There is certainly a mine for silver, / And a place for gold to be refined.
银有矿坑，金有冶炼之处。

Iron is taken out of the earth, / And copper is smelted from rock.
铁从地里挖出，铜从石中熔炼。

The miner sets an end to the darkness, / And to the very end he searches out / The stones of deep darkness and of gloom.
采矿人为黑暗定终点，探究幽暗阴翳中的石头，直到极处；

He breaks open a shaft apart from where men dwell; / They are forgotten by the foot; / They are suspended apart from men, they sway about.
他们在无人居住之处刨开矿穴，过路的人也想不到他们；他们与人远离，悬在空中摇来摇去。

The earth — from it comes forth food, / Yet underneath it, it is turned up as it were by fire.
至于地，粮食由其中而出；地下却像被火翻转。

Its stones are the place of sapphires, / And its dust has gold.
地中的石头乃蓝宝石之处，其尘沙含有金子。

It is a path known by no bird of prey, / And the falcon's eye has not seen it.
矿中的路，鸷鸟不知道，鹰眼也未见过；

The proud beasts have not trodden it; / The fierce lion does not pass along it.
骄傲的野兽未曾踏过；凶猛的狮子也未曾经过。

The miner sends forth his hand into the flinty rock; / He overturns the mountains by its roots.
人伸手凿开坚石，从山根把山倾倒。

He cuts out channels in the rocks, / And his eye sees every precious thing.
在磐石中凿出水道，亲眼看见各样宝物。

He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle, / And that which is hidden he brings out to the light.
他堵截河川，使其不得滴流，使隐藏的物显露见光。

But where shall wisdom be found? / And where is the place of understanding?
然而智慧何处可寻？聪明之处在哪里？

Man does not know its price, / Nor is it found in the land of the living.
智慧的价值无人知道，在活人之地也无处可寻。

The deep says, It is not in me; / And the sea says, It is not with me.
深渊说，不在我里面；沧海说，不在我这里。

Rare gold cannot be given for it, / Nor can silver be weighed out for its price.
智慧不能用稀贵的金换得，也不能称银子为其价值。

It cannot be balanced with the gold of Ophir, / With precious onyx or with sapphire.
俄斐金、贵重的红玛瑙或蓝宝石，都不足与较量。

Gold and glass cannot compare with it, / Nor can vessels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
金子和玻璃，不足与比较，精金的器皿，也不足与交换。

Coral and crystal cannot be mentioned with it; / Indeed the acquisition of wisdom is above that of pearls.
珊瑚和水晶，都不足论；取得智慧，胜过取得珍珠。

The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it, / Nor can it be balanced with pure gold.
古实的黄玉，不足与比较，纯金也不足与较量。

From where then does wisdom come? / And where is the place of understanding?
这样，智慧从何处来？聪明之处在哪里？

For it is hidden from the eyes of all living / And concealed from the birds of heaven.
智慧向一切活物的眼目隐藏，向空中的飞鸟掩蔽。

Abaddon and Death say, / We have heard a report of it with our ears.
灭没和死亡说，我们曾亲耳听见其传闻。

God understands the way to it; / He knows its place.
神明白智慧的道路，晓得智慧的所在。

For He sees to the ends of the earth; / He beholds all that is under heaven.
因祂鉴察直到地极，遍观普天之下。

When He gave weight to the wind / And apportioned the water by measure,
祂为风定轻重，按度量分配诸水，

When He made a decree for the rain / And a way for the thunderbolt;
祂为雨水设定例，为雷电定道路；

Then He saw it and declared it; / He established it and even searched it out.
那时祂看见智慧，而且述说；祂坚定智慧，并且查究。

And He said to man, / Indeed, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; / And to depart from evil is understanding.
祂对人说，看哪，敬畏主就是智慧，远离恶便是聪明。