Job 28
1 habet argentum venarum suarum principia et auro locus est in quo conflatur
Truly there is a vein for silver, And a place for gold, which men refine.
2 ferrum de terra tollitur et lapis solutus calore in aes vertitur
Iron is obtained from earth, And stone is melted into copper.
3 tempus posuit tenebris et universorum finem ipse considerat lapidem quoque caliginis et umbram mortis
Man putteth an end to darkness; He searcheth to the lowest depths For the stone of darkness and the shadow of death.
4 dividit torrens a populo peregrinante eos quos oblitus est pes egentis hominum et invios
From the place where they dwell they open a shaft; Forgotten by the feet, They hang down, they swing away from men.
5 terra de qua oriebatur panis in loco suo igne subversa est
The earth, out of which cometh bread, Is torn up underneath, as it were by fire.
6 locus sapphyri lapides eius et glebae illius aurum
Her stones are the place of sapphires, And she hath clods of gold for man.
7 semitam ignoravit avis nec intuitus est oculus vulturis
The path thereto no bird knoweth, And the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
8 non calcaverunt eam filii institorum nec pertransivit per eam leaena
The fierce wild beast hath not trodden it; The lion hath not passed over it.
9 ad silicem extendit manum suam subvertit a radicibus montes
Man layeth his hand upon the rock; He upturneth mountains from their roots;
10 in petris rivos excidit et omne pretiosum vidit oculus eius
He cleaveth out streams in the rocks, And his eye seeth every precious thing;
11 profunda quoque fluviorum scrutatus est et abscondita produxit in lucem
He bindeth up the streams, that they trickle not, And bringeth hidden things to light.
12 sapientia vero ubi invenitur et quis est locus intellegentiae
But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
13 nescit homo pretium eius nec invenitur in terra suaviter viventium
Man knoweth not the price thereof, Nor can it be found in the land of the living.
14 abyssus dicit non est in me et mare loquitur non est mecum
The deep saith, It is not in me; And the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 non dabitur aurum obrizum pro ea nec adpendetur argentum in commutatione eius
It cannot be gotten for gold, Nor shall silver be weighed out as the price thereof.
16 non conferetur tinctis Indiae coloribus nec lapidi sardonico pretiosissimo vel sapphyro
It cannot be bought 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 crystal are not to be compared with it; Nor can it be purchased with jewels of fine gold.
18 excelsa et eminentia non memorabuntur conparatione eius trahitur autem sapientia de occultis
No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; For wisdom is more precious than pearls.
19 non adaequabitur ei topazium de Aethiopia nec tincturae mundissimae conponetur
The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be purchased with pure gold.
20 unde ergo sapientia veniet et quis est locus intellegentiae
Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?
21 abscondita est ab oculis omnium viventium volucres quoque caeli latet
Since it is hidden from the eyes of all living, And kept close from the fowls of the air.
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 intellegit viam eius et ipse novit locum illius
God knoweth the way to it; He knoweth its dwelling-place.
24 ipse enim fines mundi intuetur et omnia quae sub caelo sunt respicit
For he seeth to the ends of the earth, And surveyeth all things under the whole heaven.
25 qui fecit ventis pondus et aquas adpendit mensura
When he gave the winds their weight, And meted out the waters by measure;
26 quando ponebat pluviis legem et viam procellis sonantibus
When he prescribed a law to the rain, And a path to the thunder-flash, —
27 tunc vidit illam et enarravit et praeparavit et investigavit
Then did he see it, and make it known; He established it, and searched it out.
28 et dixit homini ecce timor Domini ipsa est sapientia et recedere a malo intellegentia
But he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.
