Job 28

1 Silver hath beginnings of its veins, and gold hath a place wherein it is melted.

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

2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone melted with heat is turned into brass.

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

3 He hath set a time for darkness, and the end of all things he considereth, the stone also that is in the dark and the shadow of death.

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 The flood divideth from the people that are on their journey, those whom the food of the needy man hath forgotten, and who cannot be come at.

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 land, out of which bread grew in its place, hath been overturned with fire.

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

6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and the clods of it are gold.

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

7 The bird hath not known the path, neither hath the eye of the vulture beheld it.

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

8 The children of the merchants have not trodden it, neither hath the lioness passed by it.

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

9 He hath stretched forth his hand to the flint, he hath overturned mountains from the roots.

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

10 In the rocks he hath cut out rivers, and his eye hath seen every precious thing.

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

11 The depths also of rivers he hath searched, and hidden things he hath brought forth to light.

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

12 But where is wisdom to be found, and where is the place of understanding?

But wisdom, where shall it be found? And where is the place of understanding?

13 Man knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it found in the land of them that live in delights.

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

14 The depth saith: It is not in me: and the sea saith: It is not with me.

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

15 The finest gold shall not purchase it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.

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

16 It shall not be compared with the dyed colours of India, or with the most precious stone sardonyx, or the sapphire.

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

17 Gold or crystal cannot equal it, neither shall any vessels of gold be changed for it.

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

18 High and eminent things shall not be mentioned in comparison of it: but wisdom is drawn out of secret places.

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

19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equal to it, neither shall it be compared to the cleanest dyeing.

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 It is hid from the eyes of all living. and the fowls of the air know it not.

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 we have heard the fame thereof.

Destruction and Death say: 'We have heard a rumor thereof with our ears.'

23 God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth the place thereof.

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

24 For he beholdeth the ends of the world: and looketh on all things that are under heaven.

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

25 Who made a weight for the winds and weighed the waters by measure.

When He maketh a weight for the wind, and meteth out the waters by measure.

26 When he gave a law for the rain, and a way for the sounding storms.

When He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the storm of thunders;

27 Then he saw it, and declared, and prepared, and searched it.

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

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

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