Job 28
1 “Surely there is a source for silver, And a place for the gold they refine;
Silver has its fissures where it is first found, and gold has a place where it is melted.
2 Iron is taken from the dust, And bronze [from] the firm stone.
Iron is taken from the earth, and ore, unbound by heat, is turned into brass.
3 He has set an end to darkness, And he is searching to all perfection, A stone of darkness and death-shade.
He has established a time for darkness, and he has settled on an end for all things, as well as for the stone that is in the gloom and shadow of death.
4 A stream has broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, they wandered from man.
The burning separates a pilgrim people from those who have been forgotten by the feet of the destitute man and from the unapproachable.
5 The earth! Bread comes forth from it, And its under-part is turned like fire.
The land, where bread appeared in its place, has been destroyed by fire.
6 A place of the sapphire [are] its stones, And it has dust of gold.
Its stones are embedded with sapphires, and its soil, with gold.
7 A path—a ravenous bird has not known it, Nor has an eye of the falcon scorched it,
The bird does not know its path, nor has the eye of the vulture beheld it.
8 Nor have the sons of pride trodden it, The fierce lion has not passed over it.
The sons of merchants have not walked there, nor has the lioness traveled through it.
9 He sent forth his hand against the flint, He overturned mountains from the root.
He has stretched out his hand to the rocks; he has overturned the foundations of the mountains.
10 Among rocks, he has cleaved brooks, And his eye has seen every precious thing.
He has cut rivers through the rocks, and his eye has seen all precious things.
11 He has bound overflowing rivers, And the hidden thing brings out [to] light.
The depths of rivers he has also examined, and he has brought hidden things into the light.
12 And the wisdom—from where is it found? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
But, in truth, where is wisdom to be found, and where is the place of understanding?
13 Man has not known its arrangement, Nor is it found in the land of the living.
Man does not know its price, nor is it found in the land of those who live in sweetness.
14 The deep has said, It [is] not in me, And the sea has said, It is not with me.
The abyss declares, “It is not in me.” And the sea says, “It is not with me.”
15 Gold is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed—its price.
The finest gold will not be paid for it, nor will silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 It is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire,
It will not be compared with the dyed colors of India, nor with the very costly stone sardonyx, nor with the sapphire.
17 Gold and crystal do not equal it, Nor [is] its exchange a vessel of fine gold.
Neither gold nor crystal will be its equal; neither will vessels of gold be fitted for it.
18 Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom [is] above rubies.
The exalted and the eminent will not be remembered in comparison with it. Yet wisdom is drawn out of concealment.
19 The topaz of Cush does not equal it, It is not valued with pure gold.
The topaz of Ethiopia will not be equal to it, nor will it be compared to the purest dyes.
20 And the wisdom—from where does it come? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
So then, where does wisdom begin, and where is the place of understanding?
21 It has been hid from the eyes of all living. And from the bird of the heavens It has been hidden.
It has been hidden from the eyes of all living things, just as the birds of the heavens escape notice.
22 Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard its fame.
Perdition and death have said, “With our ears, we have heard its fame.”
23 God has understood its way, And He has known its place.
God understands its way, and he knows its location.
24 For He looks to the ends of the earth, He sees under the whole heavens,
For he beholds the limits of the world, and he looks upon all things that are under heaven.
25 To make a weight for the wind, And He meted out the waters in measure.
He created a counterweight for the winds, and he suspended the waters to measure them.
26 In His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices,
At that time, he gave a law to the rain and a path to the resounding storms.
27 Then He has seen and declares it, He has prepared it, and also searched it out,
Then he saw and explained it, and he made ready and examined it.
28 And He says to man: Behold, fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom, And to turn from evil [is] understanding.”
And he said to man, “Behold the fear of the Lord. Such is wisdom. And to withdraw from evil, this is understanding.”
