UJobe 28
1 Isibili kukhona umthapho wesiliva, lendawo yegolide abalicengayo.
Truly there is a vein for silver, And a place for gold, which men refine.
2 Insimbi ithathwa enhlabathini, lethusi lincibilikiswa elitsheni.
Iron is obtained from earth, And stone is melted into copper.
3 Umisela umnyama umngcele, udingisisa kuze kube sekupheleleni konke, amatshe obumnyama lethunzi lokufa.
Man putteth an end to darkness; He searcheth to the lowest depths For the stone of darkness and the shadow of death.
4 Uqhekeza umgodi khatshana lalapho okuhlala khona abantu, lapho abakhohlwe khona lunyawo; bayalenga bejikajika khatshana labantu.
From the place where they dwell they open a shaft; Forgotten by the feet, They hang down, they swing away from men.
5 Umhlaba, kuphuma ukudla kuwo, langaphansi kwawo kuphenduka kwangathi ngumlilo.
The earth, out of which cometh bread, Is torn up underneath, as it were by fire.
6 Amatshe awo ayindawo yesafire, njalo ulothuli lwegolide.
Her stones are the place of sapphires, And she hath clods of gold for man.
7 Inyoni edla inyama kayiyazi indlela, lelihlo lelinqe kaliyibonanga.
The path thereto no bird knoweth, And the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
8 Imidlwane yokuziqhenyayo kayiyinyathelanga, isilwane kasihambanga kuyo.
The fierce wild beast hath not trodden it; The lion hath not passed over it.
9 Uyelula isandla sakhe elitsheni elilukhuni, uyagenqula izintaba ezimpandeni.
Man layeth his hand upon the rock; He upturneth mountains from their roots;
10 Aqhekeze imisele emadwaleni, lelihlo lakhe libona konke okuligugu.
He cleaveth out streams in the rocks, And his eye seeth every precious thing;
11 Uyabopha izifula zingathonti, lokufihlakeleyo ukukhuphela ekukhanyeni.
He bindeth up the streams, that they trickle not, And bringeth hidden things to light.
12 Kodwa inhlakanipho ingatholakala ivela ngaphi? Lendawo yokuqedisisa ingaphi?
But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
13 Umuntu kalazi ixabiso lakho, njalo kakutholakali elizweni labaphilayo.
Man knoweth not the price thereof, Nor can it be found in the land of the living.
14 Ukujula kuthi: Kakukho kimi. Lolwandle luthi: Kakulami.
The deep saith, It is not in me; And the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 Igolide elihle lingenikwe endaweni yakho, lesiliva singelinganiselwe intengo yakho.
It cannot be gotten for gold, Nor shall silver be weighed out as the price thereof.
16 Kungelingane legolide leOfiri, le-onikse eligugu, lesafire.
It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, With the precious onyx or the sapphire.
17 Igolide lekristali kungelingane lakho, futhi kungenaniswe ngesitsha segolide elicwengekileyo.
Gold and crystal are not to be compared with it; Nor can it be purchased with jewels of fine gold.
18 Ikorali lekristali kakuyikukhunjulwa, ngoba intengo yenhlakanipho ingaphezu kwamatshe aligugu.
No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; For wisdom is more precious than pearls.
19 Itopazi leEthiyophiya lingelinganiswe lakho, kungelingane legolide elicwengekileyo.
The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be purchased with pure gold.
20 Pho, inhlakanipho ivela ngaphi? Lendawo yokuqedisisa ingaphi?
Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?
21 Ngoba kusithekile emehlweni abo bonke abaphilayo, kwafihlwa ezinyonini zamazulu.
Since it is hidden from the eyes of all living, And kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 Ukubhujiswa lokufa kuthi: Sizwile ngendlebe zethu umbiko wakho.
Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.
23 UNkulunkulu uyayiqedisisa indlela yakho, njalo yena uyayazi indawo yakho.
God knoweth the way to it; He knoweth its dwelling-place.
24 Ngoba yena uyakhangela kuze kube semikhawulweni yomhlaba, abone ngaphansi kwawo wonke amazulu.
For he seeth to the ends of the earth, And surveyeth all things under the whole heaven.
25 Esenzela umoya isisindo, walinganisa amanzi ngesilinganiso.
When he gave the winds their weight, And meted out the waters by measure;
26 Lapho esenzela izulu isimiso, lombane wokuduma indlela.
When he prescribed a law to the rain, And a path to the thunder-flash, —
27 Ngalesosikhathi wakubona, walandisa ngakho; wakulungisa, yebo, wakuhlolisisa.
Then did he see it, and make it known; He established it, and searched it out.
28 Wasesithi emuntwini: Khangela, ukwesaba iNkosi, lokhu kuyinhlakanipho, lokusuka ebubini kuyikuqedisisa.
But he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.
