Job 28
1 “Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
For truly there is a source for the silver, and a place for the gold which men refine.
2 Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
Iron is taken out of the dust, and the stone is melted into copper.
3 Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest 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 Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.
He breaketh a channel far from the inhabited place; those of unsteady foot, the poorest of men move [there about].
5 Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.
The earth, out of which cometh forth bread, is under its surface turned up as it were with fire.
6 Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks 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; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
[On the] path which no bird of prey knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not surveyed;
8 Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
[Which] ravenous beasts have never trodden, over which the lion hath never passed.
9 The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
To the flinty rock he stretcheth forth his hand; he overturneth the mountains from the root.
10 He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
Amid rocks he heweth out canals: and every precious thing doth his eye behold.
11 He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
The various droppings of water he uniteth into streams, 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 she he 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 her value: and she is not to be 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, Not in me is she: and the sea saith, She is not with me.
15 It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
No fine gold can be given in lieu of her, and silver cannot be weighed out as her price.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
She cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
She cannot be estimated after gold and glass; and not in exchange for her [can] vessels of refined gold [be taken.]
18 Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
Coral and crystal will not be thought of; and the value of wisdom is above pearls.
19 Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
She cannot be estimated after the topaz of Ethiopia, nor can she be valued with pure gold.
20 From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
But wisdom—whence cometh she? 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.
Yea, she is hidden from the eyes of all living, and from the fowls of the heavens is she concealed.
22 Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
Perdition and death say, With our ears have we heard a report of her.
23 But 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 everything under the heavens.
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, [whatever is] under the whole heaven doth he see.
25 When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
When he imparted weight unto the wind; and [when] the waters he established by measure;
26 when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,
When he made a law for the rain, and a way for the lightning of [his] thunders;
27 then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.
Then did he see her, and make her known; he established her, and also searched her 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 he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to eschew evil is understanding.
