Joba 28
1 Toe ao ty lakato fitsikaraham-bolafoty naho ty toem-pitranaham-bolamena.
Surely there is a mine for silver, And a place for gold which they refine.
2 Akareñe an-debok’ ao ty viñe, le tranaheñe am-bongam-bato ty torisike.
Iron is taken out of the earth, And copper is molten out of the stone.
3 Fongore’e ty ieñe, tsikarahe’e pak’ am-para-piefera’e ao ty vato, an-kamoromoroñañe naho an-talinjon-kavilasy ao.
[Man] setteth an end to darkness, And searcheth out, to the furthest bound, The stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
4 Anokafa’e lalam-pigodañañe, lavi-pimoneñañe; andikofam-pandia, miradorado ao, mitsikadròtse lavits’ ondaty.
He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn; They are forgotten of the foot; They hang afar from men, they swing to and fro.
5 Ty tane toy, ama’e ty iboaha’ ty mahakama; ambane’e ao hoe trobotroboen’ afo.
As for the earth, out of it cometh bread; And underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 Angalan-tsafira o vato’eo, naho volamena an-debo’e ao.
The stones thereof are the place of sapphires, And it hath dust of gold.
7 Tsy hay o voro-pamaokeo i lalañey; tsy trea’ ty maso’ i hitikitikey.
That path no bird of prey knoweth, Neither hath the falcon’s eye seen it:
8 Tsy nilià’ o bibi-ly mpireñetseo; mbe tsy nipiapia ambone’e eo ty liona.
The proud beasts have not trodden it, Nor hath the fierce lion passed thereby.
9 Ahiti’e mb’amo vato-pilakeo ty fità’e vaho avalitaboa’e reke-bahatse o vohitseo.
He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock; He overturneth the mountains by the roots.
10 Kaohe’e amo vatoo ty talàha vaho oni-pihaino’e ze atao vara.
He cutteth out channels among the rocks; And his eye seeth every precious thing.
11 Sebaña’e o torahañeo tsy hiorike; aboa’e mb’an-kazavàñe o raha nikafitseo.
He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; And the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
12 Fe aia ty hahaoniñañe hihitse? Aia ka ty toe’ o hilalao?
But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
13 Tsy fohi’ondaty ty vili’e, toe tsy tendrek’ an-tane’ o veloñeo.
Man knoweth not the price thereof; Neither is it found in the land of the living.
14 hoe i lalekey, Tsy amako atoa; le hoe i riakey, Tsy amako etoa.
The deep saith, It is not in me; And the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 Tsy ikaloam-bolamena, vaho tsy andanjàm-bolafoty.
It cannot be gotten for gold, Neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
16 Tsy añoharañe ami’ty volamena’ i Ofire, ndra an-tsohame sarotse ndra safira.
It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, With the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Tsy añirinkiriña’ ty volamena ndra ty kristaly, tsy tsalohem-panake volamena ki’e.
Gold and glass cannot equal it, Neither shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 Tsy ivolañañe ty vaton-driake ndra vato-soa; ambone’ o hangeo ty fikaloan-kihitse.
No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal: Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 Tsy oharañe ama’e ty pit-dae’ i Kose, tsy ibalibalihem-bolamena hiringiri’e.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, Neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
20 Hirik’ aia arè o hihitseo? Vaho aia ty toe’ o hilalao?
Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?
21 Ie mikafits’ am-pihaino’ ze atao veloñe, vaho mietak’ amo voron-tiokeo.
Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, And kept close from the birds of the heavens.
22 Hoe ty Tsikeokeoke naho i Havilasy: fa nahatsanon-talily aze o sofi’aio.
Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor thereof with our ears.
23 Arofoanan’ Añahare i lala’ey, fohi’e ka i toe’ey.
God understandeth the way thereof, And he knoweth the place thereof.
24 Jilove’e pak’ añ’olo’ ty tane toy, vazoho’e ze he’e ambanen-dikerañe ao.
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, And seeth under the whole heaven;
25 Ie nanolora’e lanja o tiokeo, vaho nanjara’e an-kapoake o ranoo;
To make a weight for the wind: Yea, he meteth out the waters by measure.
26 ie nafepè’e o orañeo, naho ty lala’ o helats’ampiñeo;
When he made a decree for the rain, And a way for the lightning of the thunder;
27 Le nivazohoe’e, nitseize’e; najado’e vaho tsinikara’e.
Then did he see it, and declare it; He established it, yea, and searched it out.
28 Le hoe re am’ondatio, Inao: Ty fañeveñañe amy Talè, Izay ro hihitse; ty fisitahañe an-karatiañe ro hilala.
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.
