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 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 earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.
3 God hath set tyme to derknessis, and he biholdith the ende of alle thingis.
[Man] setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out to the furthest bound the stones of thick 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 breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn; they are forgotten of the foot [that passeth by]; they hang afar from men, they swing to and fro.
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 it were by fire.
6 The place of saphir ben stoonys therof, and the clottis therof ben gold.
The stones thereof 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.
That path no bird of prey knoweth, neither hath the falcon’s eye 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 hath the fierce lion passed thereby.
9 God stretchide forth his hond to a flynt; he distriede hillis fro the rootis.
He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty 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 channels 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 streams that they trickle not; 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 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, 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;
Gold and glass cannot equal it: neither shall the exchange thereof be 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: yea, 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 a rumour 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 a weight for the wind; yea, he meteth out 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 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, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
