Job 28
1 Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
For there is a place for the silver, whence it comes, and a place for the gold, whence it is refined.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is molten out of the stone.
For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone.
3 Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out to the furthest bound the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
He has set a bound to darkness, and he searches out every limit: a stone [is] darkness, and the shadow of death.
4 He breaks open a shaft away from where men sojourn, paths forgotten by the foot. They hang afar from men; they swing to and fro.
There is a cutting off the torrent by reason of dust: so they that forget the right way are weakened; they are removed from [among] men.
5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread, and underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
[As for] the earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were fire.
6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold.
Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and [her] dust [supplies] man with gold.
7 No bird of prey knows that path, nor has the falcon's eye seen it.
[There is] a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it:
8 The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed thereby.
neither have the sons of the proud trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it.
9 He puts forth his hand upon the flinty rock. He overturns the mountains by the roots.
He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp [rock], and turned up mountains by the roots:
10 He cuts out channels among the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing.
and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.
11 He binds the streams that they not trickle. And the thing that is hid he brings forth to light.
And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light.
12 But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?
13 Man does not know the price of it, nor is it found in the land of the living.
A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered among men.
14 The deep says, It is not in me. And the sea says, It is not with me.
The depth said, It is not in me: and the sea said, It is not with me.
15 It cannot be gotten for gold, nor shall silver be weighed for the price of it.
One shall not give fine gold instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire.
17 Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
Gold and crystal shall not be equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange.
18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal. Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
Coral and fine pearl shall not be mentioned: but do thou esteem wisdom above the most precious things.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, nor shall it be valued with pure gold.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equalled to it; it shall not be compared with pure gold.
20 Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding?
Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind is the place of understanding?
21 Since it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept closed from the birds of the heavens.
It has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.
22 Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.
Destruction and Death said, We have heard the report of it.
23 God understands the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
God has well ordered the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
24 For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven,
For he surveys the whole [earth] under heaven, knowing the things in the earth:
25 to make a weight for the wind. Yea, he distributes the waters by measure.
all that he has made; the weight of the winds, the measures of the water.
26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
When he made [them], thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way for the pealing of the thunder.
27 then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yea, and searched it out.
Then he saw it, and declared it: he prepared it [and] traced it out.
28 And to man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.
And he said to man, Behold, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.
