Job 28

Job Tells of Earth’s Treasures

1“Certainly there is a 1mine for silver And a place 2for refining 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 away from 5inhabited areas, Forgotten by the foot; They hang and swing, away from people.56From the earth comes food, And underneath, it is turned over like fire.6Its rocks are the 7source of sapphires, And its dust contains gold.7No bird of prey knows the path, Nor has the falcon’s eye caught sight of it.8The 8proud animals have not trodden it, Nor has the lion passed over it.9He puts his hand on the flint; He overturns the mountains at the 9base.10He carves out channels through the rocks, And his eye sees anything precious.11He dams up the streams from 10flowing, And brings to light what is hidden.

The Search for Wisdom Is Harder

12“But 11where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?1312Mankind does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living.14The ocean depth says, ‘It is not in me’; And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’1513Pure 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.1714Gold or glass cannot equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for articles of pure gold.18Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned; And the acquisition of 15wisdom is more valuable than pearls.19The topaz of 16Cush cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in 17pure gold.2018Where then does wisdom come from? And where is this place of understanding?21It is hidden from the eyes of every living creature, And concealed from the birds of the sky.221920Abaddon and Death say, ‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’

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