Job 28

Chapter 28

Job Speaks of Wisdom and Understanding

1 “People know where to mine silver
and how to refine gold.2 They know where to dig iron from the earth
and how to smelt copper from rock.3 They know how to shine light in the darkness
and explore the farthest regions of the earth
as they search in the dark for ore.4 They sink a mine shaft into the earth
far from where anyone lives.
They descend on ropes, swinging back and forth.5 Food is grown on the earth above,
but down below, the earth is melted as by fire.6 Here the rocks contain precious lapis lazuli,
and the dust contains gold.7 These are treasures no bird of prey can see,
no falcon’s eye observe.8 No wild animal has walked upon these treasures;
no lion has ever set his paw there.9 People know how to tear apart flinty rocks
and overturn the roots of mountains.10 They cut tunnels in the rocks
and uncover precious stones.11 They dam up the trickling streams
and bring to light the hidden treasures.12 “But do people know where to find wisdom?
Where can they find understanding?13 No one knows where to find it,
for it is not found among the living.14 ‘It is not here,’ says the ocean.
‘Nor is it here,’ says the sea.15 It cannot be bought with gold.
It cannot be purchased with silver.16 It’s worth more than all the gold of Ophir,
greater than precious onyx or lapis lazuli.17 Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal.
It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold.18 Coral and jasper are worthless in trying to get it.
The price of wisdom is far above rubies.19 Precious peridot from Ethiopiat cannot be exchanged for it.
It’s worth more than the purest gold.20 “But do people know where to find wisdom?
Where can they find understanding?21 It is hidden from the eyes of all humanity.
Even the sharp-eyed birds in the sky cannot discover it.22 Destructiont and Death say,
‘We’ve heard only rumors of where wisdom can be found.’23 “God alone understands the way to wisdom;
he knows where it can be found,24 for he looks throughout the whole earth
and sees everything under the heavens.25 He decided how hard the winds should blow
and how much rain should fall.26 He made the laws for the rain
and laid out a path for the lightning.27 Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it.
He set it in place and examined it thoroughly.28 And this is what he says to all humanity:
‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom;
to forsake evil is real 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.
*

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.”