Interlude: where wisdom is found
1There is a mine for silver
and a place where gold is refined.
2Iron is taken from the earth,
and copper is smelted from ore.
3Mortals put an end to the darkness;
they search out the farthest recesses
for ore in the blackest darkness.
4Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,
in places untouched by human feet;
far from other people they dangle and sway.
5The earth, from which food comes,
is transformed below as by fire;
6lapis lazuli comes from its rocks,
and its dust contains nuggets of gold.
7No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8Proud beasts do not set foot on it,
and no lion prowls there.
9People assault the flinty rock with their hands
and lay bare the roots of the mountains.
10They tunnel through the rock;
their eyes see all its treasures.
11They search28:11 Septuagint, Aquila and Vulgate; Hebrew They dam up the sources of the rivers
and bring hidden things to light.
12But where can wisdom be found?
Where does understanding dwell?
13No mortal comprehends its worth;
it cannot be found in the land of the living.
14The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
16It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,
with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.
17Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,
nor can it be had for jewels of gold.
18Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention;
the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it;
it cannot be bought with pure gold.
20Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?
21It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds in the sky.
22Destruction28:22 Hebrew Abaddon and Death say,
‘Only a rumour of it has reached our ears.’
23God understands the way to it
and he alone knows where it dwells,
24for he views the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens.
25When he established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,
26when he made a decree for the rain
and a path for the thunderstorm,
27then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
he confirmed it and tested it.
28And he said to the human race,
‘The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.’
128:1 Thab 12:6; Dan 11:35“Nĩ kũrĩ handũ harĩa betha yenjagwo
o na nĩ harĩ handũ harĩa thahabu ĩtheragĩrio.
2Kĩgera kĩrutagwo kuuma tĩĩri-inĩ,
nakĩo gĩcango kĩrutagwo mahiga-inĩ gĩgatwekio.
328:3 Koh 1:13Mũndũ nĩkũniina aniinaga nduma;
acaragia mahiga macio nginya kũrĩa kũriku mũno,
o kũu nduma ĩrĩ ndumanu mũno.
428:4 2Sam 5:8Mũndũ atũrĩkagia irima thĩ kũraya na kũrĩa andũ matũũraga,
agakinya kũndũ kũrĩa mũndũ aariganĩirwo nĩgũthiiaga;
kũu kũraihanĩrĩirie na andũ nĩkuo acunjuuraga akĩereeraga.28:4 Enji a marima magĩcaria tũhiga twa goro maikaragĩra itĩ ciacunjuuragio na mĩkanda.
528:5 Thab 104:14; 145:15Thĩ nĩkuo kuumaga irio,
no na kũu thĩinĩ mũhuro kũgarũrũkĩte gũkahaana ta gũcinĩtwo na mwaki;
628:6 Isa 54:11mahiga-inĩ ma thĩ nĩkuo kuumaga yakuti ĩrĩa ya bururu,
na mũthanga wayo ũkoragwo na ngũmba cia thahabu.
7Gũtirĩ nyoni ndĩa-nyama yũĩ gacĩra kau kahithe,
na gatirĩ konwo nĩ riitho rĩa hũngũ.
828:8 Isa 35:9Nyamũ iria ciĩtĩĩaga itirĩ ciagathiĩra,
o na gũtirĩ mũrũũthi ũkageragĩra.
928:9 Gũcook 8:15; Jon 2:6Guoko kwa mũndũ gũtharĩkagĩra gũkanyiita ihiga rĩa nyaigĩ,
na gũkaguũria itina cia irĩma.
10Enjaga mungu ũgatũrĩkia rwaro rwa ihiga;
maitho make makĩonaga igĩĩna ciaruo ciothe.
11Ethaga itwe cia njũũĩ,
na indo iria hithe agaciumĩria ũtheri-inĩ.
1228:12 Koh 7:24“No ũũgĩ-rĩ, ũngĩoneka kũ?
Ũmenyo ũtũũraga kũ?
1328:13 Thim 3:15; Jer 11:19Mũndũ ndangĩmenya thogora wa ũũgĩ;
ndũngĩoneka bũrũri wa arĩa marĩ muoyo.
14Kũrĩa kũriku mũno kuugaga atĩrĩ, ‘Ndũrĩ thĩinĩ wakwa’;
narĩo iria rĩkoiga atĩrĩ, ‘Ndũrĩ gũkũ gwakwa.’
1528:15 Thim 3:13-14; Atũm 8:20Ndũngĩgũrĩka na thahabu ĩrĩa therie mũno,
kana thogora waguo ũthimwo na betha.
1628:16 Kĩam 10:29; Thaam 24:10Ndũngĩgũrĩka na thahabu ya Ofiri,
kana ũgũrĩke na onigithi ĩrĩa ĩrĩ goro mũno,
o na kana yakuti ĩrĩa ya bururu.
17Thahabu kana icicio-rĩ, itingĩhota kũgerekanio naguo;
o na kana ũkũũranio na mathaga ma thahabu.
1828:18 Ezek 27:16; Kũg 21:11Maricani kana ngenyekenyi iria cia goro itiagĩrĩire kũgwetanio naguo;
thogora wa ũũgĩ ũkĩrĩte wa ruru ĩrĩa ndune.
19Yakuti ya Kushi ndĩngĩigananio naguo;
o na ndũngĩgũrĩka na thahabu ĩrĩa therie mũno.
20“Hakĩrĩ ũguo-rĩ, ũũgĩ ũngĩkiuma nakũ?
Ũmenyo ũtũũraga kũ?
21Nĩmũhithe kũrĩ maitho ma ciũmbe ciothe iria itũũraga muoyo,
ũkahithwo o na nyoni cia rĩera-inĩ.
2228:22 Ayub 20:26; Thim 8:32-36Mwanangĩko na gĩkuũ ciugaga atĩrĩ,
‘No mũhuhu waguo ũkinyĩte matũ-inĩ maitũ.’
2328:23 Koh 3:11Ngai nĩooĩ njĩra ya gũthiĩ kũrĩa ũrĩ,
na nowe wiki ũũĩ kũrĩa ũtũũraga,
2428:24 Josh 3:11; Ahib 4:13nĩgũkorwo nĩonaga mũthia wa thĩ,
na nĩonaga maũndũ marĩa mothe marĩ rungu rwa igũrũ.
25Rĩrĩa aathimĩire rũhuho nditi yaruo,
o na agĩthima maaĩ-rĩ,
2628:26 Ayub 36:28; Isa 35:7rĩrĩa aarutĩire mbura watho ĩrũmagĩrĩre,
na agĩtemera rũheni na marurumĩ njĩra-rĩ,
27nake nĩonire ũũgĩ na akĩũthima;
aũrũmirie na akĩũthuthuuria.
2828:28 Gũcook 4:6Agĩcooka akĩĩra andũ atĩrĩ,
‘Gwĩtigĩra Mwathani-rĩ, ũcio nĩguo ũũgĩ,
Nakuo gũtheemaga ũũru nĩ ũmenyo.’ ”
