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 smelted out of the ore.
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 people live. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth.
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. 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 Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
Her stones are the place whence the sapphire cometh; and golden dust is also there;
7 That path no bird of prey knows, neither 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 animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
[Which] ravenous beasts have never trodden, over which the lion hath never passed.
9 He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and 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. 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 do not trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
The various droppings of water he uniteth into streams, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
12 “But where will wisdom be found? 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 its price, and it is not 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.’ 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, neither will silver be weighed for its price.
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, neither will 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 will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, 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 will not equal it. It will not 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? Where is the place of understanding?
But wisdom—whence cometh she? and where is the place of understanding?
21 Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
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 its way, and he knows its place.
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 sky.
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, [whatever is] under the whole heaven doth he see.
25 He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out 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, yes, and searched it out.
Then did he see her, and make her known; he established her, and also searched her out.
28 To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. 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.
