Jobs 28
1 Sylv hev sin stad, der dei det finn, og gullet, som dei reinsa vinn,
Surely there is a mine for silver, a place where they refine gold.
2 og jarn fram or jordi fær, og kopar ut or steinen bræ’r;
Iron is taken out of the earth; copper is smelted out of the stone.
3 På natteskuggen gjer dei slutt og myrkheims steinar granskar ut.
A man sets an end to darkness and searches out, to the farthest limit, the stones in obscurity and thick darkness.
4 Djupt under by med annsamt liv i gruvor bergmenn kliv og sviv.
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 På jordi brødkorn fram dei driv, men inni upp som eld dei riv.
As for the earth, out of which comes bread, it is turned up below as if by fire.
6 Safiren sit i steinar der, og der seg og gullklumpar ter,
Its stones are the place where sapphires are found, and its dust contains gold.
7 Ei ørnen kjenner denne veg, for haukesyn han løyner seg.
No bird of prey knows the path to it, nor has the falcon's eye seen it.
8 Ei stolte rovdyr vegen fann, og løva aldri gjeng på han.
The proud animals have not walked such a path, nor has the fierce lion passed there.
9 På harde steinen dei handi legg; då sturtar mang ein bergevegg.
A man lays his hand on the flinty rock; he overturns mountains by their roots.
10 I berget seg gangar grev og skodar mang ein skatt so gjæv.
He cuts out channels among the rocks; his eye sees every valuable thing there.
11 Dei dytter til for rennand’ å, det løynde fram for ljoset må.
He ties up the streams so they do not run; what is hidden there he brings out to the light.
12 Men visdomen, kvar er han å få? Og kvar skal ein vitet nå?
Where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
13 Slett ingen veit hans verd og vinst; i manneheim han ikkje finst;
Man does not know its price; neither is it found in the land of the living.
14 Avgrunnen dyn: «Her ei han er!» Og havet segjer: «Ikkje her!»
The deep waters under the earth say, 'It is not in me'; the sea says, 'It is not with me.'
15 Du kann’kje kjøpa han for gull, men sylv ei vega prisen full,
It cannot be gotten for gold; neither can silver be weighed as its price.
16 og ei for gull ifrå Ofir, ei for onyks, ei for safir.
It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Ei gull og glas er nok til kaup, og ei til byte fingull-staup.
Gold and crystal cannot equal it in worth; neither can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 Korall, krystall gjeld ikkje her. Visdom er meir enn perlor verd.
No mention is worth making of coral or jasper; indeed, the price of wisdom is more than rubies.
19 Topas frå Kus er altfor ring, ja, reinast gull vert ingen ting.
The topaz of Cush does not equal it; neither can it be valued in terms of pure gold.
20 Visdomen, kvar kjem han ifrå? Og kvar skal ein til vitet nå?
From where, then, comes wisdom? Where is the place of understanding?
21 Det ingen veit på denne jord; ei fugl det fann, kvar helst han for.
Wisdom is hidden from the eyes of all living things and is kept hidden from the birds of the heavens.
22 Avgrunn og daude segjer greidt: «Eit gjetord er alt det me veit.»
Destruction and Death say, 'We have heard just a rumor about it with our ears.'
23 Men Gud han kjenner denne veg; han veit kvar visdom løyner seg.
God understands the way to it; he knows its place.
24 Han skodar heilt til heimsens tram, og under himmeln ser han fram.
For he looks to the very ends of the earth and sees under all the heavens.
25 Då vinden han med vegti vog og sette mål for vatnet og,
He made the force of the wind and parceled out the waters by measure.
26 då han gav regnet lovi si og ljomet veg å ganga i,
He made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunder.
27 då såg han og synte fram og granska honom umhugsam.
Then he saw wisdom and announced it; he established it, indeed, and he examined it.
28 Til menneskja han sagde so: «I Herrens otte visdom sit, og fly det vonde, det er vit.»»
To people he said, 'See, the fear of the Lord—that is wisdom; to depart from evil is understanding.'”
