Job 28
1 The siluer surely hath his veyne, and ye gold his place, where they take it.
Siluer hath bigynnyngis of his veynes; and a place is to gold, in which it is wellid togidere.
2 Yron is taken out of the dust, and brasse is molten out of the stone.
Irun is takun fro erthe, and a stoon resolued, `ethir meltid, bi heete, is turned in to money.
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.
God hath set tyme to derknessis, and he biholdith the ende of alle thingis.
4 The flood breaketh out against the inhabitant, and the waters forgotten of the foote, being higher then man, are gone away.
Also a stronde departith a stoon of derknesse, and the schadewe of deth, fro the puple goynge in pilgrymage; it departith tho hillis, whiche the foot of a nedi man foryat, and hillis with out weie.
5 Out of the same earth commeth bread, and vnder it, as it were fire is turned vp.
The erthe, wher of breed cam forth in his place, is destried bi fier.
6 The stones thereof are a place of saphirs, and the dust of it is golde.
The place of saphir ben stoonys therof, and the clottis therof ben gold.
7 There is a path which no foule hath knowen, neyther hath the kites eye seene it.
A brid knewe not the weie, and the iye of a vultur, ethir rauenouse brid, bihelde it not.
8 The lyons whelpes haue not walked it, nor the lyon passed thereby.
The sones of marchauntis tretiden not on it, and a lyonesse passide not therbi.
9 He putteth his hand vpon the rockes, and ouerthroweth the mountaines by the rootes.
God stretchide forth his hond to a flynt; he distriede hillis fro the rootis.
10 He breaketh riuers in the rockes, and his eye seeth euery precious thing.
He hewide doun ryuers in stoonys; and his iye siy al precious thing.
11 He bindeth the floods, that they doe not ouerflowe, and the thing that is hid, bringeth he to light.
And he souyte out the depthis of floodis; and he brouyte forth hid thingis in to liyt.
12 But where is wisdome found? and where is the place of vnderstanding?
But where is wisdom foundun, and which is the place of vndurstondyng?
13 Man knoweth not the price thereof: for it is not found in the land of the liuing.
A man noot the prijs therof, nether it is foundun in the lond of men lyuynge swetli, `ether delicatli.
14 The depth sayth, It is not in mee: the sea also sayth, It is not with me.
The depthe of watris seith, It is not in me; and the see spekith, It is not with me.
15 Golde shall not be giuen for it, neyther shall siluer be weighed for the price thereof.
Gold ful cleene schal not be youun for wisdom, nether siluer schal be weied in the chaungyng therof.
16 It shall not be valued with the wedge of golde of Ophir, nor with the precious onix, nor the saphir.
It schal not be comparysound to the died colours of Iynde, not to the moost preciouse stoon of sardius, nether to saphir.
17 The golde nor the chrystall shall be equall vnto it, nor the exchange shalbe for plate of fine golde.
Nether gold, nether glas schal be maad euene worth therto;
18 No mention shall be made of coral, nor of the gabish: for wisedome is more precious then pearles.
and hiye and fer apperynge vessels of gold schulen not be chaungid for wisdom, nether schulen be had in mynde in comparisoun therof. Forsothe wisdom is drawun of pryuy thingis;
19 The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equall vnto it, neither shall it be valued with the wedge of pure gold.
topasie of Ethiope schal not be maad euene worth to wisdom, and moost preciouse diyngis schulen not be set togidere in prijs, `ether comparisound, therto.
20 Whence then commeth wisedome? and where is the place of vnderstanding,
Therfor wherof cometh wisdom, and which is the place of vndurstondyng?
21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all the liuing, and is hid from the foules of the heauen?
It is hid fro the iyen of alle lyuynge men; also it is hid fro briddis of heuene.
22 Destruction and death say, We haue heard the fame thereof with our eares.
Perdicioun and deeth seiden, With oure eeris we herden the fame therof.
23 But God vnderstandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
God vndurstondith the weye therof, and he knowith the place therof.
24 For he beholdeth the endes of the world, and seeth all that is vnder heauen,
For he biholdith the endis of the world, and biholdith alle thingis that ben vndur heuene.
25 To make the weight of the windes, and to weigh the waters by measure.
`Which God made weiyte to wyndis, and weiede watris in mesure.
26 When he made a decree for the rayne, and a way for the lightening of the thunders,
Whanne he settide lawe to reyn, and weie to tempestis sownynge;
27 Then did he see it, and counted it: he prepared it and also considered it.
thanne he siy wisdom, and telde out, and made redi, and souyte out.
28 And vnto man he said, Behold, the feare of the Lord is wisedome, and to depart from euil is vnderstanding.
And he seide to man, Lo! the drede of the Lord, thilke is wisdom; and to go awei fro yuel, is vndurstondyng.
