Job 28
1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold which they refine;
Siluer hath bigynnyngis of his veynes; and a place is to gold, in which it is wellid togidere.
2 Iron is taken out of the dust, and copper is molten out of the stone.
Irun is takun fro erthe, and a stoon resolued, `ethir meltid, bi heete, is turned in to money.
3 [Man] putteth an end to the darkness, and exploreth to the utmost limit, the stones of darkness and of the shadow of death.
God hath set tyme to derknessis, and he biholdith the ende of alle thingis.
4 He openeth a shaft far from the inhabitants [of the earth]: forgotten of the foot, they hang suspended; away below men they hover.
Also a stronde departith a stoon of derknesse, and the schadewe of deth, fro the puple goynge in pilgrymage; it departith tho hillis, whiche the foot of a nedi man foryat, and hillis with out weie.
5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as by fire;
The erthe, wher of breed cam forth in his place, is destried bi fier.
6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
The place of saphir ben stoonys therof, and the clottis therof ben gold.
7 It is a path no bird of prey knoweth, and the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
A brid knewe not the weie, and the iye of a vultur, ethir rauenouse brid, bihelde it not.
8 The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed over it.
The sones of marchauntis tretiden not on it, and a lyonesse passide not therbi.
9 [Man] putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.
God stretchide forth his hond to a flynt; he distriede hillis fro the rootis.
10 He cutteth out channels in the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing.
He hewide doun ryuers in stoonys; and his iye siy al precious thing.
11 He bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
And he souyte out the depthis of floodis; and he brouyte forth hid thingis in to liyt.
12 But wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is the place of understanding?
But where is wisdom foundun, and which is the place of vndurstondyng?
13 Man knoweth not the value thereof; and it is not found in the land of the living.
A man noot the prijs therof, nether it is foundun in the lond of men lyuynge swetli, `ether delicatli.
14 The deep saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, It is not with me.
The depthe of watris seith, It is not in me; and the see spekith, It is not with me.
15 Choice gold cannot be given for it, nor silver be weighed for its price.
Gold ful cleene schal not be youun for wisdom, nether siluer schal be weied in the chaungyng therof.
16 It is not set in the balance with gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, and the sapphire.
It schal not be comparysound to the died colours of Iynde, not to the moost preciouse stoon of sardius, nether to saphir.
17 Gold and glass cannot be compared to it, nor vessels of fine gold be its exchange.
Nether gold, nether glas schal be maad euene worth therto;
18 Corals and crystal are no more remembered; yea, the acquisition of wisdom is above rubies.
and hiye and fer apperynge vessels of gold schulen not be chaungid for wisdom, nether schulen be had in mynde in comparisoun therof. Forsothe wisdom is drawun of pryuy thingis;
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be compared to it, neither shall it be set in the balance with pure gold.
topasie of Ethiope schal not be maad euene worth to wisdom, and moost preciouse diyngis schulen not be set togidere in prijs, `ether comparisound, therto.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
Therfor wherof cometh wisdom, and which is the place of vndurstondyng?
21 For it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowl of the heavens.
It is hid fro the iyen of alle lyuynge men; also it is hid fro briddis of heuene.
22 Destruction and death say, We have heard its report with our ears.
Perdicioun and deeth seiden, With oure eeris we herden the fame therof.
23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth its place:
God vndurstondith the weye therof, and he knowith the place therof.
24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, he seeth under the whole heaven.
For he biholdith the endis of the world, and biholdith alle thingis that ben vndur heuene.
25 In making a weight for the wind, and meting out the waters by measure,
`Which God made weiyte to wyndis, and weiede watris in mesure.
26 In appointing a statute for the rain, and a way for the thunder's flash:
Whanne he settide lawe to reyn, and weie to tempestis sownynge;
27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out;
thanne he siy wisdom, and telde out, and made redi, and souyte 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 seide to man, Lo! the drede of the Lord, thilke is wisdom; and to go awei fro yuel, is vndurstondyng.
