Job 28
1 “Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold which they refine;
2 Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
Iron is taken out of the dust, and copper is molten out of the stone.
3 Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.
[Man] putteth an end to the darkness, and exploreth to the utmost limit, the stones of darkness and of the shadow of death.
4 Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.
He openeth a shaft far from the inhabitants [of the earth]: forgotten of the foot, they hang suspended; away below men they hover.
5 Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.
As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as by fire;
6 Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.
The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
7 No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
It is a path no bird of prey knoweth, and the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
8 Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed over it.
9 The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
[Man] putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.
10 He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
He cutteth out channels in the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing.
11 He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
He bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
12 But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
But wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is the place of understanding?
13 No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.
Man knoweth not the value thereof; and it is not found in the land of the living.
14 The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’
The deep saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
Choice gold cannot be given for it, nor silver be weighed for its price.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
It is not set in the balance with gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, and the sapphire.
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
Gold and glass cannot be compared to it, nor vessels of fine gold be its exchange.
18 Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
Corals and crystal are no more remembered; yea, the acquisition of wisdom is above rubies.
19 Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be compared to it, neither shall it be set in the balance with pure gold.
20 From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.
For it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowl of the heavens.
22 Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
Destruction and death say, We have heard its report with our ears.
23 But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth its place:
24 For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, he seeth under the whole heaven.
25 When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
In making a weight for the wind, and meting out the waters by measure,
26 when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,
In appointing a statute for the rain, and a way for the thunder's flash:
27 then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.
Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out;
28 And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
And unto man he said, Lo, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
