Job 28
1 For there is a place for the silver, whence it comes, and a place for the gold, whence it is refined.
“Surely there is a source for silver, And a place for the gold they refine;
2 For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone.
Iron is taken from the dust, And bronze [from] the firm stone.
3 He has set a bound to darkness, and he searches out every limit: a stone [is] darkness, and the shadow of death.
He has set an end to darkness, And he is searching to all perfection, A stone of darkness and death-shade.
4 There is a cutting off the torrent by reason of dust: so they that forget the right way are weakened; they are removed from [amongst] men.
A stream has broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, they wandered from man.
5 [As for] the earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were fire.
The earth! Bread comes forth from it, And its under-part is turned like fire.
6 Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and [her] dust [supplies] man with gold.
A place of the sapphire [are] its stones, And it has dust of gold.
7 [There is] a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it:
A path—a ravenous bird has not known it, Nor has an eye of the falcon scorched it,
8 neither have the sons of the proud trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it.
Nor have the sons of pride trodden it, The fierce lion has not passed over it.
9 He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp [rock], and turned up mountains by the roots:
He sent forth his hand against the flint, He overturned mountains from the root.
10 and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.
Among rocks, he has cleaved brooks, And his eye has seen every precious thing.
11 And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light.
He has bound overflowing rivers, And the hidden thing brings out [to] light.
12 But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?
And the wisdom—from where is it found? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
13 A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered amongst men.
Man has not known its arrangement, Nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 The depth said, It is not in me: and the sea said, It is not with me.
The deep has said, It [is] not in me, And the sea has said, It is not with me.
15 One shall not give fine gold instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
Gold is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed—its price.
16 Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire.
It is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire,
17 Gold and crystal shall not be equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange.
Gold and crystal do not equal it, Nor [is] its exchange a vessel of fine gold.
18 Coral and fine pearl shall not be mentioned: but do you esteem wisdom above the most precious things.
Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom [is] above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equalled to it; it shall not be compared with pure gold.
The topaz of Cush does not equal it, It is not valued with pure gold.
20 Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind is the place of understanding?
And the wisdom—from where does it come? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
21 It has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.
It has been hid from the eyes of all living. And from the bird of the heavens It has been hidden.
22 Destruction and Death said, We have heard the report of it.
Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard its fame.
23 God has well ordered the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
God has understood its way, And He has known its place.
24 For he surveys the whole [earth] under heaven, knowing the things in the earth:
For He looks to the ends of the earth, He sees under the whole heavens,
25 all that he has made; the weight of the winds, the measures of the water.
To make a weight for the wind, And He meted out the waters in measure.
26 When he made [them], thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way for the pealing of the thunder.
In His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices,
27 Then he saw it, and declared it: he prepared it [and] traced it out.
Then He has seen and declares it, He has prepared it, and also searched it out,
28 And he said to man, Behold, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.
And He says to man: Behold, fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom, And to turn from evil [is] understanding.”
