智慧颂
1“银从矿中采取，
金有冶炼之地，
2铁从地下挖掘，
铜从石中提炼。
3世人探寻黑暗的尽头，
搜索幽暗的深处，
要得隐藏的矿石。
4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。
5大地出产粮食，
地下烈火熊熊。
6地下的石头出蓝宝石，
还蕴藏着金沙。
7矿中的路径，猛禽不知道，
鹰眼也未曾见过，
8猛兽未曾踏足，
狮子未曾经过。
9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。’”
The Place Where Wisdom Is Found Is Explained
1There are mines where silver is found.
There are places where gold is purified.
2Iron is taken out of the earth.
Copper is melted down from ore.
3Human beings light up the darkness.
They search for ore in the deepest pits.
They look for it in the blackest darkness.
4Far from where people live they cut a tunnel.
They do it in places where other people don’t go.
Far away from people they swing back and forth on ropes.
5Food grows on the surface of the earth.
But far below, the earth is changed as if by fire.
6Lapis lazuli is taken from the rocky earth.
Its dust contains nuggets of gold.
7No bird knows that hidden path.
No falcon’s eye has seen it.
8Proud animals don’t walk on it.
Lions don’t prowl there.
9Human hands attack the hardest rock.
Their strong hands uncover the base of the mountains.
10They tunnel through the rock.
Their eyes see all its treasures.
11They search the places where the rivers begin.
They bring hidden things out into the light.
12But where can wisdom be found?
Where does understanding live?
13No human being understands how much it’s worth.
It can’t be found anywhere in the world.
14The ocean says, “It’s not in me.”
The sea says, “It’s not here either.”
15It can’t be bought with the finest gold.
Its price can’t be weighed out in silver.
16It can’t be bought with gold from Ophir.
It can’t be bought with priceless onyx or lapis lazuli.
17Gold or crystal can’t compare with it.
It can’t be bought with jewels made of gold.
18Don’t bother to talk about coral and jasper.
Wisdom is worth far more than rubies.
19A topaz from Cush can’t compare with it.
It can’t be bought with the purest gold.
20So where does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding live?
21It’s hidden from the eyes of every living thing.
Even the birds in the sky can’t find it.
22Death and the Grave say,
“Only reports about it have reached our ears.”
23But God understands the way to it.
He is the only one who knows where it lives.
24He sees from one end of the earth to the other.
He views everything in the world.
25He made the mighty wind.
He measured out the waters.
26He gave orders for the rain to fall.
He made paths for the thunderstorms.
27Then he looked at wisdom and set its price.
He established it and tested it.
28He said to human beings,
“Have respect for the Lord. That will prove you are wise.
Avoid evil. That will show you have understanding.”
