Job 28

1 Though there is, for silver, a vein, and a place for the gold they refine;

Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.

2 Iron, out of the ore, is taken, and, stone, poureth out copper;

Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.

3 An end, hath one set to the darkness, and, into every extremity, is, he, making search, for the stone of darkness and death-shade;

[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 He hath sunken a shaft, away from the inhabitants; Places forsaken by the foot, they hang down, away from men, sway to and fro;

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 As for the earth, out of it, cometh forth bread, and, under it, is upturned, as it were fire;

As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.

6 The place of sapphires, are the stones thereof, and it hath, nuggets of gold: —

The stones thereof are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.

7 A path, the vulture hath not discerned, nor hath the eye of the hawk scanned it;

That path no bird of prey knoweth, neither hath the falcon’s eye seen it:

8 Ravenous beasts have not made a track thereof, neither hath the lion marched thereon:

The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor hath the fierce lion passed thereby.

9 Upon the flint, hath he thrust forth his hand, He hath turned up mountains by the roots;

He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.

10 Among the rocks, hath he cut open streams, and, every precious thing, hath his eye seen:

He cutteth out channels among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.

11 From trickling, he restraineth, rivers, and, some hidden thing, is he bringing out to light.

He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

12 Yet where can, Wisdom, be found? And where is the place of understanding?

But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

13 Mortal knoweth not the way thereof, neither can it be found in the land of the living;

Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

14 The resounding deep, hath said, It is not in me! And, the sea, hath said, It is not with me!

The deep saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.

15 Pure gold cannot be given in its stead, neither can silver he weighed as the value thereof;

It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

16 It cannot be put into the scales against the gold of Ophir, with costly onyx, or sapphire;

It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can, the exchange thereof, be a vessel of pure gold,

Gold and glass cannot equal it: neither shall the exchange thereof be jewels of fine gold.

18 Coral or crystal, cannot be mentioned, Yea, a possession, is wisdom, above red coral;

No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal: yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies.

19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, Against purest gold, can it not be weighed.

The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

20 Whence then cometh, wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?

Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

21 Seeing it hath been hid from the eyes of every living thing, and, from the bird of the heavens, hath it been concealed?

Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.

22 Destruction and death, have said, With our ears, have we heard the report thereof!

Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumour thereof with our ears.

23 GOD, understandeth the way thereof, and, he, discerneth the place thereof;

God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.

24 For, he, unto the ends of the earth, directeth his look, under all the heavens, he seeth;

For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;

25 Making, for the wind, a weight, and, the waters, he proved by measure,

To make a weight for the wind; yea, he meteth out the waters by measure.

26 When he made, for the rain, a decree, and a way for the lightning of thunders,

When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:

27 Then, saw he it, and declared it, He settled it, yea also he searched it out;

Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out.

28 And said to the son of earth, Lo! the reverence of the Lord, that, is wisdom, and, to avoid evil, is understanding.

And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.