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 vein for the 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 dust, 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] putteth an end to the darkness, and exploreth to the utmost limit, the stones of darkness and of the shadow of death.
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 openeth a shaft far from the inhabitants [of the earth]: forgotten of the foot, they hang suspended; away below men they hover.
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 cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as 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 hath 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.
It is a path no bird of prey knoweth, and the vulture's eye hath not 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 the fierce lion passed over it.
9 Miners tear apart [MTY] very hard rock; [it is as though] they turn the mountains upside down [to get the ore].
[Man] putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.
10 They cut tunnels through the rocks, and they find (precious/very valuable) things.
He cutteth out channels in the rocks, and his eye seeth 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 bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
12 “But wisdom: Where can people find that? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
But wisdom, where shall it 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 knoweth not the value thereof; and it is not 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 saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 [People] cannot buy wisdom by paying for it with silver or gold.
Choice gold cannot be given for it, nor silver be weighed for its price.
16 Wisdom is worth much more than fine gold from Ophir [land] or other very valuable stones.
It is not set in the balance with gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, and 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 be compared to it, nor vessels of fine gold be its exchange.
18 Wisdom is worth more than coral or crystal/pure quartz; the price of wisdom is higher/more than the price of pearls.
Corals and crystal are no more remembered; yea, the acquisition 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 be compared to it, neither shall it be set in the balance with pure gold.
20 “So, where does wisdom come from? Where can we find out how to truly understand things?
Whence then cometh wisdom? 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].
For it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowl 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 its report with our ears.
23 God [is the only one who] knows how to find wisdom; he knows where it is,
God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth its place:
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 looketh to the ends of the earth, he seeth under the whole heaven.
25 When he decided how strongly the winds should blow, and how much rain would be in the clouds,
In making a weight for the wind, and meting out 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],
In appointing a statute for the rain, and a way for the thunder's flash:
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 did he see it, and declare 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 unto man he said, Lo, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
