Liber Iob, 28
1. Habet argentum venarum principia et auro locus est, in quo conflatur.
1. "Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
2. Ferrum de terra tollitur, et lapis solutus calore in aes vertitur.
2. Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted from the ore.
3. Terminum posuit tenebris et universorum finem ipse scrutatur, lapidem quoque caliginis et umbrae.
3. Men put an end to darkness, and search out to the farthest bound the ore in gloom and deep darkness.
4. Aperuit cuniculos gens peregrina, ipsique obliti sunt pedes, penduli haerent plus quam vir nutans.
4. They open shafts in a valley away from where men live; they are forgotten by travelers, they hang afar from men, they swing to and fro.
5. Terra, de qua oriebatur panis, in profundo subversa est sicut per ignem.
5. As for the earth, out of it comes bread; but underneath it is turned up as by fire.
6. Locus sapphiri lapides eius, et glebae illius aurum.
6. Its stones are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold.
7. Semitam ignoravit avis rapax, nec intuitus est eam oculus vulturis.
7. "That path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon's eye has not seen it.
8. Non calcaverunt eam filii superbiae, nec pertransivit per eam leaena.
8. The proud beasts have not trodden it; the lion has not passed over it.
9. Ad silicem extendit manum suam, subvertit a radicibus montes.
9. "Man puts his hand to the flinty rock, and overturns mountains by the roots.
10. In petris canales excidit, et omne pretiosum vidit oculus eius.
10. He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing.
11. Profunda quoque fluviorum scrutatus est et abscondita in lucem produxit.
11. He binds up the streams so that they do not trickle, and the thing that is hid he brings forth to light.
12. Sapientia vero ubi invenitur? Et quis est locus intellegentiae?
12. "But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
13. Nescit homo structuram eius, nec invenitur in terra viventium.
13. Man does not know the way to it, and it is not found in the land of the living.
14. Abyssus dicit: “Non est in me”; et mare loquitur: “Non est mecum”.
14. The deep says, `It is not in me,' and the sea says, `It is not with me.'
15. Non dabitur aurum obryzum pro ea, nec appendetur argentum in commutatione eius.
15. It cannot be gotten for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price.
16. Non appendetur auro Ophir nec lapidi sardonycho pretiosissimo vel sapphiro.
16. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
17. Non adaequabitur ei aurum vel vitrum, nec commutabuntur pro ea vasa auri.
17. Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18. Corallia et crystallum non memorabuntur comparatione eius; et possessio sapientiae potior margaritis.
18. No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; the price of wisdom is above pearls.
19. Non adaequabitur ei topazius de Aethiopia nec auro mundissimo componetur.
19. The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20. Unde ergo sapientia venit, et quis est locus intellegentiae?
20. "Whence then comes wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?
21. Abscondita est ab oculis omnium viventium, volucres quoque caeli latet.
21. It is hid from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the air.
22. Perditio et mors dixerunt: “Auribus nostris audivimus famam eius”.
22. Abaddon and Death say, `We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.'
23. Deus intellegit viam eius, et ipse novit locum illius.
23. "God understands the way to it, and he knows its place.
24. Ipse enim fines mundi intuetur et omnia, quae sub caelo sunt, respicit.
24. For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees everything under the heavens.
25. Qui fecit ventis pondus et aquas appendit in mensura,
25. When he gave to the wind its weight, and meted out the waters by measure;
26. quando ponebat pluviis legem et viam procellis sonantibus,
26. when he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder;
27. tunc vidit illam et enarravit et praeparavit et investigavit.
27. then he saw it and declared it; he established it, and searched it out.
28. Et dixit homini: “Ecce timor Domini, ipsa est sapientia; et recedere a malo intellegentia””.
28. And he said to man, `Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.'"
