Job 28
1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold [where] they fine [it].
Surely there is for silver a source, And a place for the gold they refine;
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass [is] melted [out of] the stone.
Iron from the dust is taken, And [from] the firm stone brass.
3 He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shades of death.
An end hath he set to darkness, And to all perfection he is searching, A stone of darkness and death-shade.
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.
A stream hath broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, from man they wandered.
5 [As for] the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.
The earth! from it cometh forth bread, And its under-part is turned like fire.
6 The stones of it [are] the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.
A place of the sapphire [are] its stones, And it hath dust of gold.
7 [There is] a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vultur's eye hath not seen:
A path — not known it hath a ravenous fowl, Nor scorched it hath an eye of the kite,
8 The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
Nor trodden it have the sons of pride, Not passed over it hath the fierce lion.
9 He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
Against the flint he sent forth his hand, He overturned from the root mountains.
10 He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
Among rocks, brooks he hath cleaved, And every precious thing hath his eye seen.
11 He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and [the thing that is] hid he bringeth forth to light.
From overflowing floods he hath bound, And the hidden thing bringeth out [to] light.
12 But where shall wisdom be found? and where [is] the place of understanding?
And the wisdom — whence is it found? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
13 Man knoweth not the price of it; neither is it found in the land of the living.
Man hath not known its arrangement, Nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 The depth saith, It [is] not in me: and the sea saith, [It is] not with me.
The deep hath said, 'It [is] not in me,' And the sea hath said, 'It is not with me.'
15 It cannot be obtained for gold, neither shall silver be weighed [for] the price of it.
Gold is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed — its price.
16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
It is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire,
17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it [shall not be for] jewels of fine gold.
Not equal it do gold and crystal, Nor [is] its exchange a vessel of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom [is] above rubies.
Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom [is] above rubies.
19 The topaz of Cush shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
Not equal it doth the topaz of Cush, With pure gold it is not valued.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where [is] the place of understanding?
And the wisdom — whence doth it come? And where [is] this, 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 hath been hid from the eyes of all living. And from the fowl of the heavens It hath been hidden.
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 its fame.'
23 God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth its place.
God hath understood its way, And He hath known its place.
24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, [and] seeth under the whole heaven;
For He to the ends of the earth doth look, Under the whole heavens He doth see,
25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
To make for the wind a weight, And the waters He meted out in measure.
26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
In His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices,
27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.
Then He hath seen and declareth it, He hath prepared it, and also searched it out,
28 And to man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that [is] wisdom; and to depart from evil [is] understanding.
And He saith to man: — 'Lo, fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom, And to turn from evil [is] understanding.'
