Job 28
1 Siluer hath bigynnyngis of his veynes; and a place is to gold, in which it is wellid togidere.
“Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
2 Irun is takun fro erthe, and a stoon resolued, `ethir meltid, bi heete, is turned in to money.
Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
3 God hath set tyme to derknessis, and he biholdith the ende of alle thingis.
Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.
4 Also a stronde departith a stoon of derknesse, and the schadewe of deth, fro the puple goynge in pilgrymage; it departith tho hillis, whiche the foot of a nedi man foryat, and hillis with out weie.
Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.
5 The erthe, wher of breed cam forth in his place, is destried bi fier.
Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.
6 The place of saphir ben stoonys therof, and the clottis therof ben gold.
Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.
7 A brid knewe not the weie, and the iye of a vultur, ethir rauenouse brid, bihelde it not.
No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8 The sones of marchauntis tretiden not on it, and a lyonesse passide not therbi.
Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
9 God stretchide forth his hond to a flynt; he distriede hillis fro the rootis.
The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
10 He hewide doun ryuers in stoonys; and his iye siy al precious thing.
He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
11 And he souyte out the depthis of floodis; and he brouyte forth hid thingis in to liyt.
He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
12 But where is wisdom foundun, and which is the place of vndurstondyng?
But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
13 A man noot the prijs therof, nether it is foundun in the lond of men lyuynge swetli, `ether delicatli.
No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 The depthe of watris seith, It is not in me; and the see spekith, It is not with me.
The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’
15 Gold ful cleene schal not be youun for wisdom, nether siluer schal be weied in the chaungyng therof.
It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
16 It schal not be comparysound to the died colours of Iynde, not to the moost preciouse stoon of sardius, nether to saphir.
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Nether gold, nether glas schal be maad euene worth therto;
Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
18 and hiye and fer apperynge vessels of gold schulen not be chaungid for wisdom, nether schulen be had in mynde in comparisoun therof. Forsothe wisdom is drawun of pryuy thingis;
Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 topasie of Ethiope schal not be maad euene worth to wisdom, and moost preciouse diyngis schulen not be set togidere in prijs, `ether comparisound, therto.
Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20 Therfor wherof cometh wisdom, and which is the place of vndurstondyng?
From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
21 It is hid fro the iyen of alle lyuynge men; also it is hid fro briddis of heuene.
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 Perdicioun and deeth seiden, With oure eeris we herden the fame therof.
Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
23 God vndurstondith the weye therof, and he knowith the place therof.
But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
24 For he biholdith the endis of the world, and biholdith alle thingis that ben vndur heuene.
For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
25 `Which God made weiyte to wyndis, and weiede watris in mesure.
When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
26 Whanne he settide lawe to reyn, and weie to tempestis sownynge;
when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,
27 thanne he siy wisdom, and telde out, and made redi, and souyte out.
then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.
28 And he seide to man, Lo! the drede of the Lord, thilke is wisdom; and to go awei fro yuel, is vndurstondyng.
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
