Job 28

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

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

2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.

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

3 Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.

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 He breaks open a shaft away from where people live. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth.

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 As for the earth, out of it comes bread; Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.

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

6 Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.

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

7 That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon's eye seen it.

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

8 The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.

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

9 He puts forth his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.

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

10 He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.

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

11 He binds the streams that they do not trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings forth to light.

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

12 "But where shall wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?

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

13 Man doesn't know its price; Neither is it found in the land of the living.

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

14 The deep says, 'It isn't in me.' The sea says, 'It isn't with me.'

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

15 It can't be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for its price.

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

16 It can't be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

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

17 Gold and glass can't equal it, neither shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

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

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

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 equal it, Neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

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

20 From where then comes wisdom? Where is the place of understanding?

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

21 Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.

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

22 Destruction and Death say, 'We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.'

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

23 "God understands its way, and he knows its place.

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

24 For he looks to the farthest parts of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.

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

25 He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out 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 rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder;

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

27 then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.

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

28 To man he said, 'Look, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.'"

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