Job 28

1 The siluer surely hath his veyne, and ye gold his place, where they take it.

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

2 Yron is taken out of the dust, and brasse is molten out of the stone.

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

3 God putteth an end to darkenesse, and he tryeth the perfection of all things: he setteth a bond of darkenesse, and of the shadowe of death.

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.

4 The flood breaketh out against the inhabitant, and the waters forgotten of the foote, being higher then man, are gone away.

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.

5 Out of the same earth commeth bread, and vnder it, as it were fire is turned vp.

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

6 The stones thereof are a place of saphirs, and the dust of it is golde.

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

7 There is a path which no foule hath knowen, neyther hath the kites eye seene it.

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

8 The lyons whelpes haue not walked it, nor the lyon passed thereby.

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

9 He putteth his hand vpon the rockes, and ouerthroweth the mountaines by the rootes.

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

10 He breaketh riuers in the rockes, and his eye seeth euery precious thing.

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

11 He bindeth the floods, that they doe not ouerflowe, and the thing that is hid, bringeth he to light.

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

12 But where is wisdome found? and where is the place of vnderstanding?

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

13 Man knoweth not the price thereof: for it is not found in the land of the liuing.

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

14 The depth sayth, It is not in mee: the sea also sayth, It is not with me.

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

15 Golde shall not be giuen for it, neyther shall siluer be weighed for the price thereof.

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

16 It shall not be valued with the wedge of golde of Ophir, nor with the precious onix, nor the saphir.

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

17 The golde nor the chrystall shall be equall vnto it, nor the exchange shalbe for plate of fine golde.

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

18 No mention shall be made of coral, nor of the gabish: for wisedome is more precious then pearles.

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

19 The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equall vnto it, neither shall it be valued with the wedge of pure gold.

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

20 Whence then commeth wisedome? and where is the place of vnderstanding,

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

21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all the liuing, and is hid from the foules of the heauen?

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

22 Destruction and death say, We haue heard the fame thereof with our eares.

Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard the fame thereof.

23 But God vnderstandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.

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

24 For he beholdeth the endes of the world, and seeth all that is vnder heauen,

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

25 To make the weight of the windes, and to weigh the waters by measure.

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

26 When he made a decree for the rayne, and a way for the lightening of the thunders,

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

27 Then did he see it, and counted it: he prepared it and also considered it.

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

28 And vnto man he said, Behold, the feare of the Lord is wisedome, and to depart from euil is vnderstanding.

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