Job 28
1 Truly there is a vein for silver, And a place for gold, which men refine.
Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.
2 Iron is obtained from earth, And stone is melted into copper.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.
3 Man putteth an end to darkness; He searcheth to the lowest depths For the stone of darkness and the shadow of death.
He sets an end to darkness, and searches out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.
4 From the place where they dwell they open a shaft; Forgotten by the feet, They hang down, they swing away from men.
The flood breaks out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.
5 The earth, out of which cometh bread, Is torn up underneath, as it were by fire.
As for the earth, out of it comes bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.
6 Her stones are the place of sapphires, And she hath clods of gold for man.
The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it has dust of gold.
7 The path thereto no bird knoweth, And the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
There is a path which no fowl knows, and which the vulture's eye has not seen:
8 The fierce wild beast hath not trodden it; The lion hath not passed over it.
The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
9 Man layeth his hand upon the rock; He upturneth mountains from their roots;
He puts forth his hand upon the rock; he overturns the mountains by the roots.
10 He cleaveth out streams in the rocks, And his eye seeth every precious thing;
He cuts out rivers among the rocks; and his eye sees every precious thing.
11 He bindeth up the streams, that they trickle not, And bringeth hidden things to light.
He binds the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid brings he forth to light.
12 But where shall wisdom be 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 the price thereof, Nor can it be found in the land of the living.
Man knows not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
14 The deep saith, It is not in me; And the sea saith, It is not with me.
The depth says, It is not in me: and the sea says, It is not with me.
15 It cannot be gotten for gold, Nor shall silver be weighed out as the price thereof.
It cannot be got for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, With the precious onyx or the sapphire.
It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Gold and crystal are not to be compared with it; Nor can it be purchased with jewels of fine gold.
The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; For wisdom is more precious than pearls.
No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be purchased with pure gold.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?
Whence then comes wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
21 Since it is hidden from the eyes of all living, And kept close from the fowls of the air.
Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.
Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
23 God knoweth the way to it; He knoweth its dwelling-place.
God understands the way thereof, and he knows the place thereof.
24 For he seeth to the ends of the earth, And surveyeth all things under the whole heaven.
For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven;
25 When he gave the winds their weight, And meted out the waters by measure;
To make the weight for the winds; and he weights the waters by measure.
26 When he prescribed a law to the rain, And a path to the thunder-flash, —
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
27 Then did he see it, and make it known; He established it, and searched it out.
Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.
28 But he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
