Job 28
1 For truly there is a source for the silver, and a place for the gold which men refine.
Truly there is a vein for silver, And a place for gold, which men refine.
2 Iron is taken out of the dust, and the stone is melted into copper.
Iron is obtained from earth, And stone is melted into copper.
3 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.
Man putteth an end to darkness; He searcheth to the lowest depths For the stone of darkness and the shadow of death.
4 He breaketh a channel far from the inhabited place; those of unsteady foot, the poorest of men move [there about].
From the place where they dwell they open a shaft; Forgotten by the feet, They hang down, they swing away from men.
5 The earth, out of which cometh forth bread, is under its surface turned up as it were with fire.
The earth, out of which cometh bread, Is torn up underneath, as it were by fire.
6 Her stones are the place whence the sapphire cometh; and golden dust is also there;
Her stones are the place of sapphires, And she hath clods of gold for man.
7 [On the] path which no bird of prey knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not surveyed;
The path thereto no bird knoweth, And the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
8 [Which] ravenous beasts have never trodden, over which the lion hath never passed.
The fierce wild beast hath not trodden it; The lion hath not passed over it.
9 To the flinty rock he stretcheth forth his hand; he overturneth the mountains from the root.
Man layeth his hand upon the rock; He upturneth mountains from their roots;
10 Amid rocks he heweth out canals: and every precious thing doth his eye behold.
He cleaveth out streams in the rocks, And his eye seeth every precious thing;
11 The various droppings of water he uniteth into streams, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
He bindeth up the streams, that they trickle not, And bringeth hidden things to light.
12 But wisdom—where shall she he found? and where is the place of understanding?
But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
13 Man knoweth not her value: and she is not to be found in the land of the living.
Man knoweth not the price thereof, Nor can it be found in the land of the living.
14 The deep saith, Not in me is she: and the sea saith, She is not with me.
The deep saith, It is not in me; And the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 No fine gold can be given in lieu of her, and silver cannot be weighed out as her price.
It cannot be gotten for gold, Nor shall silver be weighed out as the price thereof.
16 She cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, With the precious onyx or the sapphire.
17 She cannot be estimated after gold and glass; and not in exchange for her [can] vessels of refined gold [be taken.]
Gold and crystal are not to be compared with it; Nor can it be purchased with jewels of fine gold.
18 Coral and crystal will not be thought of; and the value of wisdom is above pearls.
No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; For wisdom is more precious than pearls.
19 She cannot be estimated after the topaz of Ethiopia, nor can she be valued with pure gold.
The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be purchased with pure gold.
20 But wisdom—whence cometh she? and where is the place of understanding?
Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?
21 Yea, she is hidden from the eyes of all living, and from the fowls of the heavens is she concealed.
Since it is hidden from the eyes of all living, And kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 Perdition and death say, With our ears have we heard a report of her.
Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.
23 God [alone] understandeth her way, and he knoweth her place;
God knoweth the way to it; He knoweth its dwelling-place.
24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, [whatever is] under the whole heaven doth he see.
For he seeth to the ends of the earth, And surveyeth all things under the whole heaven.
25 When he imparted weight unto the wind; and [when] the waters he established by measure;
When he gave the winds their weight, And meted out the waters by measure;
26 When he made a law for the rain, and a way for the lightning of [his] thunders;
When he prescribed a law to the rain, And a path to the thunder-flash, —
27 Then did he see her, and make her known; he established her, and also searched her out.
Then did he see it, and make it known; He established it, and searched it out.
28 And he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to eschew evil is understanding.
But he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.
