Job 28
1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold which they refine;
Silver hath beginnings of its veins, and gold hath a place wherein it is melted.
2 Iron is taken out of the dust, and copper is molten out of the stone.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone melted with heat is turned into brass.
3 [Man] putteth an end to the darkness, and exploreth to the utmost limit, the stones of darkness and of the shadow of death.
He hath set a time for darkness, and the end of all things he considereth, the stone also that is in the dark and the shadow of death.
4 He openeth a shaft far from the inhabitants [of the earth]: forgotten of the foot, they hang suspended; away below men they hover.
The flood divideth from the people that are on their journey, those whom the food of the needy man hath forgotten, and who cannot be come at.
5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as by fire;
The land, out of which bread grew in its place, hath been overturned with fire.
6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and the clods of it are gold.
7 It is a path no bird of prey knoweth, and the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
The bird hath not known the path, neither hath the eye of the vulture beheld it.
8 The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed over it.
The children of the merchants have not trodden it, neither hath the lioness passed by it.
9 [Man] putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.
He hath stretched forth his hand to the flint, he hath overturned mountains from the roots.
10 He cutteth out channels in the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing.
In the rocks he hath cut out rivers, and his eye hath seen every precious thing.
11 He bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
The depths also of rivers he hath searched, and hidden things he hath brought forth to light.
12 But wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is the place of understanding?
But where is wisdom to be found, and where is the place of understanding?
13 Man knoweth not the value thereof; and it is not found in the land of the living.
Man knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it found in the land of them that live in delights.
14 The deep saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, It is not with me.
The depth saith: It is not in me: and the sea saith: It is not with me.
15 Choice gold cannot be given for it, nor silver be weighed for its price.
The finest gold shall not purchase it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 It is not set in the balance with gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, and the sapphire.
It shall not be compared with the dyed colours of India, or with the most precious stone sardonyx, or the sapphire.
17 Gold and glass cannot be compared to it, nor vessels of fine gold be its exchange.
Gold or crystal cannot equal it, neither shall any vessels of gold be changed for it.
18 Corals and crystal are no more remembered; yea, the acquisition of wisdom is above rubies.
High and eminent things shall not be mentioned in comparison of it: but wisdom is drawn out of secret places.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be compared to it, neither shall it be set in the balance with pure gold.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equal to it, neither shall it be compared to the cleanest dyeing.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
21 For it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowl of the heavens.
It is hid from the eyes of all living. and the fowls of the air know it not.
22 Destruction and death say, We have heard its report with our ears.
Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard the fame thereof.
23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth its place:
God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth the place thereof.
24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, he seeth under the whole heaven.
For he beholdeth the ends of the world: and looketh on all things that are under heaven.
25 In making a weight for the wind, and meting out the waters by measure,
Who made a weight for the winds and weighed the waters by measure.
26 In appointing a statute for the rain, and a way for the thunder's flash:
When he gave a law for the rain, and a way for the sounding storms.
27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out;
Then he saw it, and declared, and prepared, and searched it.
28 And unto man he said, Lo, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
And he said to man: Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom: and to depart from evil, is understanding.
