Job 28
1 “Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold which they refine;
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.
Iron is taken out of the dust, and copper is molten out of the stone.
3 Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
[Man] putteth an end to the darkness, and exploreth to the utmost limit, the stones of darkness and of 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.
He openeth a shaft far from the inhabitants [of the earth]: forgotten of the foot, they hang suspended; away below men they hover.
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 cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as by fire;
6 Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
7 That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.
It is a path no bird of prey knoweth, and the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
8 The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed over it.
9 He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
[Man] putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.
10 He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
He cutteth out channels in the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing.
11 He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
He bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
12 “But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
But wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is the place of understanding?
13 Man doesn’t know its price, and it isn’t found in the land of the living.
Man knoweth not the value thereof; and it is not found in the land of the living.
14 The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’
The deep saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.
Choice gold cannot be given for it, nor silver be weighed for its price.
16 It can’t be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
It is not set in the balance with gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, and the sapphire.
17 Gold and glass can’t equal it, neither will it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
Gold and glass cannot be compared to it, nor vessels of fine gold be its exchange.
18 No mention will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
Corals and crystal are no more remembered; yea, the acquisition of wisdom is above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it. It won’t be valued with pure gold.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be compared to it, neither shall it be set in the balance with pure gold.
20 Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?
Whence then cometh wisdom? and where 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.
For it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowl of the heavens.
22 Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
Destruction and death say, We have heard its report with our ears.
23 “God understands its way, and he knows its place.
God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth its place:
24 For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, he seeth under the whole heaven.
25 He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.
In making a weight for the wind, and meting out the waters by measure,
26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
In appointing a statute for the rain, and a way for the thunder's flash:
27 then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.
Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out;
28 To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
And unto man he said, Lo, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
