28:1 Habet argentum venarum suarum principia, et auro locus est in quo conflatur.

28:1 Silver hath beginnings of its veins, and gold hath a place wherein it is melted.

28:2 Ferrum de terra tollitur, et lapis solutus calore in æs vertitur.

28:2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone melted with heat is turned into brass.

28:3 Tempus posuit tenebris, et universorum finem ipse considerat : lapidem quoque caliginis et umbram mortis.

28:3 He hath set a time for darkness, and the end of all things he considereth, the stone also that is in the dark and the shadow of death.

28:4 Dividit torrens a populo peregrinante eos quos oblitus est pes egentis hominis, et invios.

28:4 The flood divideth from the people that are on their journey, those whom the food of the needy man hath forgotten, and who cannot be come at.

28:5 Terra de qua oriebatur panis, in loco suo igni subversa est.

28:5 The land, out of which bread grew in its place, hath been overturned with fire.

28:6 Locus sapphiri lapides ejus, et glebæ illius aurum.

28:6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and the clods of it are gold.

28:7 Semitam ignoravit avis, nec intuitus est eam oculus vulturis.

28:7 The bird hath not known the path, neither hath the eye of the vulture beheld it.

28:8 Non calcaverunt eam filii institorum, nec pertransivit per eam leæna.

28:8 The children of the merchants have not trodden it, neither hath the lioness passed by it.

28:9 Ad silicem extendit manum suam : subvertit a radicibus montes.

28:9 He hath stretched forth his hand to the flint, he hath overturned mountains from the roots.

28:10 In petris rivos excidit, et omne pretiosum vidit oculus ejus.

28:10 In the rocks he hath cut out rivers, and his eye hath seen every precious thing.

28:11 Profunda quoque fluviorum scrutatus est, et abscondita in lucem produxit.

28:11 The depths also of rivers he hath searched, and hidden things he hath brought forth to light.

28:12 Sapientia vero ubi invenitur ? et quis est locus intelligentiæ ?

28:12 But where is wisdom to be found, and where is the place of understanding?

28:13 Nescit homo pretium ejus, nec invenitur in terra suaviter viventium.

28:13 Man knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it found in the land of them that live in delights.

28:14 Abyssus dicit : Non est in me, et mare loquitur : Non est mecum.

28:14 The depth saith: It is not in me: and the sea saith: It is not with me.

28:15 Non dabitur aurum obrizum pro ea, nec appendetur argentum in commutatione ejus.

28:15 The finest gold shall not purchase it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.

28:16 Non conferetur tinctis Indiæ coloribus, nec lapidi sardonycho pretiosissimo vel sapphiro.

28:16 It shall not be compared with the dyed colours of India, or with the most precious stone sardonyx, or the sapphire.

28:17 Non adæquabitur ei aurum vel vitrum, nec commutabuntur pro ea vasa auri.

28:17 Gold or crystal cannot equal it, neither shall any vessels of gold be changed for it.

28:18 Excelsa et eminentia non memorabuntur comparatione ejus : trahitur autem sapientia de occultis.

28:18 High and eminent things shall not be mentioned in comparison of it: but wisdom is drawn out of secret places.

28:19 Non adæquabitur ei topazius de Æthiopia, nec tincturæ mundissimæ componetur.

28:19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equal to it, neither shall it be compared to the cleanest dyeing.

28:20 Unde ergo sapientia venit ? et quis est locus intelligentiæ ?

28:20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

28:21 Abscondita est ab oculis omnium viventium : volucres quoque cæli latet.

28:21 It is hid from the eyes of all living, and the fowls of the air know it not.

28:22 Perditio et mors dixerunt : Auribus nostris audivimus famam ejus.

28:22 Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard the fame thereof.

28:23 Deus intelligit viam ejus, et ipse novit locum illius.

28:23 God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth the place thereof.

28:24 Ipse enim fines mundi intuetur, et omnia quæ sub cælo sunt respicit.

28:24 For he beholdeth the ends of the world: and looketh on all things that are under heaven.

28:25 Qui fecit ventis pondus, et aquas appendit in mensura.

28:25 Who made a weight for the winds, and weighed the waters by measure.

28:26 Quando ponebat pluviis legem, et viam procellis sonantibus :

28:26 When he gave a law for the rain, and a way for the sounding storms.

28:27 tunc vidit illam et enarravit, et præparavit, et investigavit.

28:27 Then he saw it, and declared, and prepared, and searched it.

28:28 Et dixit homini : Ecce timor Domini, ipsa est sapientia ; et recedere a malo, intelligentia.

28:28 And he said to man: Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom: and to depart from evil, is understanding.