Job 28
1 Silver hath beginnings of its veins, and gold hath a place wherein it is melted.
“Surely there is a source for silver, And a place for the gold they refine;
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone melted with heat is turned into brass.
Iron is taken from the dust, And bronze [from] the firm stone.
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.
He has set an end to darkness, And he is searching to all perfection, A stone of darkness and death-shade.
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.
A stream has broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, they wandered from man.
5 The land, out of which bread grew in its place, hath been overturned with 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 the clods of it are gold.
A place of the sapphire [are] its stones, And it has dust of gold.
7 The bird hath not known the path, neither hath the eye of the vulture beheld it.
A path—a ravenous bird has not known it, Nor has an eye of the falcon scorched it,
8 The children of the merchants have not trodden it, neither hath the lioness passed by it.
Nor have the sons of pride trodden it, The fierce lion has not passed over it.
9 He hath stretched forth his hand to the flint, he hath overturned mountains from the roots.
He sent forth his hand against the flint, He overturned mountains from the root.
10 In the rocks he hath cut out rivers, and his eye hath seen every precious thing.
Among rocks, he has cleaved brooks, And his eye has seen every precious thing.
11 The depths also of rivers he hath searched, and hidden things he hath brought forth to light.
He has bound overflowing rivers, And the hidden thing brings out [to] light.
12 But where is wisdom to 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 price thereof, neither is it found in the land of them that live in delights.
Man has not known its arrangement, 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 deep has said, It [is] not in me, And the sea has said, It is not with me.
15 The finest gold shall not purchase it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
Gold is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed—its price.
16 It shall not be compared with the dyed colours of India, or with the most precious stone sardonyx, or the sapphire.
It is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire,
17 Gold or crystal cannot equal it, neither shall any vessels of gold be changed for it.
Gold and crystal do not equal it, Nor [is] its exchange a vessel of fine gold.
18 High and eminent things shall not be mentioned in comparison of it: but wisdom is drawn out of secret places.
Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom [is] above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equal to it, neither shall it be compared to the cleanest dyeing.
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 It is hid from the eyes of all living. and the fowls of the air know it not.
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 have said: With our ears we have heard the fame thereof.
Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard its fame.
23 God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth the place thereof.
God has understood its way, And He has known 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, He sees under the whole heavens,
25 Who made a weight for the winds and weighed the waters by measure.
To make a weight for the wind, And He meted out the waters in measure.
26 When he gave a law for the rain, and a way for the sounding storms.
In His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices,
27 Then he saw it, and declared, and prepared, and searched it.
Then He has seen and declares it, He has prepared it, and also 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 says to man: Behold, fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom, And to turn from evil [is] understanding.”
