Job 28
1 “Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
For there is a place for the silver, whence it comes, and a place for the gold, whence it is refined.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.
For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone.
3 Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
He has set a bound to darkness, and he searches out every limit: a stone [is] darkness, and the shadow of death.
4 He breaks open a shaft away from where people live. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth.
There is a cutting off the torrent by reason of dust: so they that forget the right way are weakened; they are removed from [among] men.
5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread. Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
[As for] the earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were fire.
6 Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and [her] dust [supplies] man with gold.
7 That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.
[There is] a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it:
8 The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
neither have the sons of the proud trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it.
9 He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp [rock], and turned up mountains by the roots:
10 He cuts out channels amongst the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.
11 He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light.
12 “But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?
13 Man doesn’t know its price, and it isn’t found in the land of the living.
A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered among men.
14 The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’
The depth said, It is not in me: and the sea said, It is not with me.
15 It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.
One shall not give fine gold instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 It can’t be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire.
17 Gold and glass can’t equal it, neither will it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
Gold and crystal shall not be equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange.
18 No mention will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
Coral and fine pearl shall not be mentioned: but do you esteem wisdom above the most precious things.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it. It won’t be valued with pure gold.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equalled to it; it shall not be compared with pure gold.
20 Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?
Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind is the place of understanding?
21 Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
It has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.
22 Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumour of it with our ears.’
Destruction and Death said, We have heard the report of it.
23 “God understands its way, and he knows its place.
God has well ordered the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
24 For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.
For he surveys the whole [earth] under heaven, knowing the things in the earth:
25 He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.
all that he has made; the weight of the winds, the measures of the water.
26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
When he made [them], thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way for the pealing of the thunder.
27 then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.
Then he saw it, and declared it: he prepared it [and] traced it out.
28 To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
And he said to man, Behold, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.
