Job 28
1 CIERTAMENTE la plata tiene sus veneros, y el oro lugar [donde] se forma.
“It is true that there are places where men dig to find silver, and there are places where people refine/purify gold [that they have dug].
2 El hierro se saca del polvo, y de la piedra es fundido el metal.
People dig iron [ore] out of the ground, and they (smelt copper ore/heat copper ore to get the copper from it).
3 A las tinieblas puso término, y examina todo á la perfección, las piedras [que hay] en la oscuridad y en la sombra de muerte.
Men use lamps while they work far down under the ground to search for the ore inside the mines where it is very dark.
4 Brota el torrente de junto al morador, [aguas] que el pie había olvidado: sécanse luego, vanse del hombre.
They dig (shafts/narrow holes very deep down into the ground) in places that are far from where people live, where travelers do not go. They work far away from [other] people, swinging back and forth on ropes [as they descend into the mine shafts].
5 De la tierra nace el pan, y debajo de ella estará como convertida en fuego.
Food grows on the surface of the ground, but down under the ground, [where there is no food, ] the miners make fires to break apart the rocks.
6 Lugar hay cuyas piedras son zafiro, y sus polvos de oro.
The stones [that are dug from under the ground] contain (sapphires/very valuable blue stones), and the dirt contains bits of gold.
7 Senda que nunca la conoció ave, ni ojo de buitre la vió:
[Some birds have very good eyes, ] but even hawks do not know [where the mines are], and falcons/vultures have not seen those places.
8 Nunca la pisaron animales fieros, ni león pasó por ella.
Lions or [other] proud wild animals have not walked on the roads near those mines.
9 En el pedernal puso su mano, y trastornó los montes de raíz.
Miners tear apart [MTY] very hard rock; [it is as though] they turn the mountains upside down [to get the ore].
10 De los peñascos cortó ríos, y sus ojos vieron todo lo preciado.
They cut tunnels through the rocks, and they find (precious/very valuable) things.
11 Detuvo los ríos en su nacimiento, é hizo salir á luz lo escondido.
They dam up small streams in order that water does not flow, and they bring up into the light valuable things that are hidden [in the ground and in the streams].
12 Empero ¿dónde se hallará la sabiduría? ¿y dónde está el lugar de la prudencia?
“But wisdom: Where can people find that? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
13 No conoce su valor el hombre, ni se halla en la tierra de los vivientes.
Humans do not know where to find it; no one can find it [here on this earth] where they are living.
14 El abismo dice: No está en mí: y la mar dijo: Ni conmigo.
[It is as though] water that is deep [inside the earth] and [water that is in] the seas say [PRS], ‘Wisdom is not here!’
15 No se dará por oro, ni su precio será á peso de plata.
[People] cannot buy wisdom by paying for it with silver or gold.
16 No puede ser apreciada con oro de Ophir, ni con onique precioso, ni con zafiro.
Wisdom is worth much more than fine gold from Ophir [land] or other very valuable stones.
17 El oro no se le igualará, ni el diamante; ni se trocará por vaso de oro fino.
It is worth much more than gold or beautiful glass, worth more than vases made from fine gold.
18 De coral ni de perlas no se hará mención: la sabiduría es mejor que piedras preciosas.
Wisdom is worth more than coral or crystal/pure quartz; the price of wisdom is higher/more than the price of pearls.
19 No se igualará con ella esmeralda de Ethiopía; no se podrá apreciar con oro fino.
The prices of (topaz/very valuable yellow stones) from Ethiopia and of pure gold are lower/less than the price of wisdom.
20 ¿De dónde pues vendrá la sabiduría? ¿y dónde está el lugar de la inteligencia?
“So, where does wisdom come from? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
21 Porque encubierta está á los ojos de todo viviente, y á toda ave del cielo es oculta.
No living humans can see it [MTY]; and birds cannot see it while they are flying [MTY].
22 El infierno y la muerte dijeron: Su fama hemos oído con nuestros oídos. (questioned)
[It is as though] the places where people go after they die say [PRS], ‘We have only heard rumors about [where to find wisdom].’
23 Dios entiende el camino de ella, y él conoce su lugar.
God [is the only one who] knows how to find wisdom; he knows where it is,
24 Porque él mira hasta los fines de la tierra, y ve debajo de todo el cielo.
because he can see things even in the most remote/distant places on the earth; he can see everything that is below the sky.
25 Al dar peso al viento, y poner las aguas por medida;
When he decided how strongly the winds should blow, and how much rain would be in the clouds,
26 Cuando él hizo ley á la lluvia, y camino al relámpago de los truenos;
and when he decided where rain [should fall], and what path lightning should take [from the clouds down to the ground],
27 Entonces la veía él, y la manifestaba; preparóla y descubrióla también.
at that time he saw wisdom and decided that it is extremely valuable. He examined it and (approved it/said that it was very good).
28 Y dijo al hombre: He aquí que el temor del Señor es la sabiduría, y el apartarse del mal la inteligencia.
And [then] he said to humans, ‘Listen! To have an awesome respect for me is [what will enable you to become] wise; and to truly understand everything, you must first turn away from doing what is evil.’”
