Job 28
1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold which they refine;
For there is a place for the silver, whence it comes, and a place for the gold, whence it is refined.
2 Iron is taken out of the dust, and copper is molten out of the stone.
For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone.
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 has set a bound to darkness, and he searches out every limit: a stone [is] darkness, 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.
There is a cutting off the torrent by reason of dust: so they that forget the right way are weakened; they are removed from [among] men.
5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as by fire;
[As for] the earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were fire.
6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and [her] dust [supplies] man with gold.
7 It is a path no bird of prey knoweth, and the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
[There is] a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it:
8 The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed over it.
neither have the sons of the proud trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it.
9 [Man] putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.
He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp [rock], and turned up mountains by the roots:
10 He cutteth out channels in the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing.
and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.
11 He bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light.
12 But wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is the place of understanding?
But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?
13 Man knoweth not the value thereof; and it is not found in the land of the living.
A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered among men.
14 The deep saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, It is not with me.
The depth said, It is not in me: and the sea said, It is not with me.
15 Choice gold cannot be given for it, nor silver be weighed for its price.
One shall not give fine gold instead of 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.
Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire.
17 Gold and glass cannot be compared to it, nor vessels of fine gold be its exchange.
Gold and crystal shall not be equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange.
18 Corals and crystal are no more remembered; yea, the acquisition of wisdom is above rubies.
Coral and fine pearl shall not be mentioned: but do you esteem wisdom above the most precious things.
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 equalled to it; it shall not be compared with pure gold.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind 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 has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.
22 Destruction and death say, We have heard its report with our ears.
Destruction and Death said, We have heard the report of it.
23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth its place:
God has well ordered the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, he seeth under the whole heaven.
For he surveys the whole [earth] under heaven, knowing the things in the earth:
25 In making a weight for the wind, and meting out the waters by measure,
all that he has made; the weight of the winds, the measures of the water.
26 In appointing a statute for the rain, and a way for the thunder's flash:
When he made [them], thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way for the pealing of the thunder.
27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out;
Then he saw it, and declared it: he prepared it [and] traced it out.
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, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.
