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 vein for the silver, and a place for gold which they refine;
2 Irun is takun fro erthe, and a stoon resolued, `ethir meltid, bi heete, is turned in to money.
Iron is taken out of the dust, and copper is molten out of the stone.
3 God hath set tyme to derknessis, and he biholdith the ende of alle thingis.
[Man] putteth an end to the darkness, and exploreth to the utmost limit, the stones of darkness and of the shadow of death.
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.
He openeth a shaft far from the inhabitants [of the earth]: forgotten of the foot, they hang suspended; away below men they hover.
5 The erthe, wher of breed cam forth in his place, is destried bi fier.
As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as by fire;
6 The place of saphir ben stoonys therof, and the clottis therof ben gold.
The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
7 A brid knewe not the weie, and the iye of a vultur, ethir rauenouse brid, bihelde it not.
It is a path no bird of prey knoweth, and the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
8 The sones of marchauntis tretiden not on it, and a lyonesse passide not therbi.
The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed over it.
9 God stretchide forth his hond to a flynt; he distriede hillis fro the rootis.
[Man] putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.
10 He hewide doun ryuers in stoonys; and his iye siy al precious thing.
He cutteth out channels in the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing.
11 And he souyte out the depthis of floodis; and he brouyte forth hid thingis in to liyt.
He bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
12 But where is wisdom foundun, and which is the place of vndurstondyng?
But wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is the place of understanding?
13 A man noot the prijs therof, nether it is foundun in the lond of men lyuynge swetli, `ether delicatli.
Man knoweth not the value thereof; and it is not 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 deep saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 Gold ful cleene schal not be youun for wisdom, nether siluer schal be weied in the chaungyng therof.
Choice gold cannot be given for it, nor silver be weighed for its price.
16 It schal not be comparysound to the died colours of Iynde, not to the moost preciouse stoon of sardius, nether to saphir.
It is not set in the balance with gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, and the sapphire.
17 Nether gold, nether glas schal be maad euene worth therto;
Gold and glass cannot be compared to it, nor vessels of fine gold be its exchange.
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;
Corals and crystal are no more remembered; yea, the acquisition of wisdom is above 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.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be compared to it, neither shall it be set in the balance with pure gold.
20 Therfor wherof cometh wisdom, and which is the place of vndurstondyng?
Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
21 It is hid fro the iyen of alle lyuynge men; also it is hid fro briddis of heuene.
For it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowl of the heavens.
22 Perdicioun and deeth seiden, With oure eeris we herden the fame therof.
Destruction and death say, We have heard its report with our ears.
23 God vndurstondith the weye therof, and he knowith the place therof.
God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth its place:
24 For he biholdith the endis of the world, and biholdith alle thingis that ben vndur heuene.
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, he seeth under the whole heaven.
25 `Which God made weiyte to wyndis, and weiede watris in mesure.
In making a weight for the wind, and meting out the waters by measure,
26 Whanne he settide lawe to reyn, and weie to tempestis sownynge;
In appointing a statute for the rain, and a way for the thunder's flash:
27 thanne he siy wisdom, and telde out, and made redi, and souyte out.
Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, 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 unto man he said, Lo, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
