Job 28

银子有矿； 炼金有方。

yín zi yǒu kuàng ； liàn jīn yǒu fāng 。

“Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.

铁从地里挖出； 铜从石中熔化。

tiě cóng dì lǐ wā chū ； tóng cóng shí zhōng róng huà 。

Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.

人为黑暗定界限， 查究幽暗阴翳的石头，直到极处，

rén wéi hēi àn dìng jiè xiàn ， chá jiū yōu àn yīn yì de shí tou ， zhí dào jí chù ，

Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.

在无人居住之处刨开矿穴， 过路的人也想不到他们； 又与人远离，悬在空中摇来摇去。

zài wú rén jū zhù zhī chù páo kāi kuàng xué ， guò lù de rén yě xiǎng bú dào tā men ； yòu yǔ rén yuǎn lí ， xuán zài kōng zhōng yáo lái yáo qù 。

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.

至于地，能出粮食， 地内好像被火翻起来。

zhì yú dì ， néng chū liáng shí ， dì nèi hǎo xiàng bèi huǒ fān qǐ lái 。

As for the earth, out of it comes bread. Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.

地中的石头有蓝宝石， 并有金沙。

dì zhōng de shí tou yǒu lán bǎo shí ， bìng yǒu jīn shā 。

Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.

矿中的路鸷鸟不得知道； 鹰眼也未见过。

kuàng zhōng de lù zhì niǎo bù dé zhī dào ； yīng yǎn yě wèi jiàn guò 。

That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.

狂傲的野兽未曾行过； 猛烈的狮子也未曾经过。

kuáng ào de yě shòu wèi céng xíng guò ； měng liè de shī zi yě wèi céng jīng guò 。

The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.

人伸手凿开坚石， 倾倒山根，

rén shēn shǒu záo kāi jiān shí ， qīng dǎo shān gēn ，

He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.

在磐石中凿出水道， 亲眼看见各样宝物。

zài pán shí zhōng záo chū shuǐ dào ， qīn yǎn kàn jiàn gè yàng bǎo wù 。

He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.

他封闭水不得滴流， 使隐藏的物显露出来。

tā fēng bì shuǐ bù dé dī liú ， shǐ yǐn cáng de wù xiǎn lù chū lái 。

He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.

然而，智慧有何处可寻？ 聪明之处在哪里呢？

rán ér ， zhì huì yǒu hé chù kě xún ？ cōng ming zhī chù zài nǎ lǐ ne ？

“But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?

智慧的价值无人能知， 在活人之地也无处可寻。

zhì huì de jià zhí wú rén néng zhī ， zài huó rén zhī dì yě wú chù kě xún 。

Man doesn’t know its price, and it isn’t found in the land of the living.

深渊说：不在我内； 沧海说：不在我中。

shēn yuān shuō ： bú zài wǒ nèi ； cāng hǎi shuō ： bú zài wǒ zhōng 。

The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’

智慧非用黄金可得， 也不能平白银为它的价值。

zhì huì fēi yòng huáng jīn kě dé ， yě bù néng píng bái yín wèi tā de jià zhí 。

It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.

俄斐金和贵重的红玛瑙， 并蓝宝石，不足与较量；

é fěi jīn hé guì zhòng de hóng mǎ nǎo ， bìng lán bǎo shí ， bù zú yǔ jiào liàng ；

It can’t be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

黄金和玻璃不足与比较； 精金的器皿不足与兑换。

huáng jīn hé bō lí bù zú yǔ bǐ jiào ； jīng jīn de qì mǐn bù zú yǔ duì huàn 。

Gold and glass can’t equal it, neither will it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

珊瑚、水晶都不足论； 智慧的价值胜过珍珠 。

shān hú 、 shuǐ jīng dōu bù zú lùn ； zhì huì de jià zhí shèng guò zhēn zhū 。

No mention will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.

古实的红璧玺不足与比较； 精金也不足与较量。

gǔ shí de hóng bì xǐ bù zú yǔ bǐ jiào ； jīng jīn yě bù zú yǔ jiào liàng 。

The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it. It won’t be valued with pure gold.

智慧从何处来呢？ 聪明之处在哪里呢？

zhì huì cóng hé chù lái ne ？ cōng ming zhī chù zài nǎ lǐ ne ？

Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?

是向一切有生命的眼目隐藏， 向空中的飞鸟掩蔽。

shì xiàng yí qiè yǒu shēng mìng de yǎn mù yǐn cáng ， xiàng kōng zhōng de fēi niǎo yǎn bì 。

Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.

灭没和死亡说： 我们风闻其名。

miè méi hé sǐ wáng shuō ： wǒ men fēng wén qí míng 。

Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’

神明白智慧的道路， 晓得智慧的所在。

shén míng bái zhì huì de dào lù ， xiǎo de zhì huì de suǒ zài 。

“God understands its way, and he knows its place.

因他鉴察直到地极， 遍观普天之下，

yīn tā jiàn chá zhí dào dì jí ， biàn guān pǔ tiān zhī xià ，

For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.

要为风定轻重， 又度量诸水；

yào wèi fēng dìng qīng zhòng ， yòu dù liàng zhū shuǐ ；

He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.

他为雨露定命令， 为雷电定道路。

tā wèi yǔ lù dìng mìng lìng ， wèi léi diàn dìng dào lù 。

When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,

那时他看见智慧，而且述说； 他坚定，并且查究。

nà shí tā kàn jiàn zhì huì ， ér qiě shù shuō ； tā jiān dìng ， bìng qiě chá jiū 。

then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.

他对人说：敬畏主就是智慧； 远离恶便是聪明。

tā duì rén shuō ： jìng wèi zhǔ jiù shì zhì huì ； yuǎn lí è biàn shì cōng ming 。

To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”