Job 28
1 Siluer hath bigynnyngis of his veynes; and a place is to gold, in which it is wellid togidere.
Truly there is a vein for silver, And a place for gold, which men refine.
2 Irun is takun fro erthe, and a stoon resolued, `ethir meltid, bi heete, is turned in to money.
Iron is obtained from earth, And stone is melted into copper.
3 God hath set tyme to derknessis, and he biholdith the ende of alle thingis.
Man putteth an end to darkness; He searcheth to the lowest depths For the stone 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.
From the place where they dwell they open a shaft; Forgotten by the feet, They hang down, they swing away from men.
5 The erthe, wher of breed cam forth in his place, is destried bi fier.
The earth, out of which cometh bread, Is torn up underneath, as it were by fire.
6 The place of saphir ben stoonys therof, and the clottis therof ben gold.
Her stones are the place of sapphires, And she hath clods of gold for man.
7 A brid knewe not the weie, and the iye of a vultur, ethir rauenouse brid, bihelde it not.
The path thereto no bird 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 fierce wild beast hath not trodden it; The lion hath not passed over it.
9 God stretchide forth his hond to a flynt; he distriede hillis fro the rootis.
Man layeth his hand upon the rock; He upturneth mountains from their roots;
10 He hewide doun ryuers in stoonys; and his iye siy al precious thing.
He cleaveth out streams 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 up the streams, that they trickle not, And bringeth hidden things 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, Nor can it be 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.
It cannot be gotten for gold, Nor shall silver be weighed out as 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 bought with the gold of Ophir, With the precious onyx or the sapphire.
17 Nether gold, nether glas schal be maad euene worth therto;
Gold and crystal are not to be compared with it; Nor can it be purchased with 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 crystal; For wisdom is more precious than pearls.
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 cannot equal it, Nor can it be purchased 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.
Since it is hidden 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 a rumor of it with our ears.
23 God vndurstondith the weye therof, and he knowith the place therof.
God knoweth the way to it; He knoweth its dwelling-place.
24 For he biholdith the endis of the world, and biholdith alle thingis that ben vndur heuene.
For he seeth to the ends of the earth, And surveyeth all things under the whole heaven.
25 `Which God made weiyte to wyndis, and weiede watris in mesure.
When he gave the winds their weight, And meted out the waters by measure;
26 Whanne he settide lawe to reyn, and weie to tempestis sownynge;
When he prescribed a law to the rain, And a path to the thunder-flash, —
27 thanne he siy wisdom, and telde out, and made redi, and souyte out.
Then did he see it, and make it known; 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.
But he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.
