.
20 Unde ergo sapientia venit? et quis est locus intelligentiae?
Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?
21 Abscondita est ab oculis omnium viventium, volucres quoque caeli latet.
Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
22 Perditio et mors dixerunt: Auribus nostris audivimus famam eius.
Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
23 Deus intelligit viam eius, et ipse novit locum illius.
“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 under the whole sky.
25 Qui fecit ventis pondus, et aquas appendit in mensura.
He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.
26 Quando ponebat pluviis legem, et viam procellis sonantibus:
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
27 Tunc vidit illam, et enarravit, et praeparavit, et investigavit.
then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.
28 Et dixit homini: Ecce timor Domini, ipsa est sapientia: et recedere a malo, intelligentia.
To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
