Job 28
1 Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
Surely there is a mine for silver, a place where they refine gold.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.
Iron is taken out of the earth; copper is smelted out of the stone.
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.
A man sets an end to darkness and searches out, to the farthest limit, the stones in obscurity and thick darkness.
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.
He breaks open a shaft away from where people live, places that are forgotten by anyone's foot. He hangs far away from people; he swings to and fro.
5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
As for the earth, out of which comes bread, it is turned up below as if by fire.
6 The stones thereof are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
Its stones are the place where sapphires are found, and its dust contains gold.
7 That path no bird of prey knoweth, neither hath the falcon’s eye seen it:
No bird of prey knows the path to it, nor has the falcon's eye seen it.
8 The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor hath the fierce lion passed thereby.
The proud animals have not walked such a path, nor has the fierce lion passed there.
9 He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
A man lays his hand on the flinty rock; he overturns mountains by their roots.
10 He cutteth out channels among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
He cuts out channels among the rocks; his eye sees every valuable thing there.
11 He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
He ties up the streams so they do not run; what is hidden there he brings out to the light.
12 But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?
Where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
13 Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
Man does not know its price; 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 deep waters under the earth say, 'It is not in me'; the sea says, '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; neither can silver be weighed as its price.
16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Gold and glass cannot equal it: neither shall the exchange thereof be jewels of fine gold.
Gold and crystal cannot equal it in worth; neither can it be exchanged for 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 is worth making of coral or jasper; indeed, the price of wisdom is more than rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
The topaz of Cush does not equal it; neither can it be valued in terms of pure gold.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
From where, then, comes wisdom? 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.
Wisdom is hidden from the eyes of all living things and is kept hidden from the birds of the heavens.
22 Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumour thereof with our ears.
Destruction and Death say, 'We have heard just a rumor about it with our ears.'
23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
God understands the way to it; he knows its place.
24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;
For he looks to the very ends of the earth and sees under all the heavens.
25 To make a weight for the wind; yea, he meteth out the waters by measure.
He made the force of the wind and parceled out the waters by measure.
26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
He made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunder.
27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out.
Then he saw wisdom and announced it; he established it, indeed, and he examined it.
28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
To people he said, 'See, the fear of the Lord—that is wisdom; to depart from evil is understanding.'”
