1Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.28.1 vein: or, mine 2Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.28.2 earth: or, dust 3He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death. 4The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men. 5As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire. 6The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.28.6 dust…: or, gold ore 7There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen: 8The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it. 9He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.28.9 rock: or, flint 10He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing. 11He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.28.11 overflowing: Heb. weeping 12But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? 13Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
14The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. 15It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.28.15 It…: Heb. Fine gold shall not be given for it 16It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. 17The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.28.17 jewels…: or, vessels of 18No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.28.18 coral: or, Ramoth 19The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
20Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? 21Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.28.21 air: or, heaven 22Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. 23God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. 24For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; 25To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. 26When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: 27Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.28.27 declare…: or, number it 28And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
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。’”
