Job 28
1 For there is a place for the silver,
whence it comes, and a place for the gold, whence it is refined.
2 For iron comes out of the earth, and
brass is hewn out like stone.
3 He has set a bound to darkness, and
he searches out every limit: a stone is darkness, and
the shadow of death. 4 There is a
cutting off of the torrent by reason of dust: so they that forget the right
way are weakened; they are removed from among men.
5 As for the
earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were
fire. 6 Her stones are the place of
the sapphire: and her dust
supplies man with gold.
7 There is a
path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it:
8 neither have the sons of the proud
trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it.
9 He has stretched forth his hand on
the sharp rock, and turned up mountains by the roots:
10 and he has interrupted the
whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.
11 And he has laid bare the depths of
rivers, and has brought his power to light.
12 But whence has wisdom been
discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?
13 A mortal has not known its way,
neither indeed has it been discovered among men.
14 The depth said, It is not in me:
and the sea said, It is not with me.
15 One shall not give fine gold
instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
16 Neither shall it be compared with
gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire.
17 Gold and crystal shall not be
equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange.
18 Coral and fine pearl shall not be
mentioned: but do thou esteem wisdom above the most precious things.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be
equalled to it; it shall not be compared with pure gold.
20 Whence then is wisdom found? and
of what kind is the place of understanding?
21 It has escaped the notice of every
man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.
22 Destruction and Death said, We
have heard the report of it.
23 God has well ordered the way of
it, and he knows the place of it.
24 For he surveys the whole
earth under heaven, knowing the things in the earth:
25 all that he has made; the weight
of the winds, the measures of the water.
26 When he made
them, thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way
for the pealing of the thunder.
27 Then he saw it, and declared it:
he prepared it and traced it out.
28 And he said to man, Behold,
godliness is wisdom; and to abstain from evil is understanding.