Job 28
1 Surely there is for silver a source, And a place for the gold they refine;
For truly there is a source for the silver, and a place for the gold which men refine.
2 Iron from the dust is taken, And [from] the firm stone brass.
Iron is taken out of the dust, and the stone is melted into copper.
3 An end hath he set to darkness, And to all perfection he is searching, A stone of darkness and death-shade.
An end doth he set to darkness, and the very utmost limit doth he search out, the stones of darkness, and of the shadow of death.
4 A stream hath broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, from man they wandered.
He breaketh a channel far from the inhabited place; those of unsteady foot, the poorest of men move [there about].
5 The earth! from it cometh forth bread, And its under-part is turned like fire.
The earth, out of which cometh forth bread, is under its surface turned up as it were with fire.
6 A place of the sapphire [are] its stones, And it hath dust of gold.
Her stones are the place whence the sapphire cometh; and golden dust is also there;
7 A path — not known it hath a ravenous fowl, Nor scorched it hath an eye of the kite,
[On the] path which no bird of prey knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not surveyed;
8 Nor trodden it have the sons of pride, Not passed over it hath the fierce lion.
[Which] ravenous beasts have never trodden, over which the lion hath never passed.
9 Against the flint he sent forth his hand, He overturned from the root mountains.
To the flinty rock he stretcheth forth his hand; he overturneth the mountains from the root.
10 Among rocks, brooks he hath cleaved, And every precious thing hath his eye seen.
Amid rocks he heweth out canals: and every precious thing doth his eye behold.
11 From overflowing floods he hath bound, And the hidden thing bringeth out [to] light.
The various droppings of water he uniteth into streams, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
12 And the wisdom — whence is it found? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
But wisdom—where shall she he found? and where is the place of understanding?
13 Man hath not known its arrangement, Nor is it found in the land of the living.
Man knoweth not her value: and she is not to be found in the land of the living.
14 The deep hath said, 'It [is] not in me,' And the sea hath said, 'It is not with me.'
The deep saith, Not in me is she: and the sea saith, She is not with me.
15 Gold is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed — its price.
No fine gold can be given in lieu of her, and silver cannot be weighed out as her price.
16 It is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire,
She cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Not equal it do gold and crystal, Nor [is] its exchange a vessel of fine gold.
She cannot be estimated after gold and glass; and not in exchange for her [can] vessels of refined gold [be taken.]
18 Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom [is] above rubies.
Coral and crystal will not be thought of; and the value of wisdom is above pearls.
19 Not equal it doth the topaz of Cush, With pure gold it is not valued.
She cannot be estimated after the topaz of Ethiopia, nor can she be valued with pure gold.
20 And the wisdom — whence doth it come? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
But wisdom—whence cometh she? and where is the place of understanding?
21 It hath been hid from the eyes of all living. And from the fowl of the heavens It hath been hidden.
Yea, she is hidden from the eyes of all living, and from the fowls of the heavens is she concealed.
22 Destruction and death have said: 'With our ears we have heard its fame.'
Perdition and death say, With our ears have we heard a report of her.
23 God hath understood its way, And He hath known its place.
God [alone] understandeth her way, and he knoweth her place;
24 For He to the ends of the earth doth look, Under the whole heavens He doth see,
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, [whatever is] under the whole heaven doth he see.
25 To make for the wind a weight, And the waters He meted out in measure.
When he imparted weight unto the wind; and [when] the waters he established by measure;
26 In His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices,
When he made a law for the rain, and a way for the lightning of [his] thunders;
27 Then He hath seen and declareth it, He hath prepared it, and also searched it out,
Then did he see her, and make her known; he established her, and also searched her out.
28 And He saith to man: — 'Lo, fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom, And to turn from evil [is] understanding.'
And he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to eschew evil is understanding.
