Job 28-29
Contemporary English Version
Job Continues
Gold and Silver Are Mined
28 Gold and silver are mined,
then purified;
2 the same is done
with iron and copper.
3 Miners carry lanterns
deep into the darkness
to search for these metals.
4 They dig tunnels
in distant, unknown places,
where they dangle by ropes.
5 Far beneath the grain fields,
fires are built
to break loose those rocks
6 that have jewels or gold.[a]
7 Miners go to places unseen
by the eyes of hawks;
8 they walk on soil unknown
to the proudest lions.
9 With their own hands
they remove sharp rocks
and uproot mountains.
10 They dig through the rocks
in search of jewels
and precious metals.
11 They also uncover
the sources of[b] rivers
and discover secret places.
Where Is Wisdom Found?
12 (A) But where is wisdom found?
13 (B) No human knows the way.[c]
14 Nor can it be discovered
in the deepest sea.
* 15 It is worth much more
than silver or pure gold
16 or precious stones.
17 Nothing is its equal—
not gold or costly glass.[d]
18 Wisdom is worth much more than
coral, jasper,[e] or rubies.
19 All the topaz[f] of Ethiopia[g]
and the finest gold
cannot compare with it.
20 Where then is wisdom?
21 It is hidden from human eyes
and even from birds.
22 Death and destruction
have merely heard rumors
about where it is found.
23 (C) God is the only one who knows
the way to wisdom;
24 he alone sees everything
beneath the heavens.
25 When God divided out
the wind and the water,
26 and when he decided the path
for rain and lightning,
27 (D) he also determined the truth
and defined wisdom.
28 (E) God told us, “Wisdom means
that you respect me, the Lord,
and turn from sin.”
Job Continues
I Long for the Past
29 Job said:
2 I long for the past,
when God took care of me,
3 and the light from his lamp
showed me the way
through the dark.
4 I was in the prime of life,
God All-Powerful
was my closest friend,
5 and all of my children
were nearby.
6 My herds gave enough milk
to bathe my feet,
and from my olive harvest
flowed rivers of oil.
* 7 When I sat down at the meeting
of the city council,
8 the young leaders stepped aside,
* 9 while the older ones stood
10 and remained silent.
Everyone Was Pleased
11 Everyone was pleased
with what I said and did.
12 When poor people or orphans
cried out for help,
I came to their rescue.
13 And I was highly praised
for my generosity to widows
and others in poverty.
14 Kindness and justice
were my coat and hat;
15 I was helpful to the blind
and to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy,
and I defended them in court,
even if they were strangers.
17 When criminals attacked,
I broke their teeth
and set their victims free.
18 I felt certain that I would live
a long and happy life,
then die in my own bed.
19 In those days I was strong
like a tree with deep roots
and with plenty of water,
20 or like an archer's new bow.
21 Everyone listened in silence
to my welcome advice,
22 and when I finished speaking,
nothing needed to be said.
23 My words were eagerly accepted
like the showers of spring,
24 and the smile on my face
renewed everyone's hopes.
25 My advice was followed
as though I were a king
leading my troops,
or someone comforting
those in sorrow.
Footnotes
- 28.6 gold: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verses 5,6.
- 28.11 uncover the sources of: Two ancient translations; Hebrew “dam up.”
- 28.13 the way: Or “its worth.”
- 28.17 costly glass: In the ancient world, objects made of glass were costly.
- 28.18 jasper: A valuable stone, usually green or clear.
- 28.19 topaz: A valuable, yellow stone.
- 28.19 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has “Cush,” which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.
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