Job 28
1 The siluer surely hath his veyne, and ye gold his place, where they take it.
“It is true that there are places where men dig to find silver, and there are places where people refine/purify gold [that they have dug].
2 Yron is taken out of the dust, and brasse is molten out of the stone.
People dig iron [ore] out of the ground, and they (smelt copper ore/heat copper ore to get the copper from it).
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.
Men use lamps while they work far down under the ground to search for the ore inside the mines where it is very dark.
4 The flood breaketh out against the inhabitant, and the waters forgotten of the foote, being higher then man, are gone away.
They dig (shafts/narrow holes very deep down into the ground) in places that are far from where people live, where travelers do not go. They work far away from [other] people, swinging back and forth on ropes [as they descend into the mine shafts].
5 Out of the same earth commeth bread, and vnder it, as it were fire is turned vp.
Food grows on the surface of the ground, but down under the ground, [where there is no food, ] the miners make fires to break apart the rocks.
6 The stones thereof are a place of saphirs, and the dust of it is golde.
The stones [that are dug from under the ground] contain (sapphires/very valuable blue stones), and the dirt contains bits of gold.
7 There is a path which no foule hath knowen, neyther hath the kites eye seene it.
[Some birds have very good eyes, ] but even hawks do not know [where the mines are], and falcons/vultures have not seen those places.
8 The lyons whelpes haue not walked it, nor the lyon passed thereby.
Lions or [other] proud wild animals have not walked on the roads near those mines.
9 He putteth his hand vpon the rockes, and ouerthroweth the mountaines by the rootes.
Miners tear apart [MTY] very hard rock; [it is as though] they turn the mountains upside down [to get the ore].
10 He breaketh riuers in the rockes, and his eye seeth euery precious thing.
They cut tunnels through the rocks, and they find (precious/very valuable) things.
11 He bindeth the floods, that they doe not ouerflowe, and the thing that is hid, bringeth he to light.
They dam up small streams in order that water does not flow, and they bring up into the light valuable things that are hidden [in the ground and in the streams].
12 But where is wisdome found? and where is the place of vnderstanding?
“But wisdom: Where can people find that? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
13 Man knoweth not the price thereof: for it is not found in the land of the liuing.
Humans do not know where to find it; no one can find it [here on this earth] where they are living.
14 The depth sayth, It is not in mee: the sea also sayth, It is not with me.
[It is as though] water that is deep [inside the earth] and [water that is in] the seas say [PRS], ‘Wisdom is not here!’
15 Golde shall not be giuen for it, neyther shall siluer be weighed for the price thereof.
[People] cannot buy wisdom by paying for it with silver or gold.
16 It shall not be valued with the wedge of golde of Ophir, nor with the precious onix, nor the saphir.
Wisdom is worth much more than fine gold from Ophir [land] or other very valuable stones.
17 The golde nor the chrystall shall be equall vnto it, nor the exchange shalbe for plate of fine golde.
It is worth much more than gold or beautiful glass, worth more than vases made from fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral, nor of the gabish: for wisedome is more precious then pearles.
Wisdom is worth more than coral or crystal/pure quartz; the price of wisdom is higher/more than the price of pearls.
19 The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equall vnto it, neither shall it be valued with the wedge of pure gold.
The prices of (topaz/very valuable yellow stones) from Ethiopia and of pure gold are lower/less than the price of wisdom.
20 Whence then commeth wisedome? and where is the place of vnderstanding,
“So, where does wisdom come from? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all the liuing, and is hid from the foules of the heauen?
No living humans can see it [MTY]; and birds cannot see it while they are flying [MTY].
22 Destruction and death say, We haue heard the fame thereof with our eares.
[It is as though] the places where people go after they die say [PRS], ‘We have only heard rumors about [where to find wisdom].’
23 But God vnderstandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
God [is the only one who] knows how to find wisdom; he knows where it is,
24 For he beholdeth the endes of the world, and seeth all that is vnder heauen,
because he can see things even in the most remote/distant places on the earth; he can see everything that is below the sky.
25 To make the weight of the windes, and to weigh the waters by measure.
When he decided how strongly the winds should blow, and how much rain would be in the clouds,
26 When he made a decree for the rayne, and a way for the lightening of the thunders,
and when he decided where rain [should fall], and what path lightning should take [from the clouds down to the ground],
27 Then did he see it, and counted it: he prepared it and also considered it.
at that time he saw wisdom and decided that it is extremely valuable. He examined it and (approved it/said that it was very good).
28 And vnto man he said, Behold, the feare of the Lord is wisedome, and to depart from euil is vnderstanding.
And [then] he said to humans, ‘Listen! To have an awesome respect for me is [what will enable you to become] wise; and to truly understand everything, you must first turn away from doing what is evil.’”
