Job 28
1 Silver hath beginnings of its veins, and gold hath a place wherein it is melted.
“Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone melted with heat is turned into brass.
Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
3 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.
Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.
4 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.
Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.
5 The land, out of which bread grew in its place, hath been overturned with fire.
Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.
6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and the clods of it are gold.
Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.
7 The bird hath not known the path, neither hath the eye of the vulture beheld it.
No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8 The children of the merchants have not trodden it, neither hath the lioness passed by it.
Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
9 He hath stretched forth his hand to the flint, he hath overturned mountains from the roots.
The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
10 In the rocks he hath cut out rivers, and his eye hath seen every precious thing.
He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
11 The depths also of rivers he hath searched, and hidden things he hath brought forth to light.
He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
12 But where is wisdom to be found, and where is the place of understanding?
But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
13 Man knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it found in the land of them that live in delights.
No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 The depth saith: It is not in me: and the sea saith: It is not with me.
The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’
15 The finest gold shall not purchase it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
16 It shall not be compared with the dyed colours of India, or with the most precious stone sardonyx, or the sapphire.
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Gold or crystal cannot equal it, neither shall any vessels of gold be changed for it.
Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
18 High and eminent things shall not be mentioned in comparison of it: but wisdom is drawn out of secret places.
Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equal to it, neither shall it be compared to the cleanest dyeing.
Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
21 It is hid from the eyes of all living. and the fowls of the air know it not.
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard the fame thereof.
Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
23 God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth the place thereof.
But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
24 For he beholdeth the ends of the world: and looketh on all things that are under heaven.
For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
25 Who made a weight for the winds and weighed the waters by measure.
When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
26 When he gave a law for the rain, and a way for the sounding storms.
when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,
27 Then he saw it, and declared, and prepared, and searched it.
then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.
28 And he said to man: Behold 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 turn away from evil is understanding.’”
