Job 28

1 Though there is, for silver, a vein, and a place for the gold they refine;

Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold which they refine;

2 Iron, out of the ore, is taken, and, stone, poureth out copper;

Iron is taken out of the dust, and copper is molten out of the stone.

3 An end, hath one set to the darkness, and, into every extremity, is, he, making search, for the stone of darkness and death-shade;

[Man] putteth an end to the darkness, and exploreth to the utmost limit, the stones of darkness and of the shadow of death.

4 He hath sunken a shaft, away from the inhabitants; Places forsaken by the foot, they hang down, away from men, sway to and fro;

He openeth a shaft far from the inhabitants [of the earth]: forgotten of the foot, they hang suspended; away below men they hover.

5 As for the earth, out of it, cometh forth bread, and, under it, is upturned, as it were fire;

As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as by fire;

6 The place of sapphires, are the stones thereof, and it hath, nuggets of gold: —

The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.

7 A path, the vulture hath not discerned, nor hath the eye of the hawk scanned it;

It is a path no bird of prey knoweth, and the vulture's eye hath not seen it;

8 Ravenous beasts have not made a track thereof, neither hath the lion marched thereon:

The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed over it.

9 Upon the flint, hath he thrust forth his hand, He hath turned up mountains by the roots;

[Man] putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.

10 Among the rocks, hath he cut open streams, and, every precious thing, hath his eye seen:

He cutteth out channels in the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing.

11 From trickling, he restraineth, rivers, and, some hidden thing, is he bringing out to light.

He bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.

12 Yet where can, Wisdom, be found? And where is the place of understanding?

But wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is the place of understanding?

13 Mortal knoweth not the way thereof, neither can it be found in the land of the living;

Man knoweth not the value thereof; and it is not found in the land of the living.

14 The resounding deep, hath said, It is not in me! And, the sea, hath said, It is not with me!

The deep saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, It is not with me.

15 Pure gold cannot be given in its stead, neither can silver he weighed as the value thereof;

Choice gold cannot be given for it, nor silver be weighed for its price.

16 It cannot be put into the scales against the gold of Ophir, with costly onyx, or sapphire;

It is not set in the balance with gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, and the sapphire.

17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can, the exchange thereof, be a vessel of pure gold,

Gold and glass cannot be compared to it, nor vessels of fine gold be its exchange.

18 Coral or crystal, cannot be mentioned, Yea, a possession, is wisdom, above red coral;

Corals and crystal are no more remembered; yea, the acquisition of wisdom is above rubies.

19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, Against purest gold, can it not be weighed.

The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be compared to it, neither shall it be set in the balance 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 hath been hid from the eyes of every living thing, and, from the bird of the heavens, hath it been concealed?

For it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowl of the heavens.

22 Destruction and death, have said, With our ears, have we heard the report thereof!

Destruction and death say, We have heard its report with our ears.

23 GOD, understandeth the way thereof, and, he, discerneth the place thereof;

God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth its place:

24 For, he, unto the ends of the earth, directeth his look, under all the heavens, he seeth;

For he looketh to the ends of the earth, he seeth under the whole heaven.

25 Making, for the wind, a weight, and, the waters, he proved by measure,

In making a weight for the wind, and meting out the waters by measure,

26 When he made, for the rain, a decree, and a way for the lightning of thunders,

In appointing a statute for the rain, and a way for the thunder's flash:

27 Then, saw he it, and declared it, He settled it, yea also he searched it out;

Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out;

28 And said to the son of earth, Lo! the reverence of the Lord, that, is wisdom, and, to avoid evil, is understanding.

And unto man he said, Lo, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.