Job 28
1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.
There are silver mines and places where gold is refined.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.
Iron is extracted from the earth and copper is smelted from its ore.
3 He sets an end to darkness, and searches out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.
Miners take lamps into the darkness underground and search for ore as far as they can go in the shadows and the gloom.
4 The flood breaks out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.
They dig a mineshaft far from where people live or anyone ever goes. They swing from ropes that hang in the pits.
5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.
Bread comes from the earth, but underneath it looks as if it has been turned upside-down by fire.
6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it has dust of gold.
Here the rocks contain lapis lazuli and the dust contains gold.
7 There is a path which no fowl knows, and which the vulture’s eye has not seen:
No birds of prey can see these paths, no falcon's eye can perceive.
8 The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
No wild beasts have passed that way; the lion has not walked there.
9 He puts forth his hand on the rock; he overturns the mountains by the roots.
Miners attack the hard rock; they overturn the roots of mountains.
10 He cuts out rivers among the rocks; and his eye sees every precious thing.
They tunnel through the rock, looking carefully for every precious stone.
11 He binds the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid brings he forth to light.
They dam the sources of the rivers, and bring to light what is hidden.
12 But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?
But where can wisdom be found? Where is the place to gain understanding?
13 Man knows not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
Human beings do not know the way to wisdom; it is not found among the living.
14 The depth says, It is not in me: and the sea said, It is not with me.
The deep waters say, ‘It's not here,’ and the sea says, ‘It's not here either.’
15 It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
It cannot be bought with gold; nor can it be purchased with silver.
16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
Its value cannot be measured, even with the gold of Ophir; it is more precious than onyx or lapis lazuli.
17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.
Gold or fine glass cannot compare with wisdom; it cannot be exchanged for gold jewelry.
18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
Coral and crystal are not worth mentioning; the price of wisdom is far above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
Topaz from Ethiopia can't compare with it; it cannot be bought with the purest gold.
20 From where then comes wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
So where does wisdom come from? Where is the place to gain understanding?
21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
Wisdom is hidden from the sight of all living things, even the birds of the air cannot see it.
22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
Abaddon and Death say, ‘We've only heard a rumor of it.’
23 God understands the way thereof, and he knows the place thereof.
Only God understands the path to wisdom; he knows where it is found.
24 For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven;
For he looks to the very end of the earth; he sees everything under heaven.
25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weighs the waters by measure.
He decided how strong the wind should blow, and regulated the waters.
26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
He set a limit for the rain and made a path for the lightning.
27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yes, and searched it out.
Then he considered wisdom. He examined it, gave it his approval, and declared it good.
28 And to man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
He said to humankind, ‘To reverence the Lord is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
