Job 28
1 There are silver mines and places where gold is refined.
“Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
2 Iron is extracted from the earth and copper is smelted from its ore.
Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
3 Miners take lamps into the darkness underground and search for ore as far as they can go in the shadows and the gloom.
Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.
4 They dig a mineshaft far from where people live or anyone ever goes. They swing from ropes that hang in the pits.
Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.
5 Bread comes from the earth, but underneath it looks as if it has been turned upside-down by fire.
Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.
6 Here the rocks contain lapis lazuli and the dust contains gold.
Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.
7 No birds of prey can see these paths, no falcon's eye can perceive.
No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8 No wild beasts have passed that way; the lion has not walked there.
Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
9 Miners attack the hard rock; they overturn the roots of mountains.
The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
10 They tunnel through the rock, looking carefully for every precious stone.
He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
11 They dam the sources of the rivers, and bring to light what is hidden.
He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
12 But where can wisdom be found? Where is the place to gain understanding?
But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
13 Human beings do not know the way to wisdom; it is not found among the living.
No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 The deep waters say, ‘It's not here,’ and the sea says, ‘It's not here either.’
The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’
15 It cannot be bought with gold; nor can it be purchased with silver.
It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
16 Its value cannot be measured, even with the gold of Ophir; it is more precious than onyx or lapis lazuli.
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Gold or fine glass cannot compare with wisdom; it cannot be exchanged for gold jewelry.
Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
18 Coral and crystal are not worth mentioning; the price of wisdom is far above rubies.
Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 Topaz from Ethiopia can't compare with it; it cannot be bought with the purest gold.
Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20 So where does wisdom come from? Where is the place to gain understanding?
From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
21 Wisdom is hidden from the sight of all living things, even the birds of the air cannot see it.
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 Abaddon and Death say, ‘We've only heard a rumor of it.’
Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
23 Only God understands the path to wisdom; he knows where it is found.
But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
24 For he looks to the very end of the earth; he sees everything under heaven.
For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
25 He decided how strong the wind should blow, and regulated the waters.
When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
26 He set a limit for the rain and made a path for the lightning.
when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,
27 Then he considered wisdom. He examined it, gave it his approval, and declared it good.
then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.
28 He said to humankind, ‘To reverence the Lord is wisdom, and to turn away 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.’”
