Job 28
1 “Surely there is a source for silver, And a place for the gold they refine;
Silver hath beginnings of its veins, and gold hath a place wherein it is melted.
2 Iron is taken from the dust, And bronze [from] the firm stone.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone melted with 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 hath set a time for darkness, and the end of all things he considereth, the stone also that is in the dark and the 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 flood divideth from the people that are on their journey, those whom the food of the needy man hath forgotten, and who cannot be come at.
5 The earth! Bread comes forth from it, And its under-part is turned like fire.
The land, out of which bread grew in its place, hath been overturned with fire.
6 A place of the sapphire [are] its stones, And it has dust of gold.
The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and the clods of it are gold.
7 A path—a ravenous bird has not known it, Nor has an eye of the falcon scorched it,
The bird hath not known the path, neither hath 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 children of the merchants have not trodden it, neither hath the lioness passed by it.
9 He sent forth his hand against the flint, He overturned mountains from the root.
He hath stretched forth his hand to the flint, he hath overturned mountains from the roots.
10 Among rocks, he has cleaved brooks, And his eye has seen every precious thing.
In the rocks he hath cut out rivers, and his eye hath seen every precious thing.
11 He has bound overflowing rivers, And the hidden thing brings out [to] light.
The depths also of rivers he hath searched, and hidden things he hath brought forth to light.
12 And the wisdom—from where is it found? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
But 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 knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it found in the land of them that live in delights.
14 The deep has said, It [is] not in me, And the sea has said, It is not with me.
The depth saith: It is not in me: and the sea saith: It is not with me.
15 Gold is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed—its price.
The finest gold shall not purchase it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 It is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire,
It shall not be compared with the dyed colours of India, or with the most precious stone sardonyx, or the sapphire.
17 Gold and crystal do not equal it, Nor [is] its exchange a vessel of fine gold.
Gold or crystal cannot equal it, neither shall any vessels of gold be changed for it.
18 Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom [is] above rubies.
High and eminent things shall not be mentioned in comparison of it: but wisdom is drawn out of secret places.
19 The topaz of Cush does not equal it, It is not valued with pure gold.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equal to it, neither shall it be compared to the cleanest dyeing.
20 And the wisdom—from where does it come? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
Whence then cometh wisdom? 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 is hid from the eyes of all living. and the fowls of the air know it not.
22 Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard its fame.
Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard the fame thereof.
23 God has understood its way, And He has known its place.
God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth the place thereof.
24 For He looks to the ends of the earth, He sees under the whole heavens,
For he beholdeth the ends of the world: and looketh on all things that are under heaven.
25 To make a weight for the wind, And He meted out the waters in measure.
Who made a weight for the winds and weighed the waters by measure.
26 In His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices,
When he gave a law for the rain, and a way for the sounding storms.
27 Then He has seen and declares it, He has prepared it, and also searched it out,
Then he saw it, and declared, and prepared, and searched 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, that is wisdom: and to depart from evil, is understanding.
