Job 28
1 There are silver mines and places where gold is refined.
“Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
2 Iron is extracted from the earth and copper is smelted from its ore.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the 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 sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
4 They dig a mineshaft far from where people live or anyone ever goes. They swing from ropes that hang in the pits.
He breaks open a shaft away from where people live. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth.
5 Bread comes from the earth, but underneath it looks as if it has been turned upside-down by fire.
As for the earth, out of it comes bread. Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 Here the rocks contain lapis lazuli and the dust contains gold.
Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
7 No birds of prey can see these paths, no falcon's eye can perceive.
That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.
8 No wild beasts have passed that way; the lion has not walked there.
The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
9 Miners attack the hard rock; they overturn the roots of mountains.
He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
10 They tunnel through the rock, looking carefully for every precious stone.
He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
11 They dam the sources of the rivers, and bring to light what is hidden.
He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
12 But where can wisdom be found? Where is the place to gain understanding?
“But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
13 Human beings do not know the way to wisdom; it is not found among the living.
Man doesn’t know its price, and it isn’t 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 deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’
15 It cannot be bought with gold; nor can it be purchased with silver.
It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.
16 Its value cannot be measured, even with the gold of Ophir; it is more precious than onyx or lapis lazuli.
It can’t be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Gold or fine glass cannot compare with wisdom; it cannot be exchanged for gold jewelry.
Gold and glass can’t equal it, neither will it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 Coral and crystal are not worth mentioning; the price of wisdom is far above rubies.
No mention will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 Topaz from Ethiopia can't compare with it; it cannot be bought with the purest gold.
The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it. It won’t be valued with pure gold.
20 So where does wisdom come from? Where is the place to gain understanding?
Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?
21 Wisdom is hidden from the sight of all living things, even the birds of the air cannot see it.
Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
22 Abaddon and Death say, ‘We've only heard a rumor of it.’
Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
23 Only God understands the path to wisdom; he knows where it is found.
“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 under the whole sky.
25 He decided how strong the wind should blow, and regulated the waters.
He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.
26 He set a limit for the rain and made a path for the lightning.
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
27 Then he considered wisdom. He examined it, gave it his approval, and declared it good.
then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.
28 He said to humankind, ‘To reverence the Lord is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
