Job Tells of Earth’s Treasures

28 “Certainly there is a [a]mine for silver
And a place [b]for refining gold.
Iron is taken from the dust,
And copper is smelted from rock.
Man puts an end to darkness,
And (A)to the farthest limit he searches out
The rock in gloom and deep shadow.
He [c]sinks a shaft away from [d]inhabited areas,
Forgotten by the foot;
They hang and swing, away from people.
[e]From the earth comes food,
And underneath, it is turned over like fire.
Its rocks are the [f]source of sapphires,
And its dust contains gold.
No bird of prey knows the path,
Nor has the falcon’s eye caught sight of it.
The [g]proud animals have not trodden it,
Nor has the lion passed over it.
He puts his hand on the flint;
He overturns the mountains at the [h]base.
10 He carves out channels through the rocks,
And his eye sees anything precious.
11 He dams up the streams from [i]flowing,
And brings to light what is hidden.

The Search for Wisdom Is Harder

12 “But (B)where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
13 (C)Mankind does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 The ocean depth says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 (D)Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it,
Nor can silver be weighed as its price.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx, or sapphire.
17 (E)Gold or glass cannot equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for articles of pure gold.
18 Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned;
And the acquisition of (F)wisdom is more valuable than pearls.
19 The topaz of [j]Cush cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in (G)pure gold.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 28:1 Lit source
  2. Job 28:1 Lit for gold they refine
  3. Job 28:4 Lit breaks open
  4. Job 28:4 Lit sojourning
  5. Job 28:5 Lit Earth, from it
  6. Job 28:6 Or place
  7. Job 28:8 Lit sons of pride
  8. Job 28:9 Lit root
  9. Job 28:11 Lit weeping
  10. Job 28:19 Or Ethiopia

Job Speaks of Wisdom and Understanding

28 “People know where to mine silver
    and how to refine gold.
They know where to dig iron from the earth
    and how to smelt copper from rock.
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.
They sink a mine shaft into the earth
    far from where anyone lives.
    They descend on ropes, swinging back and forth.
Food is grown on the earth above,
    but down below, the earth is melted as by fire.
Here the rocks contain precious lapis lazuli,
    and the dust contains gold.
These are treasures no bird of prey can see,
    no falcon’s eye observe.
No wild animal has walked upon these treasures;
    no lion has ever set his paw there.
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,[a]
    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 Ethiopia[b] cannot be exchanged for it.
    It’s worth more than the purest gold.

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Footnotes

  1. 28:13 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads knows its value.
  2. 28:19 Hebrew from Cush.