Job 28

¹Silver hath beginnings of its veins, and gold hath a place wherein it is melted.

²Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone melted with heat is turned into brass.

³He 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.

⁴The 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.

⁵The land, out of which bread grew in its place, hath been overturned with fire.

⁶The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and the clods of it are gold.

⁷The bird hath not known the path, neither hath the eye of the vulture beheld it.

⁸The children of the merchants have not trodden it, neither hath the lioness passed by it.

⁹He hath stretched forth his hand to the flint, he hath overturned mountains from the roots.

¹⁰In the rocks he hath cut out rivers, and his eye hath seen every precious thing.

¹¹The depths also of rivers he hath searched, and hidden things he hath brought forth to light.

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

¹³Man knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it found in the land of them that live in delights.

¹⁴The depth saith: It is not in me: and the sea saith: It is not with me.

¹⁵The finest gold shall not purchase it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.

¹⁶It shall not be compared with the dyed colours of India, or with the most precious stone sardonyx, or the sapphire.

¹⁷Gold or crystal cannot equal it, neither shall any vessels of gold be changed for it.

¹⁸High and eminent things shall not be mentioned in comparison of it: but wisdom is drawn out of secret places.

¹⁹The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equal to it, neither shall it be compared to the cleanest dyeing.

²⁰Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

²¹It is hid from the eyes of all living, and the fowls of the air know it not.

²²Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard the fame thereof.

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

²⁴For he beholdeth the ends of the world: and looketh on all things that are under heaven.

²⁵Who made a weight for the winds, and weighed the waters by measure.

²⁶When he gave a law for the rain, and a way for the sounding storms.

²⁷Then he saw it, and declared, and prepared, and searched it.

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

Job 28

¹Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.

²Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.

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

⁴The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.

⁵As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹³Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

¹⁴The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.

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

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

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

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

¹⁹The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

²⁰Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

²¹Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.

²²Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.

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

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

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

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

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

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