Job 28
1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold which they refine;
There are silver mines and places where gold is refined.
2 Iron is taken out of the dust, and copper is molten out of the stone.
Iron is extracted from the earth and copper is smelted from its ore.
3 [Man] putteth an end to the darkness, and exploreth to the utmost limit, the stones of darkness and of the shadow of death.
Miners take lamps into the darkness underground and search for ore as far as they can go in the shadows and the gloom.
4 He openeth a shaft far from the inhabitants [of the earth]: forgotten of the foot, they hang suspended; away below men they hover.
They dig a mineshaft far from where people live or anyone ever goes. They swing from ropes that hang in the pits.
5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as by fire;
Bread comes from the earth, but underneath it looks as if it has been turned upside-down by fire.
6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
Here the rocks contain lapis lazuli and the dust contains gold.
7 It is a path no bird of prey knoweth, and the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
No birds of prey can see these paths, no falcon's eye can perceive.
8 The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed over it.
No wild beasts have passed that way; the lion has not walked there.
9 [Man] putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.
Miners attack the hard rock; they overturn the roots of mountains.
10 He cutteth out channels in the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing.
They tunnel through the rock, looking carefully for every precious stone.
11 He bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
They dam the sources of the rivers, and bring to light what is hidden.
12 But wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is the place of understanding?
But where can wisdom be found? Where is the place to gain understanding?
13 Man knoweth not the value thereof; and it is not found in the land of the living.
Human beings do not know the way to wisdom; it is not found among the living.
14 The deep saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, It is not with me.
The deep waters say, ‘It's not here,’ and the sea says, ‘It's not here either.’
15 Choice gold cannot be given for it, nor silver be weighed for its price.
It cannot be bought with gold; nor can it be purchased with silver.
16 It is not set in the balance with gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, and the sapphire.
Its value cannot be measured, even with the gold of Ophir; it is more precious than onyx or lapis lazuli.
17 Gold and glass cannot be compared to it, nor vessels of fine gold be its exchange.
Gold or fine glass cannot compare with wisdom; it cannot be exchanged for gold jewelry.
18 Corals and crystal are no more remembered; yea, the acquisition of wisdom is above rubies.
Coral and crystal are not worth mentioning; the price of wisdom is far above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be compared to it, neither shall it be set in the balance with pure gold.
Topaz from Ethiopia can't compare with it; it cannot be bought with the purest gold.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
So where does wisdom come from? Where is the place to gain understanding?
21 For it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowl of the heavens.
Wisdom is hidden from the sight of all living things, even the birds of the air cannot see it.
22 Destruction and death say, We have heard its report with our ears.
Abaddon and Death say, ‘We've only heard a rumor of it.’
23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth its place:
Only God understands the path to wisdom; he knows where it is found.
24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, he seeth under the whole heaven.
For he looks to the very end of the earth; he sees everything under heaven.
25 In making a weight for the wind, and meting out the waters by measure,
He decided how strong the wind should blow, and regulated the waters.
26 In appointing a statute for the rain, and a way for the thunder's flash:
He set a limit for the rain and made a path for the lightning.
27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out;
Then he considered wisdom. He examined it, gave it his approval, and declared it good.
28 And unto man he said, Lo, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
He said to humankind, ‘To reverence the Lord is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
