Job 28
1 Silver has its fissures where it is first found, and gold has a place where it is melted.
Truly there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is washed out.
2 Iron is taken from the earth, and ore, unbound by heat, is turned into brass.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone is changed into brass by the fire.
3 He has established a time for darkness, and he has settled on an end for all things, as well as for the stone that is in the gloom and shadow of death.
Man puts an end to the dark, searching out to the farthest limit the stones of the deep places of the dark.
4 The burning separates a pilgrim people from those who have been forgotten by the feet of the destitute man and from the unapproachable.
He makes a deep mine far away from those living in the light of day; when they go about on the earth, they have no knowledge of those who are under them, who are hanging far from men, twisting from side to side on a cord.
5 The land, where bread appeared in its place, has been destroyed by fire.
As for the earth, bread comes out of it; but under its face it is turned up as if by fire.
6 Its stones are embedded with sapphires, and its soil, with gold.
Its stones are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold.
7 The bird does not know its path, nor has the eye of the vulture beheld it.
No bird has knowledge of it, and the hawk's eye has never seen it.
8 The sons of merchants have not walked there, nor has the lioness traveled through it.
The great beasts have not gone over it, and the cruel lion has not taken that way.
9 He has stretched out his hand to the rocks; he has overturned the foundations of the mountains.
Man puts out his hand on the hard rock, overturning mountains by the roots.
10 He has cut rivers through the rocks, and his eye has seen all precious things.
He makes deep ways, cut through the rock, and his eye sees everything of value.
11 The depths of rivers he has also examined, and he has brought hidden things into the light.
He keeps back the streams from flowing, and makes the secret things come out into the light.
12 But, in truth, where is wisdom to be found, and where is the place of understanding?
But where may wisdom be seen? and where is the resting-place of knowledge?
13 Man does not know its price, nor is it found in the land of those who live in sweetness.
Man has not seen the way to it, and it is not in the land of the living.
14 The abyss declares, “It is not in me.” And the sea says, “It is not with me.”
The deep waters say, It is not in me: and the sea says, It is not with me.
15 The finest gold will not be paid for it, nor will silver be weighed in exchange for it.
Gold may not be given for it, or a weight of silver in payment for it.
16 It will not be compared with the dyed colors of India, nor with the very costly stone sardonyx, nor with the sapphire.
It may not be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the onyx of great price, or the sapphire.
17 Neither gold nor crystal will be its equal; neither will vessels of gold be fitted for it.
Gold and glass are not equal to it in price, and it may not be exchanged for jewels of the best gold.
18 The exalted and the eminent will not be remembered in comparison with it. Yet wisdom is drawn out of concealment.
There is no need to say anything about coral or crystal; and the value of wisdom is greater than that of pearls.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia will not be equal to it, nor will it be compared to the purest dyes.
The topaz of Ethiopia is not equal to it, and it may not be valued with the best gold.
20 So then, where does wisdom begin, and where is the place of understanding?
From where then does wisdom come, and where is the resting-place of knowledge?
21 It has been hidden from the eyes of all living things, just as the birds of the heavens escape notice.
For it is kept secret from the eyes of all living, unseen by the birds of the air.
22 Perdition and death have said, “With our ears, we have heard its fame.”
Destruction and Death say, We have only had word of it with our ears.
23 God understands its way, and he knows its location.
God has knowledge of the way to it, and of its resting-place;
24 For he beholds the limits of the world, and he looks upon all things that are under heaven.
For his eyes go to the ends of the earth, and he sees everything under heaven.
25 He created a counterweight for the winds, and he suspended the waters to measure them.
When he made a weight for the wind, measuring out the waters;
26 At that time, he gave a law to the rain and a path to the resounding storms.
When he made a law for the rain, and a way for the thunder-flames;
27 Then he saw and explained it, and he made ready and examined it.
Then he saw it, and put it on record; he gave it its fixed form, searching it out completely.
28 And he said to man, “Behold the fear of the Lord. Such is wisdom. And to withdraw from evil, this is understanding.”
And he said to man, Truly the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to keep from evil is the way to knowledge.
