In Praise of Wisdom
1 There are mines where silver is dug;
There are places where gold is refined.
2 We dig iron out of the ground
And melt copper out of the stones.
3 Miners explore the deepest darkness.
They search the depths of the earth
And dig for rocks in the darkness.
4 Far from where anyone lives
Or human feet ever travel,
They dig the shafts of mines.
There they work in loneliness,
Clinging to ropes in the pits.
5 Food grows out of the earth,
But underneath the same earth
All is torn up and crushed.
6 The stones of the earth contain sapphires,
And its dust contains gold.
7 No hawk sees the roads to the mines,
And no vulture ever flies over them.
8 No lion or other fierce beast
Ever travels those lonely roads.
9 Miners dig the hardest rocks,
Dig mountains away at their base.
10 As they tunnel through the rocks,
They discover precious stones.
11 They dig to the sources of rivers
And bring to light what is hidden.
12 But where can wisdom be found?
Where can we learn to understand?
13 Wisdom is not to be found among mortals;
No one knows its true value.
14 The depths of the oceans and seas
Say that wisdom is not found there.
15 It cannot be bought with silver or gold.
16 The finest gold and jewels
Cannot equal its value.
17 It is worth more than gold,
Than a gold vase or finest glass.
18 The value of wisdom is more
Than coral or crystal or rubies.
19 The finest topaz and the purest gold
Cannot compare with the value of wisdom.
20 Where, then, is the source of wisdom?
Where can we learn to understand?
21 No living creature can see it,
Not even a bird in flight.
22 Even death and destruction
Admit they have heard only rumors.
23 God alone knows the way,
Knows the place where wisdom is found,
24 Because he sees the ends of the earth,
Sees everything under the sky.
25 When God gave the wind its power
And determined the size of the sea;
26 When God decided where the rain would fall,
And the path that the thunderclouds travel;
27 It was then he saw wisdom and tested its worth—
He gave it his approval.
28 God said to us humans,
“To be wise, you must have reverence for the Lord.
To understand, you must turn from evil.”
Gā-aisib ra koahe
1 “ǀHaiǀurib ra khaohe ǃkhais ge hâ
tsî ǁkhāti ǃhuniǀurib ra tsunitsunihe ǃkhaisa.
2 ǂNūǀurib ge ǃhūba xu ra ūǂuihe
tsî ǀapaǀurib ge ǀuina xu ra tsunitsuniǂuihe.
3 Khoen ge ǃkhaenasa ra ǀamǀam,
ǀuiden ge kaise ǃgamse ǁgona ra ôa,
kaise a ǃkhae ǃkhaidi ǃnâ ǁgona ra khao.
4 Āga gu ge khoen ǁanǃkhaiba xu ǃnūse ra khaoǁkhowa-am,
khoe-i xare-i sī tamapa, ǃū-aisib ǃnâ
ǃgam āgu ǃnâ tsurigu ai ra ǂoa ka ǁgôaxa.
5 ǃHūb hîa ra ǂûna ūǀkhīb ge
ǃnakab ǃnâ, ǀaes ǀkha ra khôaǃkhopahe.
6 ǃHūbaib di ǀuina xu di safirde ra hōhe
tsî ǁîb tsaraǃâna xu ǃhuniǀuriba.
7 Kai-anis tsîn ge ǁnā daoba ǀū,
tsî ǀaub di mûra xas tsîna mûhe tama hâ.
8 ǁAixa ǀgurun xas tsîna dā-aihe tama;
xammi tsîn ǁnāpa-u ǃkharu tama hâ.
9 “Khoegu ge ǃgareǀuiba ǃomgu âgu ǀkha ra sîsen
tsî ǃhomga ǃgaoǃgaogu hoagu ǀkha ra khôaǁnâ.
10 ǁÎgu ge ǃgareǀuigu ǃnâ-u āga ra khaoǁkhowam
tsî ǁîgu mûdi ge ǀō-aisa ǁui-i hoa-e ra mû.
11 ǁÎgu ge ǁgamǂkhuruga ra ǃōǂgan
tsî gu ge ǂganǃgâsa ǁuiba ǃnâb ǃoa ra ǂoaxa-ū.
12 Xawe gā-aisiba mâpab nî hōhe?
ǁNâuǃāba mâ ǃkhais aib ǁan hâ?
13 “Khoen ge gā-aisib di ǁkhāsiba a ǀū
tsî ǁkhāti ûitsama khoen ǃhūb ǃnâ a ǀkhai.
14 ǃHūb ǃnakab ǁgamgu ge ‘Sige ǃnâ a ǀkhai,’ ti ra mî
tsîb ge huriba ‘Tita tawa a ǀkhai,’ ti ra mî.
15 ǂOaǂamsa ǃhuniǀurib ǀkha a ǁamaǃkhunihe ǁoa
tsî ǁîs di ǁkhāsib ge ǀhaiǀurib ǀkha a ǀgopeǀnōhe ǁoa.
16 Ofiri di ǃhuniǀurib ǁkhāsib ǀkha a ǀguiǀguihe ǁoa;
ǃgomǀgausa oniksǀuis tamas ka io,
safir-i tsîn ǀkha a ǁamaǃkhunihe ǁoa.
17 ǃHuniǀurib tsî xlā-i tsîn ge gā-aisib ǁkhāsiba īǂam tama,
tamas ka iob ge ǃgomǀgausa ǃhuniǀuri-anixūn ǀkha ǃkhōǃkhunihe ǁoa.
18 Koral-i tsî jasper-i tsîn gā-aisiba īǂam tama;
Gā-aisib ǁkhāsib ge ǃamdi dib xa a ǃnāsa.
19 Etiopiab topas-i tsîn ge ǁîs ǀkha a ǀgopeǀnōhe ǁoa,
tamas ka io ǃhuniǀurib ǁkhāsib ǀkha a ǀguiǀguihe ǁoa.
20 “Gā-aisiba mâpa xub ra hā?
ǁNâuǃāba mâ ǃkhais aib ǁan hâ?
21 Hoaraga ûitsama kurusaben mûde xu a sâusa,
tsî ǁkhāti ǀhomanirona xus tsîna a sâusa.
22 ǁŌhân Hâǃkhaib tsî ǁōb tsîkha ge ra mî:
‘ǁÎs xa ra ǃhoahe ǂhôa-e khom ge aitsama ge ǁnâu.’
23 “Elob ǀguib ge gā-aisib ǁga garu daoba a ǂan
tsî ǁîs mâpa ǁan hâ ǃkhais tsîna.
24 ǁÎb ge ǃhūbaib di ǀamdi kōse ra kōsī
tsî ǀhommi ǃnaka hâ xūn hoana ra mû.
25 Elob ga ǂoab di ǁkhāsiba a mîǁguio
tsî ǁgamga a ǀnōǂuio;
26 ǀnanub ǃaromab ga ǁgaraga a ǁguio,
tsî ǁkhōǁkhōsa ǃgurub daoba a ǁgauǂuio;
27 ob ge Eloba gā-aisiba mû tsî ǁîs ǁkhāsib xa ge mîmâi;
ǁîb ge ǁîsa ǃgaoǃgao tsî ge ǁapoǁapo.”
28 Elob ge khoen ǃoa ge mî:
“Amase, ǃKhūba ǃaoǃgâs ge a gā-aisi;
ǂkhababa xu ǂgae-oasens ge ǁnâuǃāba ūhâsa.”
