Jobs 28
1 Sylv hev sin stad, der dei det finn, og gullet, som dei reinsa vinn,
For there is a place for the silver, whence it comes, and a place for the gold, whence it is refined.
2 og jarn fram or jordi fær, og kopar ut or steinen bræ’r;
For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone.
3 På natteskuggen gjer dei slutt og myrkheims steinar granskar ut.
He has set a bound to darkness, and he searches out every limit: a stone [is] darkness, and the shadow of death.
4 Djupt under by med annsamt liv i gruvor bergmenn kliv og sviv.
There is a cutting off the torrent by reason of dust: so they that forget the right way are weakened; they are removed from [amongst] men.
5 På jordi brødkorn fram dei driv, men inni upp som eld dei riv.
[As for] the earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were fire.
6 Safiren sit i steinar der, og der seg og gullklumpar ter,
Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and [her] dust [supplies] man with gold.
7 Ei ørnen kjenner denne veg, for haukesyn han løyner seg.
[There is] a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it:
8 Ei stolte rovdyr vegen fann, og løva aldri gjeng på han.
neither have the sons of the proud trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it.
9 På harde steinen dei handi legg; då sturtar mang ein bergevegg.
He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp [rock], and turned up mountains by the roots:
10 I berget seg gangar grev og skodar mang ein skatt so gjæv.
and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.
11 Dei dytter til for rennand’ å, det løynde fram for ljoset må.
And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light.
12 Men visdomen, kvar er han å få? Og kvar skal ein vitet nå?
But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?
13 Slett ingen veit hans verd og vinst; i manneheim han ikkje finst;
A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered amongst men.
14 Avgrunnen dyn: «Her ei han er!» Og havet segjer: «Ikkje her!»
The depth said, It is not in me: and the sea said, It is not with me.
15 Du kann’kje kjøpa han for gull, men sylv ei vega prisen full,
One shall not give fine gold instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 og ei for gull ifrå Ofir, ei for onyks, ei for safir.
Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire.
17 Ei gull og glas er nok til kaup, og ei til byte fingull-staup.
Gold and crystal shall not be equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange.
18 Korall, krystall gjeld ikkje her. Visdom er meir enn perlor verd.
Coral and fine pearl shall not be mentioned: but do you esteem wisdom above the most precious things.
19 Topas frå Kus er altfor ring, ja, reinast gull vert ingen ting.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equalled to it; it shall not be compared with pure gold.
20 Visdomen, kvar kjem han ifrå? Og kvar skal ein til vitet nå?
Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind is the place of understanding?
21 Det ingen veit på denne jord; ei fugl det fann, kvar helst han for.
It has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.
22 Avgrunn og daude segjer greidt: «Eit gjetord er alt det me veit.»
Destruction and Death said, We have heard the report of it.
23 Men Gud han kjenner denne veg; han veit kvar visdom løyner seg.
God has well ordered the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
24 Han skodar heilt til heimsens tram, og under himmeln ser han fram.
For he surveys the whole [earth] under heaven, knowing the things in the earth:
25 Då vinden han med vegti vog og sette mål for vatnet og,
all that he has made; the weight of the winds, the measures of the water.
26 då han gav regnet lovi si og ljomet veg å ganga i,
When he made [them], thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way for the pealing of the thunder.
27 då såg han og synte fram og granska honom umhugsam.
Then he saw it, and declared it: he prepared it [and] traced it out.
28 Til menneskja han sagde so: «I Herrens otte visdom sit, og fly det vonde, det er vit.»»
And he said to man, Behold, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.
