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 [where] they fine [it].
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 earth, and brass [is] molten [out of] the stone.
3 God hath set tyme to derknessis, and he biholdith the ende of alle thingis.
He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and 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.
The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; [even the waters] forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.
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 under it is turned up as it were 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.
[There is] a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen:
8 The sones of marchauntis tretiden not on it, and a lyonesse passide not therbi.
The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
9 God stretchide forth his hond to a flynt; he distriede hillis fro the rootis.
He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
10 He hewide doun ryuers in stoonys; and his iye siy al precious thing.
He cutteth out rivers among 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 floods from overflowing; and [the thing that is] hid bringeth he forth to light.
12 But where is wisdom foundun, and which is the place of vndurstondyng?
But where shall wisdom 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 price thereof; neither 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 depth 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.
It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed [for] the price thereof.
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 with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Nether gold, nether glas schal be maad euene worth therto;
The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it [shall not be for] jewels of fine gold.
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;
No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price 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 equal it, neither shall it be valued 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.
Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 Perdicioun and deeth seiden, With oure eeris we herden the fame therof.
Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
23 God vndurstondith the weye therof, and he knowith the place therof.
God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
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, [and] seeth under the whole heaven;
25 `Which God made weiyte to wyndis, and weiede watris in mesure.
To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
26 Whanne he settide lawe to reyn, and weie to tempestis sownynge;
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
27 thanne he siy wisdom, and telde out, and made redi, and souyte out.
Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared 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, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom; and to depart from evil [is] understanding.
