| Job 28:1 |
There is certainly a mine for silver, / And a place for gold to be refined. |
| Job 28:2 |
Iron is taken out of the earth, / And copper is smelted from rock. |
| Job 28:3 |
[The miner] sets an end to the darkness, / And to the very end he searches out / The stones of deep darkness and of gloom. |
| Job 28:4 |
He breaks open a shaft apart from where [men] dwell; / They are forgotten by the foot; / They are suspended apart from men, they sway about. |
| Job 28:5 |
The earth--from it comes forth food, / Yet underneath it, it is turned up as it were by fire. |
| Job 28:6 |
Its stones are the place of sapphires, / And [its] dust has gold. |
| Job 28:7 |
It is a path known by no bird of prey, / And the falcon's eye has not seen it. |
| Job 28:8 |
The proud beasts have not trodden it; / The fierce lion does not pass along it. |
| Job 28:9 |
The miner sends forth his hand into the flinty rock; / He overturns the mountains by [its] roots. |
| Job 28:10 |
He cuts out channels in the rocks, / And his eye sees every precious thing. |
| Job 28:11 |
He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle, / And that which is hidden he brings out to the light. |
| Job 28:12 |
But where shall wisdom be found? / And where is the place of understanding? |
| Job 28:13 |
Man does not know its price, / Nor is it found in the land of the living. |
| Job 28:14 |
The deep says, It is not in me; / And the sea says, It is not with me. |
| Job 28:15 |
Rare gold cannot be given for it, / Nor can silver be weighed out for its price. |
| Job 28:16 |
It cannot be balanced with the gold of Ophir, / With precious onyx or [with] sapphire. |
| Job 28:17 |
Gold and glass cannot compare with it, / Nor can vessels of fine gold be exchanged for it. |
| Job 28:18 |
Coral and crystal cannot be mentioned [with it;] / Indeed the acquisition of wisdom is above that of pearls. |
| Job 28:19 |
The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it, / Nor can it be balanced with pure gold. |
| Job 28:20 |
From where then does wisdom come? / And where is the place of understanding? |
| Job 28:21 |
For it is hidden from the eyes of all living / And concealed from the birds of heaven. |
| Job 28:22 |
Abaddon and Death say, / We have heard a report of it with our ears. |
| Job 28:23 |
God understands the way to it; / He knows its place. |
| Job 28:24 |
For He sees to the ends of the earth; / He beholds all that is under heaven. |
| Job 28:25 |
When He gave weight to the wind / And apportioned the water by measure, |
| Job 28:26 |
When He made a decree for the rain / And a way for the thunderbolt; |
| Job 28:27 |
Then He saw it and declared it; / He established it and even searched it out. |
| Job 28:28 |
And He said to man, / Indeed, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; / And to depart from evil is understanding. |