Job 28

1 “There is a mine for silver
and a place where gold is refined.

2 Iron is taken from the earth,
and copper is smelted from ore.

3 Man puts an end to the darkness;
he searches the farthest recesses
for ore in the blackest darkness.

4 Far from where people dwell he cuts a shaft,
in places forgotten by the foot of man;
far from men he dangles and sways.

5 The earth, from which food comes,
is transformed below as by fire;

6 sapphires come from its rocks,
and its dust contains nuggets of gold.

7 No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
no falcon's eye has seen it.

8 Proud beasts do not set foot on it,
and no lion prowls there.

9 Man's hand assaults the flinty rock
and lays bare the roots of the mountains.

10 He tunnels through the rock;
his eyes see all its treasures.

11 He searches the sources of the rivers
and brings hidden things to light.

12 “But where can wisdom be found?
Where does understanding dwell?

13 Man does not comprehend its worth;
it cannot be found in the land of the living.

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

15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
nor can its price be weighed in silver.

16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,
with precious onyx or sapphires.

17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,
nor can it be had for jewels of gold.

18 Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention;
the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.

19 The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it;
it cannot be bought with pure gold.

20 “Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?

21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds of the air.

22 Destruction and Death say,
‘Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.’

23 God understands the way to it
and he alone knows where it dwells,

24 for he views the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens.

25 When he established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,

26 when he made a decree for the rain
and a path for the thunderstorm,

27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
he confirmed it and tested it.

28 And he said to man,
‘The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.’ ”

JOB 28

Job Continues

Gold and Silver Are Mined

1 Gold and silver are mined,
then purified;

2 the same is done
with iron and copper.

3 Miners carry lanterns
deep into the darkness
to search for these metals.

4 They dig tunnels
in distant, unknown places,
where they dangle by ropes.

5 Far beneath the grain fields,
fires are built
to break loose those rocks

6 that have jewels or gold.t

7 Miners go to places unseen
by the eyes of hawks;

8 they walk on soil unknown
to the proudest lions.

9 With their own hands
they remove sharp rocks
and uproot mountains.

10 They dig through the rocks
in search of jewels
and precious metals.

11 They also uncover
the sources oft rivers
and discover secret places.

Where Is Wisdom Found?

12  t But where is wisdom found?

13  t No human knows the way.t

14 Nor can it be discovered
in the deepest sea.
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15 It is worth much more
than silver or pure gold

16 or precious stones.

17 Nothing is its equal—
not gold or costly glass.t

18 Wisdom is worth much more than
coral, jasper, t or rubies.

19 All the topazt of Ethiopiat
and the finest gold
cannot compare with it.

20 Where then is wisdom?

21 It is hidden from human eyes
and even from birds.

22 Death and destruction
have merely heard rumors
about where it is found.

23  t God is the only one who knows
the way to wisdom;

24 he alone sees everything
beneath the heavens.

25 When God divided out
the wind and the water,

26 and when he decided the path
for rain and lightning,

27  t he also determined the truth
and defined wisdom.

28  t God told us, “Wisdom means
that you respect me, the Lord,
and turn from sin.”