Job 28

1 “Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.

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

3 Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.

4 Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.

5 Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.

6 Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.

7 No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.

8 Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.

9 The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.

10 He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.

11 He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.

12 But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?

13 No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.

14 The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’

15 It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.

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

17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.

18 Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.

19 Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.

20 From where, then, does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?

21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.

22 Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’

23 But God understands its way, and He knows its place.

24 For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

25 When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,

26 when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,

27 then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.

28 And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

1 ¶ 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 brass [is] molten [out of] the stone.

3 He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.

4 The flood breaketh 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 cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.

6 The stones of it [are] the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.

7 [There is] a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:

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

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

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

11 He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and [the thing that is] hid bringeth he forth to light.

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

13 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.

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

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

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

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

19 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?

21 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 the fame thereof with our ears.

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

24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, [and] seeth under the whole heaven;

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

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

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

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

1 Silver hath its courses, and gold hath its place, where it is melted.

2 Iron is brought out of the earth, and ore is smelted out of stones.

3 There shall ever be an end of darkness, and someone shall at last find the slate hid deep.

4 And such a brook cometh up, that they that dwell therein lose their way thither: and it falleth again, and passeth away from among the people.

5 Fire also is brought up out of the ground beneath, when there is food growing up above.

6 Sapphires are found in many places, and nuggets of earth where there is gold.

7 no bird hath seen the path, no vulture's eye hath seen it.

8 The proud children have not trodden upon it, neither have any lions trodden upon it.

9 And they lay hands on the rocks, and dig up the mountains.

10 Streams are plucked out of the rocks; and all that is good is seen of the eye.

11 Forbid the river of water, and bring to light that which is hid therein.

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

13 No man knoweth where it is, neither is it found in the land of the living.

14 The bottomless pit saith, She is not in me: and the sea saith, She is not with me.

15 Gold cannot be given for them, neither can silver be weighed to pay for them.

16 It is not like unto her ophiric gold, or precious onyx and sapphire.

17 Gold and jewels shall not be like her, neither shall gold change for her.

18 Ramoth and Gabi are not esteemed. Wisdom is to be weighed higher than pearls.

19 Topazius from Mohrenland is not equally esteemed to her, and the purest gold is not equally esteemed to her. 20: Whence then is wisdom, and where is the place of understanding?

21 It is hid from the eyes of all the living, even from the birds of the air. Twenty-two: Damnation and death speak: We have heard with our ears their rumor.

23 God knoweth the way thereof, and knoweth the place thereof.

24 For he seeth the ends of the earth, and beholdeth all things under heaven.

25 And he made the wind his weight, and set the waters their measure,

26 For he made the rain a goal, and the lightning and the thunder a way,

27 Then saw he them, and told them, and prepared them, and invented them;

28 And said unto the man, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to shun evil, that is understanding.