Job 28
1 Though there is, for silver, a vein, and a place for the gold they refine;
Silver hath beginnings of its veins, and gold hath a place wherein it is melted.
2 Iron, out of the ore, is taken, and, stone, poureth out copper;
Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone melted with heat is turned into brass.
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;
He hath set a time for darkness, and the end of all things he considereth, the stone also that is in the dark and 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;
The flood divideth from the people that are on their journey, those whom the food of the needy man hath forgotten, and who cannot be come at.
5 As for the earth, out of it, cometh forth bread, and, under it, is upturned, as it were fire;
The land, out of which bread grew in its place, hath been overturned with 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 the clods of it are gold.
7 A path, the vulture hath not discerned, nor hath the eye of the hawk scanned it;
The bird hath not known the path, neither hath the eye of the vulture beheld it.
8 Ravenous beasts have not made a track thereof, neither hath the lion marched thereon:
The children of the merchants have not trodden it, neither hath the lioness passed by it.
9 Upon the flint, hath he thrust forth his hand, He hath turned up mountains by the roots;
He hath stretched forth his hand to the flint, he hath overturned mountains from the roots.
10 Among the rocks, hath he cut open streams, and, every precious thing, hath his eye seen:
In the rocks he hath cut out rivers, and his eye hath seen every precious thing.
11 From trickling, he restraineth, rivers, and, some hidden thing, is he bringing out to light.
The depths also of rivers he hath searched, and hidden things he hath brought forth to light.
12 Yet where can, Wisdom, be found? And where is the place of understanding?
But where is wisdom to 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 price thereof, neither is it found in the land of them that live in delights.
14 The resounding deep, hath said, It is not in me! And, the sea, hath said, It is not with me!
The depth 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;
The finest gold shall not purchase it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 It cannot be put into the scales against the gold of Ophir, with costly onyx, or sapphire;
It shall not be compared with the dyed colours of India, or with the most precious stone sardonyx, or the sapphire.
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can, the exchange thereof, be a vessel of pure gold,
Gold or crystal cannot equal it, neither shall any vessels of gold be changed for it.
18 Coral or crystal, cannot be mentioned, Yea, a possession, is wisdom, above red coral;
High and eminent things shall not be mentioned in comparison of it: but wisdom is drawn out of secret places.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, Against purest gold, can it not be weighed.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equal to it, neither shall it be compared to the cleanest dyeing.
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?
It is hid from the eyes of all living. and the fowls of the air know it not.
22 Destruction and death, have said, With our ears, have we heard the report thereof!
Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard the fame thereof.
23 GOD, understandeth the way thereof, and, he, discerneth the place thereof;
God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth the place thereof.
24 For, he, unto the ends of the earth, directeth his look, under all the heavens, he seeth;
For he beholdeth the ends of the world: and looketh on all things that are under heaven.
25 Making, for the wind, a weight, and, the waters, he proved by measure,
Who made a weight for the winds and weighed the waters by measure.
26 When he made, for the rain, a decree, and a way for the lightning of thunders,
When he gave a law for the rain, and a way for the sounding storms.
27 Then, saw he it, and declared it, He settled it, yea also he searched it out;
Then he saw it, and declared, and prepared, and searched it.
28 And said to the son of earth, Lo! the reverence of the Lord, that, is wisdom, and, to avoid evil, is understanding.
And he said to man: Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom: and to depart from evil, is understanding.
