< Job 28 >
1 The siluer surely hath his veyne, and ye gold his place, where they take it.
Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
2 Yron is taken out of the dust, and brasse is molten out of the stone.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.
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.
[Man] setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out to the furthest bound the stones of thick 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 open a shaft away from where men sojourn; they are forgotten of the foot [that passeth by]; they hang afar from men, they swing to and fro.
5 Out of the same earth commeth bread, and vnder it, as it were fire is turned vp.
As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 The stones thereof are a place of saphirs, and the dust of it is golde.
The stones thereof are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
7 There is a path which no foule hath knowen, neyther hath the kites eye seene it.
That path no bird of prey knoweth, neither hath the falcon’s eye seen it:
8 The lyons whelpes haue not walked it, nor the lyon passed thereby.
The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor hath the fierce lion passed thereby.
9 He putteth his hand vpon the rockes, and ouerthroweth the mountaines by the rootes.
He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
10 He breaketh riuers in the rockes, and his eye seeth euery precious thing.
He cutteth out channels among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
11 He bindeth the floods, that they doe not ouerflowe, and the thing that is hid, bringeth he to light.
He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
12 But where is wisdome found? and where is the place of vnderstanding?
But where shall wisdom be 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 the price thereof; neither is it 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, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 Golde shall not be giuen for it, neyther shall siluer be weighed for the price thereof.
It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
16 It shall not be valued with the wedge of golde of Ophir, nor with the precious onix, nor the saphir.
It 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.
Gold and glass cannot equal it: neither shall the exchange thereof be jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral, nor of the gabish: for wisedome is more precious then pearles.
No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal: yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equall vnto it, neither shall it be valued with the wedge of pure gold.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
20 Whence then commeth wisedome? and where is the place of vnderstanding,
Whence then cometh wisdom? 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?
Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 Destruction and death say, We haue heard the fame thereof with our eares.
Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumour thereof with our ears.
23 But God vnderstandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
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, and seeth under the whole heaven;
25 To make the weight of the windes, and to weigh the waters by measure.
To make a weight for the wind; yea, he meteth out the waters by measure.
26 When he made a decree for the rayne, and a way for the lightening of the thunders,
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
27 Then did he see it, and counted it: he prepared it and also considered it.
Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out.
28 And vnto man he said, Behold, the feare of the Lord is wisedome, and to depart from euil is vnderstanding.
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.