1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it . 2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone. 3 He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death. 4 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men. 5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire. 6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold. 7 There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen: 8 The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it. 9 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.
Okutanga ounongo
1 “Mu nomoṋa mu mu sosurwa osilveri;
pe nopoṋa pu pe kohororerwa ongoldo.
2 Ovitenda vi za mehi,
nongoporo i zuzurwa pomawe.
3 Ovandu ve konḓonona ourekoto wonḓorera.
Owo ve paha oukoto wehi,
nu ve sa otuuwa monḓorera.
4 Ovandu ve sa ozondjira mourekoto wehi,
kokure na ku ku tura ovandu,
poo ku ku ryanga ovandu.
Ingo ve ungura aveyerike ava kakatere
kozongoze mourekoto wehi.
5 Ovikurya vi hapa mehi,
nungwari mehi kehi yehi tjingero avihe
vi taurwa nomasa womuriro.
6 Momawe wehi mu na osafira,
nu moruuma rwawo mu na ongoldo wina.
7 Kape norukoze ndu muna ozondjira
zokupunda mourekoto wehi,
nu kape nonguvi,
ndji tuka kombanda yourekoto mbwi.
8 Kape nongeyama poo
otjipuka tjarwe otjindandi
tji tji ryanga mozondjira nḓo.
9 “Ovandu ve ka otuuwa otukukutu tjinene,
ve sa ozondundu kehi.
10 Tji mave topora otuhito
twomehi okutuurunga otuuwa,
ve kamuna mo omawe omahuze.
11 Ve sa nga kozomburo zozonḓonḓu;
nave eta kondjerera imbi mbya horekwa.
12 Nungwari ounongo mau vazewa pi?
Nondjiviro mai munika pi?
13 “Ondjira ndji twara kounongo,
kai tjiukwa i omundu.
Owo kau munika mehi rovanamuinyo.
14 Ourekoto wokuvare mau tja:
‘Ounongo kau ri mu ami!’
Nomuronga mau tja:
‘Ounongo kau ri pu ami!’
15 Owo kau randwa nongoldo
nu kau sutwa nosilveri.
16 Ongoldo ongohoke tjinene nomawe
omahuze kavinanḓengu imwe.
17 Ounongo u nonḓengu pongoldo,
u nonḓengu potjitjuma tjongoldo
nekende ekeṋakeṋe.
18 Onḓengu younongo i kapita omawe
omahuze womosengo noundjendje.
19 Otopas ya Kus nongoldo ongohoke
tjinene kavi ṱeki ponḓengu younongo.
20 “Nu ounongo, hapo mau vazewa pi?
Nondjiviro mai munika pi?
21 Kape notjiutwa otjinamuinyo tji matji u munu,
nandarire ozonḓera nḓu maze tuka meyuru.
22 Nangarire otjovakoke nonḓiro mavi
itavere kutja ovyo vya zuva
onḓuvarero younongo porwayo.
23 “Ndjambi erike ongu tjiwa ondjira,
nongu tjiwa poṋa pu pe vazewa ounongo,
24 eye tjinga e muna nga komayandero wouye,
noviṋa avihe mbi ri kehi yevaverwa,
eye u vi muna.
25 Ndjambi tja yandja kombepo omasa wayo,
na zikamisa omiruko vyokuvare,
26 na tye poṋa pu mape sokuroka ombura,
nondjira ovikamba vyotuṱuṱumo
mu mavi sokuryanga,
27 eye otja muna ounongo ne u zuvarisa;
neye we u zikamisa ne u konḓonona wina.
28 “Ndjambi wa tja nai komundu:
‘Ondira ku Muhona oyo ounongo;
nokutonda ouvi oko ondjiviro.’ ”
