Job 28
1 Silver has its fissures where it is first found, and gold has a place where it is melted.
Surely there is for silver a source, And a place for the gold they refine;
2 Iron is taken from the earth, and ore, unbound by heat, is turned into brass.
Iron from the dust is taken, And [from] the firm stone brass.
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.
An end hath he set to darkness, And to all perfection he is searching, A stone of darkness and death-shade.
4 The burning separates a pilgrim people from those who have been forgotten by the feet of the destitute man and from the unapproachable.
A stream hath broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, from man they wandered.
5 The land, where bread appeared in its place, has been destroyed by fire.
The earth! from it cometh forth bread, And its under-part is turned like fire.
6 Its stones are embedded with sapphires, and its soil, with gold.
A place of the sapphire [are] its stones, And it hath dust of gold.
7 The bird does not know its path, nor has the eye of the vulture beheld it.
A path — not known it hath a ravenous fowl, Nor scorched it hath an eye of the kite,
8 The sons of merchants have not walked there, nor has the lioness traveled through it.
Nor trodden it have the sons of pride, Not passed over it hath the fierce lion.
9 He has stretched out his hand to the rocks; he has overturned the foundations of the mountains.
Against the flint he sent forth his hand, He overturned from the root mountains.
10 He has cut rivers through the rocks, and his eye has seen all precious things.
Among rocks, brooks he hath cleaved, And every precious thing hath his eye seen.
11 The depths of rivers he has also examined, and he has brought hidden things into the light.
From overflowing floods he hath bound, And the hidden thing bringeth out [to] light.
12 But, in truth, where is wisdom to be found, and where is the place of understanding?
And the wisdom — whence is it found? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
13 Man does not know its price, nor is it found in the land of those who live in sweetness.
Man hath not known its arrangement, Nor is it found 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 hath said, 'It [is] not in me,' And the sea hath said, '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 is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed — its price.
16 It will not be compared with the dyed colors of India, nor with the very costly stone sardonyx, nor with the sapphire.
It is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire,
17 Neither gold nor crystal will be its equal; neither will vessels of gold be fitted for it.
Not equal it do gold and crystal, Nor [is] its exchange a vessel of fine gold.
18 The exalted and the eminent will not be remembered in comparison with it. Yet wisdom is drawn out of concealment.
Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom [is] above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia will not be equal to it, nor will it be compared to the purest dyes.
Not equal it doth the topaz of Cush, With pure gold it is not valued.
20 So then, where does wisdom begin, and where is the place of understanding?
And the wisdom — whence doth it come? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
21 It has been hidden from the eyes of all living things, just as the birds of the heavens escape notice.
It hath been hid from the eyes of all living. And from the fowl of the heavens It hath been hidden.
22 Perdition and death have said, “With our ears, we have heard its fame.”
Destruction and death have said: 'With our ears we have heard its fame.'
23 God understands its way, and he knows its location.
God hath understood its way, And He hath known its place.
24 For he beholds the limits of the world, and he looks upon all things that are under heaven.
For He to the ends of the earth doth look, Under the whole heavens He doth see,
25 He created a counterweight for the winds, and he suspended the waters to measure them.
To make for the wind a weight, And the waters He meted out in measure.
26 At that time, he gave a law to the rain and a path to the resounding storms.
In His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices,
27 Then he saw and explained it, and he made ready and examined it.
Then He hath seen and declareth it, He hath prepared it, and also searched it out,
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 saith to man: — 'Lo, fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom, And to turn from evil [is] understanding.'
