Job 28
1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold which they refine;
Surely there is a mine for silver, a place where they refine gold.
2 Iron is taken out of the dust, and copper is molten out of the stone.
Iron is taken out of the earth; copper is smelted out of the 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.
A man sets an end to darkness and searches out, to the farthest limit, the stones in obscurity and thick darkness.
4 He openeth a shaft far from the inhabitants [of the earth]: forgotten of the foot, they hang suspended; away below men they hover.
He breaks open a shaft away from where people live, places that are forgotten by anyone's foot. He hangs far away from people; he swings to and fro.
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 which comes bread, it is turned up below as if by fire.
6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
Its stones are the place where sapphires are found, and its dust contains gold.
7 It is a path no bird of prey knoweth, and the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
No bird of prey knows the path to it, nor has the falcon's eye seen it.
8 The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed over it.
The proud animals have not walked such a path, nor has the fierce lion passed there.
9 [Man] putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.
A man lays his hand on the flinty rock; he overturns mountains by their roots.
10 He cutteth out channels in the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing.
He cuts out channels among the rocks; his eye sees every valuable thing there.
11 He bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
He ties up the streams so they do not run; what is hidden there he brings out to the light.
12 But wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is the place of understanding?
Where will wisdom be found? 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 does not know its price; neither 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 waters under the earth say, 'It is not in me'; the sea says, 'It is not with me.'
15 Choice gold cannot be given for it, nor silver be weighed for its price.
It cannot be gotten for gold; neither can silver be weighed as its price.
16 It is not set in the balance with gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, and the sapphire.
It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Gold and glass cannot be compared to it, nor vessels of fine gold be its exchange.
Gold and crystal cannot equal it in worth; neither can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 Corals and crystal are no more remembered; yea, the acquisition of wisdom is above rubies.
No mention is worth making of coral or jasper; indeed, the price of wisdom is more than 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; neither can it be valued in terms of pure gold.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
From where, then, comes wisdom? 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.
Wisdom is hidden from the eyes of all living things and is kept hidden from the birds of the heavens.
22 Destruction and death say, We have heard its report with our ears.
Destruction and Death say, 'We have heard just a rumor about it with our ears.'
23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth its place:
God understands the way to it; he knows its place.
24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, he seeth under the whole heaven.
For he looks to the very ends of the earth and sees under all the heavens.
25 In making a weight for the wind, and meting out the waters by measure,
He made the force of the wind and parceled out the waters by measure.
26 In appointing a statute for the rain, and a way for the thunder's flash:
He made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunder.
27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out;
Then he saw wisdom and announced it; he established it, indeed, and he examined it.
28 And unto man he said, Lo, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
To people he said, 'See, the fear of the Lord—that is wisdom; to depart from evil is understanding.'”
