Joba 28
1 Toe ao ty lakato fitsikaraham-bolafoty naho ty toem-pitranaham-bolamena.
Truly there is a vein for silver, And a place for gold, which men refine.
2 Akareñe an-debok’ ao ty viñe, le tranaheñe am-bongam-bato ty torisike.
Iron is obtained from earth, And stone is melted into copper.
3 Fongore’e ty ieñe, tsikarahe’e pak’ am-para-piefera’e ao ty vato, an-kamoromoroñañe naho an-talinjon-kavilasy ao.
Man putteth an end to darkness; He searcheth to the lowest depths For the stone of darkness and the shadow of death.
4 Anokafa’e lalam-pigodañañe, lavi-pimoneñañe; andikofam-pandia, miradorado ao, mitsikadròtse lavits’ ondaty.
From the place where they dwell they open a shaft; Forgotten by the feet, They hang down, they swing away from men.
5 Ty tane toy, ama’e ty iboaha’ ty mahakama; ambane’e ao hoe trobotroboen’ afo.
The earth, out of which cometh bread, Is torn up underneath, as it were by fire.
6 Angalan-tsafira o vato’eo, naho volamena an-debo’e ao.
Her stones are the place of sapphires, And she hath clods of gold for man.
7 Tsy hay o voro-pamaokeo i lalañey; tsy trea’ ty maso’ i hitikitikey.
The path thereto no bird knoweth, And the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
8 Tsy nilià’ o bibi-ly mpireñetseo; mbe tsy nipiapia ambone’e eo ty liona.
The fierce wild beast hath not trodden it; The lion hath not passed over it.
9 Ahiti’e mb’amo vato-pilakeo ty fità’e vaho avalitaboa’e reke-bahatse o vohitseo.
Man layeth his hand upon the rock; He upturneth mountains from their roots;
10 Kaohe’e amo vatoo ty talàha vaho oni-pihaino’e ze atao vara.
He cleaveth out streams in 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 up the streams, that they trickle not, And bringeth hidden things 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, Nor can it be 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, Nor shall silver be weighed out as the price thereof.
16 Tsy añoharañe ami’ty volamena’ i Ofire, ndra an-tsohame sarotse ndra safira.
It cannot be bought 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 crystal are not to be compared with it; Nor can it be purchased with 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; For wisdom is more precious than pearls.
19 Tsy oharañe ama’e ty pit-dae’ i Kose, tsy ibalibalihem-bolamena hiringiri’e.
The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be purchased 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.
Since it is hidden from the eyes of all living, And kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 Hoe ty Tsikeokeoke naho i Havilasy: fa nahatsanon-talily aze o sofi’aio.
Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.
23 Arofoanan’ Añahare i lala’ey, fohi’e ka i toe’ey.
God knoweth the way to it; He knoweth its dwelling-place.
24 Jilove’e pak’ añ’olo’ ty tane toy, vazoho’e ze he’e ambanen-dikerañe ao.
For he seeth to the ends of the earth, And surveyeth all things under the whole heaven.
25 Ie nanolora’e lanja o tiokeo, vaho nanjara’e an-kapoake o ranoo;
When he gave the winds their weight, And meted out the waters by measure;
26 ie nafepè’e o orañeo, naho ty lala’ o helats’ampiñeo;
When he prescribed a law to the rain, And a path to the thunder-flash, —
27 Le nivazohoe’e, nitseize’e; najado’e vaho tsinikara’e.
Then did he see it, and make it known; He established it, and searched it out.
28 Le hoe re am’ondatio, Inao: Ty fañeveñañe amy Talè, Izay ro hihitse; ty fisitahañe an-karatiañe ro hilala.
But he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.
