Job 28
1 "Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
Silver has its fissures where it is first found, and gold has a place where it is melted.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.
Iron is taken from the earth, and ore, unbound by heat, is turned into brass.
3 Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
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 He breaks open a shaft away from where people live. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth.
The burning separates a pilgrim people from those who have been forgotten by the feet of the destitute man and from the unapproachable.
5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread; Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
The land, where bread appeared in its place, has been destroyed by fire.
6 Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
Its stones are embedded with sapphires, and its soil, with gold.
7 That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon's eye seen it.
The bird does not know its path, nor has the eye of the vulture beheld it.
8 The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
The sons of merchants have not walked there, nor has the lioness traveled through it.
9 He puts forth his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
He has stretched out his hand to the rocks; he has overturned the foundations of the mountains.
10 He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
He has cut rivers through the rocks, and his eye has seen all precious things.
11 He binds the streams that they do not trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings forth to light.
The depths of rivers he has also examined, and he has brought hidden things into the light.
12 "But where shall wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
But, in truth, where is wisdom to be found, and where is the place of understanding?
13 Man doesn't know its price; Neither 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 says, 'It isn't in me.' The sea says, 'It isn't with me.'
The abyss declares, “It is not in me.” And the sea says, “It is not with me.”
15 It can't be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for its price.
The finest gold will not be paid for it, nor will silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 It can't be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the 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 glass can't equal it, neither shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
Neither gold nor crystal will be its equal; neither will vessels of gold be fitted for it.
18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price 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 Ethiopia shall not equal it, Neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
The topaz of Ethiopia will not be equal to it, nor will it be compared to the purest dyes.
20 From where then comes wisdom? Where is the place of understanding?
So then, where does wisdom begin, and where is the place of understanding?
21 Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
It has been hidden from the eyes of all living things, just as the birds of the heavens escape notice.
22 Destruction and Death say, 'We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.'
Perdition and death have said, “With our ears, we have heard its fame.”
23 "God understands its way, and he knows its place.
God understands its way, and he knows its location.
24 For he looks to the farthest parts of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.
For he beholds the limits of the world, and he looks upon all things that are under heaven.
25 He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.
He created a counterweight for the winds, and he suspended the waters to measure them.
26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder;
At that time, he gave a law to the rain and a path to the resounding storms.
27 then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.
Then he saw and explained it, and he made ready and examined it.
28 To man he said, 'Look, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart 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.”
