Job 28

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

2. Iron is taken out of the earth, and bronze is melted out of the stone.

3. Man puts an end to darkness, and to the farthest limits they search out the ore in the darkness of the mine and in the shadow of death.

4. He opens a shaft away from where men travel, in places forgotten by men’s feet; they hang and swing to and fro far away from men.

5. As to the earth, out of it comes bread; but from underneath it is turned up like fire.

6. Its stones are the place of sapphires; and it has dust of gold.

7. There is a path which no bird knows, nor the vulture’s eye has seen it;

8. And the proud beasts have not walked on it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

9. He puts forth His hand on the flinty places; He overturns the mountains by the roots.

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

11. He holds back the streams from flowing; and the hidden thing He brings to light.

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

13. Man does not know the price of it; nor is it found in the land of the living.

14. The deep says, ‘It is not in me;’ and the sea says, ‘It is not in me.’

15. Pure gold cannot be given instead of it, nor silver be weighed as its price.

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

17. Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for the jewels of fine gold.

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

19. The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it; it cannot be valued against pure gold.

20. From where then does wisdom come, and where is the place of understanding?

21. Yea, it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the heavens.

22. Destruction and death say, ‘We have heard the fame of it with our ears.’

23. God understands the way of it, and He knows its place.

24. For He looks to the end of the earth, and sees under the whole heavens;

25. He endowed the winds with weight, and gauged the waters by measure.

26. When He made a decree for the rain, and a path for the thunderstorm;

27. Then He saw it, and declared it; He prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

28. And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom! And to depart from evil is understanding!’ ”