Job 28
1 “Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
Habet argentum venarum suarum principia, et auro locus est in quo conflatur.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.
Ferrum de terra tollitur, et lapis solutus calore in æs vertitur.
3 Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
Tempus posuit tenebris, et universorum finem ipse considerat: lapidem quoque caliginis et umbram mortis.
4 He breaks open a shaft away from where people live. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth.
Dividit torrens a populo peregrinante eos quos oblitus est pes egentis hominis, et invios.
5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread. Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
Terra de qua oriebatur panis, in loco suo igni subversa est.
6 Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
Locus sapphiri lapides ejus, et glebæ illius aurum.
7 That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.
Semitam ignoravit avis, nec intuitus est eam oculus vulturis.
8 The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
Non calcaverunt eam filii institorum, nec pertransivit per eam leæna.
9 He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
Ad silicem extendit manum suam: subvertit a radicibus montes.
10 He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
In petris rivos excidit, et omne pretiosum vidit oculus ejus.
11 He binds the streams that they do not trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
Profunda quoque fluviorum scrutatus est, et abscondita in lucem produxit.
12 “But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
Sapientia vero ubi invenitur? et quis est locus intelligentiæ?
13 Man does not know its price, and it is not found in the land of the living.
Nescit homo pretium ejus, nec invenitur in terra suaviter viventium.
14 The deep says, ‘It is not in me.’ The sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
Abyssus dicit: Non est in me, et mare loquitur: Non est mecum.
15 It cannot be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.
Non dabitur aurum obrizum pro ea, nec appendetur argentum in commutatione ejus.
16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
Non conferetur tinctis Indiæ coloribus, nec lapidi sardonycho pretiosissimo vel sapphiro.
17 Gold and glass cannot equal it, neither will it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
Non adæquabitur ei aurum vel vitrum, nec commutabuntur pro ea vasa auri.
18 No mention will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
Excelsa et eminentia non memorabuntur comparatione ejus: trahitur autem sapientia de occultis.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it. It will not be valued with pure gold.
Non adæquabitur ei topazius de Æthiopia, nec tincturæ mundissimæ componetur.
20 Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?
Unde ergo sapientia venit? et quis est locus intelligentiæ?
21 Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
Abscondita est ab oculis omnium viventium: volucres quoque cæli latet.
22 Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
Perditio et mors dixerunt: Auribus nostris audivimus famam ejus.
23 “God understands its way, and he knows its place.
Deus intelligit viam ejus, et ipse novit locum illius.
24 For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.
Ipse enim fines mundi intuetur, et omnia quæ sub cælo sunt respicit.
25 He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.
Qui fecit ventis pondus, et aquas appendit in mensura.
26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
Quando ponebat pluviis legem, et viam procellis sonantibus:
27 then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.
tunc vidit illam et enarravit, et præparavit, et investigavit.
28 To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
Et dixit homini: Ecce timor Domini, ipsa est sapientia; et recedere a malo, intelligentia.
