Job 28

Job Tells of Earth’s Treasures

1“Surely there is a 1mine for silver And a place 2where they refine gold.2Iron is taken from the dust, And copper is smelted from rock.3Man puts an end to darkness, And 3to the farthest limit he searches out The rock in gloom and deep shadow.4He 4sinks a shaft far from 5habitation, Forgotten by the foot; They hang and swing to and fro far from men.5The earth, from it comes food, And underneath it is turned up as fire.6Its rocks are the 6source of sapphires, And its dust contains gold.7The path no bird of prey knows, Nor has the falcon’s eye caught sight of it.8The 7proud beasts have not trodden it, Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.9He puts his hand on the flint; He overturns the mountains at the 8base.10He hews out channels through the rocks, And his eye sees anything precious.11He dams up the streams from 9flowing, And what is hidden he brings out to the light.

The Search for Wisdom Is Harder

12“But 10where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?1311Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living.14The deep says, ‘It is not in me’; And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’1512Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it, Nor can silver be weighed as its price.16It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, In precious onyx, or sapphire.1713Gold or glass cannot equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.18Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned; And the acquisition of 14wisdom is above that of pearls.19The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in 15pure gold.2016Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding?21Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living And concealed from the birds of the sky.221718Abaddon and Death say, ‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’

23“19God understands its way, And He knows its place.24For He 20looks to the ends of the earth And sees everything under the heavens.25When He imparted 21weight to the wind And 22meted out the waters by measure,26When He set a 23limit for the rain And a course for the 24thunderbolt,27Then He saw it and declared it; He established it and also searched it out.28And to man He said, ‘Behold, the 25fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.’”