Job 28

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

Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.

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

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

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

He sets an end to darkness, and searches out all perfection: the stones of darkness, 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 breaks out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.

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

As for the earth, out of it comes bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.

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

The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it has dust of gold.

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

There is a path which no fowl knows, and which the vulture’s eye has not seen:

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

The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

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

He puts forth his hand on the rock; he overturns the mountains by the roots.

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

He cuts out rivers among the rocks; and his eye sees every precious thing.

11 He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.

He binds the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid brings he forth to light.

12 “But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?

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

13 Man doesn’t know its price, and it isn’t found in the land of the living.

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

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

The depth says, It is not in me: and the sea said, It is not with me.

15 It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.

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

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

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

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

The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.

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

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

19 The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it. It won’t be valued with pure gold.

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

20 Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?

From where then comes 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.

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

22 Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumour of it with our ears.’

Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.

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

God understands the way thereof, and he knows the place thereof.

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

For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven;

25 He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.

To make the weight for the winds; and he weighs the waters by measure.

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

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

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

Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yes, and searched it out.

28 To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”

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