Job 28
1 The siluer surely hath his veyne, and ye gold his place, where they take it.
For truly there is a source for the silver, and a place for the gold which men refine.
2 Yron is taken out of the dust, and brasse is molten out of the stone.
Iron is taken out of the dust, and the stone is melted into copper.
3 God putteth an end to darkenesse, and he tryeth the perfection of all things: he setteth a bond of darkenesse, and of the shadowe of death.
An end doth he set to darkness, and the very utmost limit doth he search out, the stones of darkness, and of the shadow of death.
4 The flood breaketh out against the inhabitant, and the waters forgotten of the foote, being higher then man, are gone away.
He breaketh a channel far from the inhabited place; those of unsteady foot, the poorest of men move [there about].
5 Out of the same earth commeth bread, and vnder it, as it were fire is turned vp.
The earth, out of which cometh forth bread, is under its surface turned up as it were with fire.
6 The stones thereof are a place of saphirs, and the dust of it is golde.
Her stones are the place whence the sapphire cometh; and golden dust is also there;
7 There is a path which no foule hath knowen, neyther hath the kites eye seene it.
[On the] path which no bird of prey knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not surveyed;
8 The lyons whelpes haue not walked it, nor the lyon passed thereby.
[Which] ravenous beasts have never trodden, over which the lion hath never passed.
9 He putteth his hand vpon the rockes, and ouerthroweth the mountaines by the rootes.
To the flinty rock he stretcheth forth his hand; he overturneth the mountains from the root.
10 He breaketh riuers in the rockes, and his eye seeth euery precious thing.
Amid rocks he heweth out canals: and every precious thing doth his eye behold.
11 He bindeth the floods, that they doe not ouerflowe, and the thing that is hid, bringeth he to light.
The various droppings of water he uniteth into streams, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
12 But where is wisdome found? and where is the place of vnderstanding?
But wisdom—where shall she he found? and where is the place of understanding?
13 Man knoweth not the price thereof: for it is not found in the land of the liuing.
Man knoweth not her value: and she is not to be found in the land of the living.
14 The depth sayth, It is not in mee: the sea also sayth, It is not with me.
The deep saith, Not in me is she: and the sea saith, She is not with me.
15 Golde shall not be giuen for it, neyther shall siluer be weighed for the price thereof.
No fine gold can be given in lieu of her, and silver cannot be weighed out as her price.
16 It shall not be valued with the wedge of golde of Ophir, nor with the precious onix, nor the saphir.
She cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 The golde nor the chrystall shall be equall vnto it, nor the exchange shalbe for plate of fine golde.
She cannot be estimated after gold and glass; and not in exchange for her [can] vessels of refined gold [be taken.]
18 No mention shall be made of coral, nor of the gabish: for wisedome is more precious then pearles.
Coral and crystal will not be thought of; and the value of wisdom is above pearls.
19 The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equall vnto it, neither shall it be valued with the wedge of pure gold.
She cannot be estimated after the topaz of Ethiopia, nor can she be valued with pure gold.
20 Whence then commeth wisedome? and where is the place of vnderstanding,
But wisdom—whence cometh she? and where is the place of understanding?
21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all the liuing, and is hid from the foules of the heauen?
Yea, she is hidden from the eyes of all living, and from the fowls of the heavens is she concealed.
22 Destruction and death say, We haue heard the fame thereof with our eares.
Perdition and death say, With our ears have we heard a report of her.
23 But God vnderstandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
God [alone] understandeth her way, and he knoweth her place;
24 For he beholdeth the endes of the world, and seeth all that is vnder heauen,
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, [whatever is] under the whole heaven doth he see.
25 To make the weight of the windes, and to weigh the waters by measure.
When he imparted weight unto the wind; and [when] the waters he established by measure;
26 When he made a decree for the rayne, and a way for the lightening of the thunders,
When he made a law for the rain, and a way for the lightning of [his] thunders;
27 Then did he see it, and counted it: he prepared it and also considered it.
Then did he see her, and make her known; he established her, and also searched her out.
28 And vnto man he said, Behold, the feare of the Lord is wisedome, and to depart from euil is vnderstanding.
And he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to eschew evil is understanding.
