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