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 mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
2 For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.
3 He has set a bound to darkness, and he searches out every limit: a stone [is] darkness, and the shadow of death.
[Man] setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out to the furthest bound the stones of thick darkness and of the shadow of death.
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.
He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn; they are forgotten of the foot [that passeth by]; they hang afar from men, they swing to and fro.
5 [As for] the earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were fire.
As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and [her] dust [supplies] man with gold.
The stones thereof are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
7 [There is] a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it:
That path no bird of prey knoweth, neither hath the falcon’s eye seen it:
8 neither have the sons of the proud trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it.
The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor hath the fierce lion passed thereby.
9 He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp [rock], and turned up mountains by the roots:
He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
10 and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.
He cutteth out channels among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
11 And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light.
He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
12 But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?
But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?
13 A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered amongst men.
Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither 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 saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 One shall not give fine gold instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
16 Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire.
It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Gold and crystal shall not be equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange.
Gold and glass cannot equal it: neither shall the exchange thereof be jewels of fine gold.
18 Coral and fine pearl shall not be mentioned: but do you esteem wisdom above the most precious things.
No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal: yea, the price 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 Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
20 Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind is the place of understanding?
Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
21 It has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.
Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 Destruction and Death said, We have heard the report of it.
Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumour thereof with our ears.
23 God has well ordered the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
24 For he surveys the whole [earth] under heaven, knowing the things in the earth:
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;
25 all that he has made; the weight of the winds, the measures of the water.
To make a weight for the wind; yea, he meteth out the waters by measure.
26 When he made [them], thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way for the pealing of the thunder.
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
27 Then he saw it, and declared it: he prepared it [and] traced 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, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
