Job 28
Modern English Version
Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found
28 “Surely there is a mine for the silver,
and a place where they refine gold.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth,
and copper is smelted from the ore.
3 Man puts an end to darkness,
and searches every extremity
for ore in the darkness and the shadow of death.
4 He breaks open a shaft away from the inhabitants;
in places forgotten by feet
they hang far away from men; and they totter.
5 As for the earth, from it comes bread,
and underneath it is turned up as by fire.
6 Its stones are the source of sapphires,
and it has dust of gold.
7 There is a path that no bird knows,
and that the vulture’s eye has not seen;
8 the lion cubs have not trodden it,
nor has the fierce lion passed by it.
9 He puts forth his hand upon the rock;
he overturns the mountains by the roots.
10 He cuts out rivers among the rocks,
and his eye sees every precious thing.
11 He prevents the floods from overflowing,
and the thing that is hidden he brings forth to light.
12 “But where will wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
13 Man does not know its price,
nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 The depth says, ‘It is not in me,’
and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 It cannot be bought for gold,
nor can silver be weighed for its price.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
with the precious onyx or the sapphire.
17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it,
and it cannot be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention will be made of coral or of pearls,
for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it,
nor will it be valued with pure gold.
20 “From where then does wisdom come?
And where is the place of understanding?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living
and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 Destruction and Death say,
‘We have heard of its fame 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 heaven,
25 to make the weight of the wind,
and He weighs the waters by measure.
26 When He made a decree for the rain,
and a path for the lightning of the thunder,
27 then He saw it and declared it;
He prepared it, yes, and searched it out.
28 To man He said:
‘Look, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
And to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”
Iyov 28
Orthodox Jewish Bible
28 Surely there is a mine for the kesef, and a makom for zahav where they refine it.
2 Barzel (iron) is taken out of aphar, and nechoshet is smelted out of the even (stone, ore).
3 He setteth a ketz to choshech, and searcheth out all extremities, the even (ore) of darkness and tzalmavet.
4 He cuts out a shaft down far from the inhabitant; forgotten of the regel, they dangle, suspended, away from enosh.
5 As for eretz, out of it cometh lechem, and under it is transformed as by eish.
6 The stones of it are the makom of the sapphire, and it hath ore of zahav.
7 There is a hidden path of which no bird of prey has da’as, and which the falcon’s eye hath not seen.
8 The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the shachal (lion’s cub) passed over it.
9 He [the miner] putteth forth his yad upon the rock; he upturneth the mountains by the shoresh.
10 He cutteth out channels through the tzurot (rocks), and his eye seeth every precious thing.
11 He dams up the streams from flowing, and the thing that is hidden bringeth he forth to ohr.
12 But where shall chochmah be found? And where is the makom binah?
13 Enosh knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the Eretz HaChayyim.
14 The tehom (abyss) saith, It is not in me; and the yam saith, It is not with me.
15 It cannot be gotten in exchange for fine gold, neither shall kesef be weighed for the price thereof.
16 It cannot be valued with the fine gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 The zahav and the crystal cannot equal it, and the exchange of it shall not be for the jewel of gold.
18 Nor shall mention be made of coral or crystal, for the price of chochmah is above pearls.
19 The chrysolite of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with tahor gold.
20 From where then cometh chochmah? And where is the makom binah?
21 Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of kol chai, and concealed from the oph HaShomayim.
22 Abaddon and Mavet say, We have heard a rumor thereof with our ears.
23 Elohim understandeth the way to it, and He knoweth the makom thereof.
24 For He looketh to the ketzot ha’aretz, and seeth all under Shomayim.
25 The weight He appointed for the ruach, and He weigheth the mayim by measure.
26 When He made a decree for the matar, and a derech for the lightning of the thunder,
27 Az (then) did He see it, and declare it; He prepared it, yea, and searched it out.
28 And unto adam He said, See, the Yirat Adonoi, that is chochmah, and to depart from rah is binah.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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