Job 28
1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold [where] they fine [it].
Silver hath beginnings of its veins, and gold hath a place wherein it is melted.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass [is] melted [out of] the stone.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone melted with heat is turned into brass.
3 He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shades of death.
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 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant: [even the waters] forgotten by the foot: they are dried up, they have gone away from men.
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 bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.
The land, out of which bread grew in its place, hath been overturned with fire.
6 The stones of it [are] the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.
The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and the clods of it are gold.
7 [There is] a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vultur's eye hath not seen:
The bird hath not known the path, neither hath the eye of the vulture beheld it.
8 The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
The children of the merchants have not trodden it, neither hath the lioness passed by it.
9 He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
He hath stretched forth his hand to the flint, he hath overturned mountains from the roots.
10 He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
In the rocks he hath cut out rivers, and his eye hath seen every precious thing.
11 He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and [the thing that is] hid he bringeth forth to light.
The depths also of rivers he hath searched, and hidden things he hath brought forth to light.
12 But where shall 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 Man knoweth not the price of it; neither is it 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 depth saith, It [is] not in me: and the sea saith, [It is] not with me.
The depth saith: It is not in me: and the sea saith: It is not with me.
15 It cannot be obtained for gold, neither shall silver be weighed [for] the price of it.
The finest gold shall not purchase it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
It shall not be compared with the dyed colours of India, or with the most precious stone sardonyx, or the sapphire.
17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it [shall not be for] jewels of fine gold.
Gold or crystal cannot equal it, neither shall any vessels of gold be changed for it.
18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom [is] above rubies.
High and eminent things shall not be mentioned in comparison of it: but wisdom is drawn out of secret places.
19 The topaz of Cush shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
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 is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
It is hid from the eyes of all living. and the fowls of the air know it not.
22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame of it with our ears.
Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard the fame thereof.
23 God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth its place.
God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth the place thereof.
24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, [and] seeth under the whole heaven;
For he beholdeth the ends of the world: and looketh on all things that are under heaven.
25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
Who made a weight for the winds and weighed the waters by measure.
26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
When he gave a law for the rain, and a way for the sounding storms.
27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.
Then he saw it, and declared, and prepared, and searched it.
28 And to man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that [is] wisdom; and to depart from evil [is] understanding.
And he said to man: Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom: and to depart from evil, is understanding.
