Job 28
1 “Surely there is a source for silver, And a place for the gold they refine;
For truly there is a source for the silver, and a place for the gold which men refine.
2 Iron is taken from the dust, And bronze [from] the firm stone.
Iron is taken out of the dust, and the stone is melted into copper.
3 He has set an end to darkness, And he is searching to all perfection, A stone of darkness and death-shade.
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.
4 A stream has broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, they wandered from man.
He breaketh a channel far from the inhabited place; those of unsteady foot, the poorest of men move [there about].
5 The earth! Bread comes forth from it, And its under-part is turned like fire.
The earth, out of which cometh forth bread, is under its surface turned up as it were with fire.
6 A place of the sapphire [are] its stones, And it has dust of gold.
Her stones are the place whence the sapphire cometh; and golden dust is also there;
7 A path—a ravenous bird has not known it, Nor has an eye of the falcon scorched it,
[On the] path which no bird of prey knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not surveyed;
8 Nor have the sons of pride trodden it, The fierce lion has not passed over it.
[Which] ravenous beasts have never trodden, over which the lion hath never passed.
9 He sent forth his hand against the flint, He overturned mountains from the root.
To the flinty rock he stretcheth forth his hand; he overturneth the mountains from the root.
10 Among rocks, he has cleaved brooks, And his eye has seen every precious thing.
Amid rocks he heweth out canals: and every precious thing doth his eye behold.
11 He has bound overflowing rivers, And the hidden thing brings out [to] light.
The various droppings of water he uniteth into streams, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
12 And the wisdom—from where is it found? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
But wisdom—where shall she he 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 her value: and she is not to be found in the land of the living.
14 The deep has said, It [is] not in me, And the sea has said, It is not with me.
The deep saith, Not in me is she: and the sea saith, She is not with me.
15 Gold is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed—its price.
No fine gold can be given in lieu of her, and silver cannot be weighed out as her price.
16 It is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire,
She cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Gold and crystal do not equal it, Nor [is] its exchange a vessel of fine gold.
She cannot be estimated after gold and glass; and not in exchange for her [can] vessels of refined gold [be taken.]
18 Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom [is] above rubies.
Coral and crystal will not be thought of; and the value of wisdom is above pearls.
19 The topaz of Cush does not equal it, It is not valued with pure gold.
She cannot be estimated after the topaz of Ethiopia, nor can she be valued with pure gold.
20 And the wisdom—from where does it come? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
But wisdom—whence cometh she? 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.
Yea, she is hidden from the eyes of all living, and from the fowls of the heavens is she concealed.
22 Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard its fame.
Perdition and death say, With our ears have we heard a report of her.
23 God has understood its way, And He has known its place.
God [alone] understandeth her way, and he knoweth her place;
24 For He looks to the ends of the earth, He sees under the whole heavens,
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, [whatever is] under the whole heaven doth he see.
25 To make a weight for the wind, And He meted out the waters in measure.
When he imparted weight unto the wind; and [when] the waters he established by measure;
26 In His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices,
When he made a law for the rain, and a way for the lightning of [his] thunders;
27 Then He has seen and declares it, He has prepared it, and also searched it out,
Then did he see her, and make her known; he established her, and also searched her out.
28 And He says to man: Behold, fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom, And to turn from evil [is] understanding.”
And he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to eschew evil is understanding.
