Job 28
1 Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
For truly there is a source for the silver, and a place for the gold which men refine.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is molten out of the stone.
Iron is taken out of the dust, and the stone is melted into copper.
3 Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out to the furthest bound the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
An end doth he set to darkness, and the very utmost limit doth he search out, the stones of darkness, and of 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.
He breaketh a channel far from the inhabited place; those of unsteady foot, the poorest of men move [there about].
5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread, and underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
The earth, out of which cometh forth bread, is under its surface turned up as it were with fire.
6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold.
Her stones are the place whence the sapphire cometh; and golden dust is also there;
7 No bird of prey knows that path, nor has the falcon's eye seen it.
[On the] path which no bird of prey knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not surveyed;
8 The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed thereby.
[Which] ravenous beasts have never trodden, over which the lion hath never passed.
9 He puts forth his hand upon the flinty rock. He overturns the mountains by the roots.
To the flinty rock he stretcheth forth his hand; he overturneth the mountains from the root.
10 He cuts out channels among the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing.
Amid rocks he heweth out canals: and every precious thing doth his eye behold.
11 He binds the streams that they not trickle. And the thing that is hid he brings forth to light.
The various droppings of water he uniteth into streams, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
12 But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
But wisdom—where shall she he found? and where is the place of understanding?
13 Man does not know the price of it, nor is it found in the land of the living.
Man knoweth not her value: and she is not to be found in the land of the living.
14 The deep says, It is not in me. And the sea says, It is not with me.
The deep saith, Not in me is she: and the sea saith, She is not with me.
15 It cannot be gotten for gold, nor shall silver be weighed for the price of it.
No fine gold can be given in lieu of her, and silver cannot be weighed out as her price.
16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
She cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
She cannot be estimated after gold and glass; and not in exchange for her [can] vessels of refined gold [be taken.]
18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal. Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
Coral and crystal will not be thought of; and the value of wisdom is above pearls.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, nor shall it be valued with pure gold.
She cannot be estimated after the topaz of Ethiopia, nor can she be valued with pure gold.
20 Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding?
But wisdom—whence cometh she? and where 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.
Yea, she is hidden from the eyes of all living, and from the fowls of the heavens is she concealed.
22 Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.
Perdition and death say, With our ears have we heard a report of her.
23 God understands the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
God [alone] understandeth her way, and he knoweth her place;
24 For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven,
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, [whatever is] under the whole heaven doth he see.
25 to make a weight for the wind. Yea, he distributes the waters by measure.
When he imparted weight unto the wind; and [when] the waters he established by measure;
26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
When he made a law for the rain, and a way for the lightning of [his] thunders;
27 then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yea, and searched it out.
Then did he see her, and make her known; he established her, and also searched her 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 unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to eschew evil is understanding.
