Job

28 Though there is for silver a vein, And a place for the gold they refine;

2 Iron out of the ore is taken, And stone poureth out copper;

3 An end hath one set to the darkness, And into every extremity is he making search, For the stone of darkness and death-shade;

4 He hath sunken a shaft away from the inhabitants, Places forsaken by the foot, They hang down away from men sway to and fro;

5 As for the earth out of it cometh forth bread, And under it is upturned as it were fire;

6 The place of sapphires are the stones thereof, And it hath nuggets of gold:—

7 A path the vulture hath not discerned, Nor hath the eye of the hawk scanned it;

8 Ravenous beasts have not made a track thereof, Neither hath the lion marched thereon:

9 Upon the flint hath he thrust forth his hand, He hath turned up mountains by the roots;

10 Among the rocks hath he cut open streams, And every precious thing hath his eye seen:

11 From trickling he restraineth rivers, And some hidden thing is he bringing out to light

12 Yet where can Wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

13 Mortal knoweth not the way thereof, Neither can it be found in the land of the living;

14 The resounding deep hath said, It is not in me! And the sea hath said, It is not with me!

15 Pure gold cannot be given in its stead, Neither can silver be weighed as the value thereof;

16 It cannot be put into the scales against the gold of Ophir, With costly onyx or sapphire;

17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, Nor can the exchange thereof be a vessel of pure gold,

18 Coral or crystal cannot be mentioned, Yea a possession is wisdom above red coral;

19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, Against purest gold can it not be weighed.

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

21 Seeing it hath been hid from the eyes of every living thing, And from the bird of the heavens hath it been concealed?

22 Destruction and death have said, With our ears have we heard the report thereof!

23 God understandeth the way thereof, And he discerneth the place thereof;

24 For he unto the ends of the earth directeth his look, Under all the heavens he seeth;

25 Making for the wind a weight, And the waters he proved by measure,

26 When he made for the rain a decree, And a way for the lightning of thunders

27 Then saw he it and declared it, He settled it, yea also he searched it out;

28 And said to the son of earth, Lo! the reverence of the Lord that is wisdom, And to avoid evil is understanding.