Job 28:1-28 WEB

[1] “Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine. [2] Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore. [3] Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness. [4] He breaks open a shaft away from where people live. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth. [5] As for the earth, out of it comes bread. Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire. [6] Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold. [7] That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it. [8] The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there. [9] He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots. [10] He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing. [11] He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light. [12] “But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding? [13] Man doesn’t know its price, and it isn’t found in the land of the living. [14] The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’ [15] It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price. [16] It can’t be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. [17] Gold and glass can’t equal it, neither will it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. [18] No mention will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies. [19] The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it. It won’t be valued with pure gold. [20] Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding? [21] Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky. [22] Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’ [23] “God understands its way, and he knows its place. [24] For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky. [25] He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure. [26] When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder, [27] then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out. [28] To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”