Job 28
1 “It is true that there are places where men dig to find silver, and there are places where people refine/purify gold [that they have dug].
Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
2 People dig iron [ore] out of the ground, and they (smelt copper ore/heat copper ore to get the copper from it).
Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is molten out of the stone.
3 Men use lamps while they work far down under the ground to search for the ore inside the mines where it is very dark.
Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out to the furthest bound the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
4 They dig (shafts/narrow holes very deep down into the ground) in places that are far from where people live, where travelers do not go. They work far away from [other] people, swinging back and forth on ropes [as they descend into the mine shafts].
He breaks open a shaft away from where men sojourn, paths forgotten by the foot. They hang afar from men; they swing to and fro.
5 Food grows on the surface of the ground, but down under the ground, [where there is no food, ] the miners make fires to break apart the rocks.
As for the earth, out of it comes bread, and underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 The stones [that are dug from under the ground] contain (sapphires/very valuable blue stones), and the dirt contains bits of gold.
The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold.
7 [Some birds have very good eyes, ] but even hawks do not know [where the mines are], and falcons/vultures have not seen those places.
No bird of prey knows that path, nor has the falcon's eye seen it.
8 Lions or [other] proud wild animals have not walked on the roads near those mines.
The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed thereby.
9 Miners tear apart [MTY] very hard rock; [it is as though] they turn the mountains upside down [to get the ore].
He puts forth his hand upon the flinty rock. He overturns the mountains by the roots.
10 They cut tunnels through the rocks, and they find (precious/very valuable) things.
He cuts out channels among the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing.
11 They dam up small streams in order that water does not flow, and they bring up into the light valuable things that are hidden [in the ground and in the streams].
He binds the streams that they not trickle. And the thing that is hid he brings forth to light.
12 “But wisdom: Where can people find that? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
13 Humans do not know where to find it; no one can find it [here on this earth] where they are living.
Man does not know the price of it, nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 [It is as though] water that is deep [inside the earth] and [water that is in] the seas say [PRS], ‘Wisdom is not here!’
The deep says, It is not in me. And the sea says, It is not with me.
15 [People] cannot buy wisdom by paying for it with silver or gold.
It cannot be gotten for gold, nor shall silver be weighed for the price of it.
16 Wisdom is worth much more than fine gold from Ophir [land] or other very valuable stones.
It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 It is worth much more than gold or beautiful glass, worth more than vases made from fine gold.
Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 Wisdom is worth more than coral or crystal/pure quartz; the price of wisdom is higher/more than the price of pearls.
No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal. Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 The prices of (topaz/very valuable yellow stones) from Ethiopia and of pure gold are lower/less than the price of wisdom.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, nor shall it be valued with pure gold.
20 “So, where does wisdom come from? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding?
21 No living humans can see it [MTY]; and birds cannot see it while they are flying [MTY].
Since it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept closed from the birds of the heavens.
22 [It is as though] the places where people go after they die say [PRS], ‘We have only heard rumors about [where to find wisdom].’
Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.
23 God [is the only one who] knows how to find wisdom; he knows where it is,
God understands the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
24 because he can see things even in the most remote/distant places on the earth; he can see everything that is below the sky.
For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven,
25 When he decided how strongly the winds should blow, and how much rain would be in the clouds,
to make a weight for the wind. Yea, he distributes the waters by measure.
26 and when he decided where rain [should fall], and what path lightning should take [from the clouds down to the ground],
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
27 at that time he saw wisdom and decided that it is extremely valuable. He examined it and (approved it/said that it was very good).
then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yea, and searched it out.
28 And [then] he said to humans, ‘Listen! To have an awesome respect for me is [what will enable you to become] wise; and to truly understand everything, you must first turn away from doing what is evil.’”
And to man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.
