Job 28 – read and compare multiple versions
Job 28
[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.’ ”
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.’ ”