Job 28
1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold which they refine;
“Surely there is a source for silver, And a place for the gold they refine;
2 Iron is taken out of the dust, and copper is molten out of the stone.
Iron is taken from the dust, And bronze [from] the firm 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 an end to darkness, And he is searching to all perfection, A stone of darkness and death-shade.
4 He openeth a shaft far from the inhabitants [of the earth]: forgotten of the foot, they hang suspended; away below men they hover.
A stream has broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, they wandered from man.
5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as by fire;
The earth! Bread comes forth from it, And its under-part is turned like fire.
6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
A place of the sapphire [are] its stones, And it has dust of gold.
7 It is a path no bird of prey knoweth, and the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
A path—a ravenous bird has not known it, Nor has an eye of the falcon scorched it,
8 The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed over it.
Nor have the sons of pride trodden it, The fierce lion has not passed over it.
9 [Man] putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.
He sent forth his hand against the flint, He overturned mountains from the root.
10 He cutteth out channels in the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing.
Among rocks, he has cleaved brooks, And his eye has seen every precious thing.
11 He bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
He has bound overflowing rivers, And the hidden thing brings out [to] light.
12 But wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is the place of understanding?
And the wisdom—from where is it found? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
13 Man knoweth not the value thereof; and it is not found in the land of the living.
Man has not known its arrangement, Nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 The deep saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, It is not with me.
The deep has said, It [is] not in me, And the sea has said, It is not with me.
15 Choice gold cannot be given for it, nor silver be weighed for its price.
Gold is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed—its price.
16 It is not set in the balance with gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, and the sapphire.
It is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire,
17 Gold and glass cannot be compared to it, nor vessels of fine gold be its exchange.
Gold and crystal do not equal it, Nor [is] its exchange a vessel of fine gold.
18 Corals and crystal are no more remembered; yea, the acquisition of wisdom is above rubies.
Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom [is] above rubies.
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 Cush does not equal it, It is not valued with pure gold.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
And the wisdom—from where does it come? And where [is] this, 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 been hid from the eyes of all living. And from the bird of the heavens It has been hidden.
22 Destruction and death say, We have heard its report with our ears.
Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard its fame.
23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth its place:
God has understood its way, And He has known its place.
24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, he seeth under the whole heaven.
For He looks to the ends of the earth, He sees under the whole heavens,
25 In making a weight for the wind, and meting out the waters by measure,
To make a weight for the wind, And He meted out the waters in measure.
26 In appointing a statute for the rain, and a way for the thunder's flash:
In His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices,
27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out;
Then He has seen and declares it, He has prepared it, and also searched 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 says to man: Behold, fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom, And to turn from evil [is] understanding.”
