Add parallel Print Page Options

28 “There are mines where people dig silver
    and places where gold is ·made pure [refined].
Iron is taken from the ·ground [dust],
    and copper is ·melted out of [poured from the] rocks.
·Miners [L They] ·bring lights [L put an end to darkness]
    and ·search deep into the mines [L investigate every limit]
    for ore in thick darkness.
They ·dig a tunnel [sink a shaft] far from where people live,
    ·where no one has ever walked [L a place forgotten by human feet];
    they work far from people, ·swinging and swaying from ropes [L they sway suspended].
·Food grows on top of the earth [L Bread/Food comes out of the earth],
    but below ground things are ·changed [overturned] as if by fire.
·Sapphires [or Lapis lazuli] are found in rocks,
    and gold dust is also found there.
No ·hawk [bird of prey] knows that path;
    the ·falcon [or black kite] has not seen it.
Proud animals have not walked there,
    and no lions cross over it.
·Miners [L They] ·hit [L put their hands to] the rocks of flint
    ·and dig away at the bottom of the mountains [upturning the mountains from their root].
10 They cut tunnels through the rock
    and see all the ·treasures [precious things] there.
11 They ·search for places where rivers begin [or dam up the sources of the rivers]
    and bring things hidden out into the light.

12 “But where can wisdom be found,
    and where ·does understanding live [is understanding]?
13 People do not understand ·the value of wisdom [L its price];
    it cannot be found ·among those who are alive [L in the land of the living].
14 The ·deep ocean [or Deep] says, ‘It’s not in me;’
    the ·sea [or Sea; C the Deep and Sea may represent the forces of chaos] says, ‘It’s not in me.’
15 Wisdom cannot be bought with gold,
    and its cost cannot be weighed in silver.
16 Wisdom cannot be bought with ·fine gold [L the gold of Ophir; 22:24]
    or with ·valuable [precious] onyx or ·sapphire gems [or lapis lazuli].
17 Gold and ·crystal [or glass] ·are not as valuable as wisdom [L cannot match it],
    and you cannot buy it with jewels of gold.
18 Coral and ·jasper [or crystal; C the identification of gems is often uncertain] are not worth talking about,
    and the price of wisdom is much greater than ·rubies [or pearls].
19 The ·topaz [or chrysolite] from ·Cush [Ethiopia] cannot compare to wisdom;
    it cannot be bought with the purest gold.
20 “So where does wisdom come from,
    and where does understanding live?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
    [L concealed] even from the birds of ·the air [L the sky; heaven].
22 ·The places of destruction [L Abaddon] and ·death [or Death; C the forces of the underworld] say,
    ‘We have heard reports about it.’
23 Only God understands the way to wisdom,
    and he alone knows ·where it lives [L its place],
24 because he looks to the ·farthest parts [ends] of the earth
    and sees everything under ·the sky [or heaven].
25 When God gave ·power [substance; L weight] to the wind
    and measured the water,
26 when he made ·rules [or limits] for the rain
    and set a path for a thunderstorm to follow,
27 then he looked at ·wisdom [L it] and ·decided its worth [L declared it];
    he ·set wisdom up [L established it] and ·tested [or investigated] it.
28 Then he said to humans,
    ‘The fear of the Lord is wisdom [Prov. 1:7];
    to ·stay [or turn] away from evil is understanding [Prov. 3:7].’”

智慧颂

28 “银从矿中采取,
金有冶炼之地,
铁从地下挖掘,
铜从石中提炼。
世人探寻黑暗的尽头,
搜索幽暗的深处,
要得隐藏的矿石。
他们在杳无人烟、人踪绝迹之地开矿,
他们远离人群,悬在半空摇来摇去。
大地出产粮食,
地下烈火熊熊。
地下的石头出蓝宝石,
还蕴藏着金沙。
矿中的路径,猛禽不知道,
鹰眼也未曾见过,
猛兽未曾踏足,
狮子未曾经过。
世人开凿坚石,
翻动山的根基,
10 在岩石中凿通道,
一览各样的宝藏。
11 他们把水流截断,
使隐藏之物显露。

12 “然而,智慧何处寻?
聪明之道在哪里?
13 无人知道智慧的价值,
人世间找不到她。
14 深渊说,‘她不在我里面。’
海洋说,‘她不在我这里。’
15 金子买不到她,
银子换不来她;
16 俄斐的金子无法与她相比,
红玛瑙和蓝宝石不能与她媲美;
17 黄金和水晶无法与她相比,
纯金的器皿不能与她兑换;
18 珊瑚和碧玉不能与她相提并论,
红宝石的价值远不如她;
19 古实的黄玉无法与她相比,
纯金不能与她等量齐观。

20 “然而,智慧何处寻?
聪明之道在哪里?
21 众生的眼睛看不见她,
空中的飞鸟找不到她。
22 毁灭和死亡说,
‘我们只风闻其名。’
23 上帝认识通往智慧的路,
祂知道智慧在哪里,
24 因祂纵览地极,
遍察天下万物。
25 祂定下风的重量,
量出水的规模;
26 祂颁布雨露的规律,
划定雷电的路线。
27 那时祂已看见智慧,并评估她,
坚立她,探察她。
28 祂对世人说,‘敬畏主就是智慧,
远离恶便是聪明。’”

28 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.

Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.

He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.

The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.

As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.

The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.

There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:

The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.

10 He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.

11 He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

12 But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

13 Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

14 The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.

15 It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.

18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.

19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.

22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.

23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.

24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;

25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.

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

27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.