UJobe 28
1 Isibili kukhona umthapho wesiliva, lendawo yegolide abalicengayo.
Surely there is a mine for silver, a place where they refine gold.
2 Insimbi ithathwa enhlabathini, lethusi lincibilikiswa elitsheni.
Iron is taken out of the earth; copper is smelted out of the stone.
3 Umisela umnyama umngcele, udingisisa kuze kube sekupheleleni konke, amatshe obumnyama lethunzi lokufa.
A man sets an end to darkness and searches out, to the farthest limit, the stones in obscurity and thick darkness.
4 Uqhekeza umgodi khatshana lalapho okuhlala khona abantu, lapho abakhohlwe khona lunyawo; bayalenga bejikajika khatshana labantu.
He breaks open a shaft away from where people live, places that are forgotten by anyone's foot. He hangs far away from people; he swings to and fro.
5 Umhlaba, kuphuma ukudla kuwo, langaphansi kwawo kuphenduka kwangathi ngumlilo.
As for the earth, out of which comes bread, it is turned up below as if by fire.
6 Amatshe awo ayindawo yesafire, njalo ulothuli lwegolide.
Its stones are the place where sapphires are found, and its dust contains gold.
7 Inyoni edla inyama kayiyazi indlela, lelihlo lelinqe kaliyibonanga.
No bird of prey knows the path to it, nor has the falcon's eye seen it.
8 Imidlwane yokuziqhenyayo kayiyinyathelanga, isilwane kasihambanga kuyo.
The proud animals have not walked such a path, nor has the fierce lion passed there.
9 Uyelula isandla sakhe elitsheni elilukhuni, uyagenqula izintaba ezimpandeni.
A man lays his hand on the flinty rock; he overturns mountains by their roots.
10 Aqhekeze imisele emadwaleni, lelihlo lakhe libona konke okuligugu.
He cuts out channels among the rocks; his eye sees every valuable thing there.
11 Uyabopha izifula zingathonti, lokufihlakeleyo ukukhuphela ekukhanyeni.
He ties up the streams so they do not run; what is hidden there he brings out to the light.
12 Kodwa inhlakanipho ingatholakala ivela ngaphi? Lendawo yokuqedisisa ingaphi?
Where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
13 Umuntu kalazi ixabiso lakho, njalo kakutholakali elizweni labaphilayo.
Man does not know its price; neither is it found in the land of the living.
14 Ukujula kuthi: Kakukho kimi. Lolwandle luthi: Kakulami.
The deep waters under the earth say, 'It is not in me'; the sea says, 'It is not with me.'
15 Igolide elihle lingenikwe endaweni yakho, lesiliva singelinganiselwe intengo yakho.
It cannot be gotten for gold; neither can silver be weighed as its price.
16 Kungelingane legolide leOfiri, le-onikse eligugu, lesafire.
It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Igolide lekristali kungelingane lakho, futhi kungenaniswe ngesitsha segolide elicwengekileyo.
Gold and crystal cannot equal it in worth; neither can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 Ikorali lekristali kakuyikukhunjulwa, ngoba intengo yenhlakanipho ingaphezu kwamatshe aligugu.
No mention is worth making of coral or jasper; indeed, the price of wisdom is more than rubies.
19 Itopazi leEthiyophiya lingelinganiswe lakho, kungelingane legolide elicwengekileyo.
The topaz of Cush does not equal it; neither can it be valued in terms of pure gold.
20 Pho, inhlakanipho ivela ngaphi? Lendawo yokuqedisisa ingaphi?
From where, then, comes wisdom? Where is the place of understanding?
21 Ngoba kusithekile emehlweni abo bonke abaphilayo, kwafihlwa ezinyonini zamazulu.
Wisdom is hidden from the eyes of all living things and is kept hidden from the birds of the heavens.
22 Ukubhujiswa lokufa kuthi: Sizwile ngendlebe zethu umbiko wakho.
Destruction and Death say, 'We have heard just a rumor about it with our ears.'
23 UNkulunkulu uyayiqedisisa indlela yakho, njalo yena uyayazi indawo yakho.
God understands the way to it; he knows its place.
24 Ngoba yena uyakhangela kuze kube semikhawulweni yomhlaba, abone ngaphansi kwawo wonke amazulu.
For he looks to the very ends of the earth and sees under all the heavens.
25 Esenzela umoya isisindo, walinganisa amanzi ngesilinganiso.
He made the force of the wind and parceled out the waters by measure.
26 Lapho esenzela izulu isimiso, lombane wokuduma indlela.
He made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunder.
27 Ngalesosikhathi wakubona, walandisa ngakho; wakulungisa, yebo, wakuhlolisisa.
Then he saw wisdom and announced it; he established it, indeed, and he examined it.
28 Wasesithi emuntwini: Khangela, ukwesaba iNkosi, lokhu kuyinhlakanipho, lokusuka ebubini kuyikuqedisisa.
To people he said, 'See, the fear of the Lord—that is wisdom; to depart from evil is understanding.'”
