Job 28
1 For there is a place for the silver, whence it comes, and a place for the gold, whence it is refined.
Surely there is for silver a source, And a place for the gold they refine;
2 For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone.
Iron from the dust is taken, And [from] the firm stone brass.
3 He has set a bound to darkness, and he searches out every limit: a stone [is] darkness, and the shadow of death.
An end hath he set to darkness, And to all perfection he is searching, A stone of darkness and death-shade.
4 There is a cutting off the torrent by reason of dust: so they that forget the right way are weakened; they are removed from [among] men.
A stream hath broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, from man they wandered.
5 [As for] the earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were fire.
The earth! from it cometh forth bread, And its under-part is turned like fire.
6 Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and [her] dust [supplies] man with gold.
A place of the sapphire [are] its stones, And it hath dust of gold.
7 [There is] a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it:
A path — not known it hath a ravenous fowl, Nor scorched it hath an eye of the kite,
8 neither have the sons of the proud trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it.
Nor trodden it have the sons of pride, Not passed over it hath the fierce lion.
9 He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp [rock], and turned up mountains by the roots:
Against the flint he sent forth his hand, He overturned from the root mountains.
10 and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.
Among rocks, brooks he hath cleaved, And every precious thing hath his eye seen.
11 And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light.
From overflowing floods he hath bound, And the hidden thing bringeth out [to] light.
12 But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?
And the wisdom — whence is it found? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
13 A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered among men.
Man hath not known its arrangement, Nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 The depth said, It is not in me: and the sea said, It is not with me.
The deep hath said, 'It [is] not in me,' And the sea hath said, 'It is not with me.'
15 One shall not give fine gold instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
Gold is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed — its price.
16 Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire.
It is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire,
17 Gold and crystal shall not be equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange.
Not equal it do gold and crystal, Nor [is] its exchange a vessel of fine gold.
18 Coral and fine pearl shall not be mentioned: but do thou esteem wisdom above the most precious things.
Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom [is] above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equalled to it; it shall not be compared with pure gold.
Not equal it doth the topaz of Cush, With pure gold it is not valued.
20 Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind is the place of understanding?
And the wisdom — whence doth it come? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
21 It has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.
It hath been hid from the eyes of all living. And from the fowl of the heavens It hath been hidden.
22 Destruction and Death said, We have heard the report of it.
Destruction and death have said: 'With our ears we have heard its fame.'
23 God has well ordered the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
God hath understood its way, And He hath known its place.
24 For he surveys the whole [earth] under heaven, knowing the things in the earth:
For He to the ends of the earth doth look, Under the whole heavens He doth see,
25 all that he has made; the weight of the winds, the measures of the water.
To make for the wind a weight, And the waters He meted out in measure.
26 When he made [them], thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way for the pealing of the thunder.
In His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices,
27 Then he saw it, and declared it: he prepared it [and] traced it out.
Then He hath seen and declareth it, He hath prepared it, and also searched it out,
28 And he said to man, Behold, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.
And He saith to man: — 'Lo, fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom, And to turn from evil [is] understanding.'
