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Job 28
Common English Bible
Job 28
Common English Bible
Expertise in mining
28 There is a sure source of silver,
a place where gold is refined.
2 Iron is taken from the earth;
rock is smelted into copper.
3 Humans[a] put an end to darkness,
dig for ore to the farthest depths,
into stone in utter darkness,
4 open a shaft away from any inhabitant,
places forgotten by those on foot,
apart from any human they hang and sway.
5 Earth—from it comes food—
is turned over below ground as by fire.[b]
6 Its rocks are the source for lapis lazuli;
there is gold dust in it.
7 A path—
no bird of prey knows it;
a hawk’s eye hasn’t seen it;
8 proud beasts haven’t trodden on it;
a lion hasn’t crossed over it.
9 Humans thrust their hands into flint,
pull up mountains from their roots,
10 cut channels into rocks;
their eyes see everything precious.
11 They dam up the sources of rivers;
hidden things come to light.
Wisdom’s value
12 But wisdom, where can it be found;
where is the place of understanding?
13 Humankind doesn’t know its value;
it isn’t found in the land of the living.
14 The Deep[c] says, “It’s not with me”;
the Sea[d] says, “Not alongside me!”
15 It can’t be bought with gold;
its price can’t be measured in silver,
16 can’t be weighed against gold from Ophir,
with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.
17 Neither gold nor glass can compare with it;
she can’t be acquired with gold jewelry.
18 Coral and jasper shouldn’t be mentioned;
the price of wisdom is more than rubies.
19 Cushite topaz won’t compare with her;
she can’t be set alongside pure gold.
20 But wisdom, where does she come from?
Where is the place of understanding?
21 She’s hidden from the eyes of all the living,
concealed from birds of the sky.
22 Destruction[e] and Death have said,
“We’ve heard a report of her.”
23 God understands her way;
he knows her place;
24 for he looks to the ends of the earth
and surveys everything beneath the heavens.
25 In order to weigh the wind,
to prepare a measure for waters,
26 when he made a decree for the rain,
a path for thunderbolts,
27 then he observed it, spoke of it,
established it, searched it out,
28 and said to humankind: “Look,
the fear of the Lord is wisdom;
turning from evil is understanding.”
Job 28
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Job 28
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Job’s Hymn to Wisdom
28 Surely there is a mine for silver
and a place where gold is refined.
2 Iron is taken from the ground,
and copper is smelted from ore.
3 A miner puts an end to the darkness;
he probes[a] the deepest recesses
for ore in the gloomy darkness.
4 He cuts a shaft far from human habitation,
in places unknown to those who walk above ground.[b]
Suspended far away from people,
the miners swing back and forth.
5 Food may come from the earth,
but below the surface the earth is transformed as by fire.
6 Its rocks are a source of sapphire,[c](A)
containing flecks of gold.
7 No bird of prey knows that path;
no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8 Proud beasts have never walked on it;
no lion has ever prowled over it.
9 The miner strikes the flint
and transforms the mountains at their foundations.
10 He cuts out channels in the rocks,
and his eyes spot every treasure.
11 He dams up the streams from flowing[d]
so that he may bring to light what is hidden.
12 But where can wisdom(B) be found,
and where is understanding located?
13 No man can know its value,[e]
since it cannot be found in the land of the living.
14 The ocean depths say, “It’s not in me,”
while the sea declares, “I don’t have it.”(C)
15 Gold cannot be exchanged for it,
and silver cannot be weighed out for its price.
16 Wisdom cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,(D)
in precious onyx or sapphire.[f](E)
17 Gold and glass do not compare with it,
and articles of fine gold cannot be exchanged for it.(F)
18 Coral and quartz are not worth mentioning.
The price of wisdom is beyond pearls.
19 Topaz from Cush cannot compare with it,
and it cannot be valued in pure gold.
20 Where then does wisdom come from,
and where is understanding located?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing
and concealed from the birds of the sky.
22 Abaddon and Death(G) say,
“We have heard news of it with our ears.”
23 But God understands the way to wisdom,
and He knows its location.
24 For He looks to the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens.
25 When God fixed the weight of the wind
and limited the water by measure,(H)
26 when He established a limit[g] for the rain(I)
and a path for the lightning,
27 He considered wisdom and evaluated it;
He established it and examined it.
28 He said to mankind,
“The fear of the Lord is this: wisdom.
And to turn from evil is understanding.”(J)
Job 28
New International Version
Job 28
New International Version
Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found
28 There is a mine for silver
and a place where gold is refined.(A)
2 Iron is taken from the earth,
and copper is smelted from ore.(B)
3 Mortals put an end to the darkness;(C)
they search out the farthest recesses
for ore in the blackest darkness.(D)
4 Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,(E)
in places untouched by human feet;
far from other people they dangle and sway.
5 The earth, from which food comes,(F)
is transformed below as by fire;
6 lapis lazuli(G) comes from its rocks,
and its dust contains nuggets of gold.(H)
7 No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
no falcon’s eye has seen it.(I)
8 Proud beasts(J) do not set foot on it,
and no lion prowls there.(K)
9 People assault the flinty rock(L) with their hands
and lay bare the roots of the mountains.(M)
10 They tunnel through the rock;(N)
their eyes see all its treasures.(O)
11 They search[a] the sources of the rivers(P)
and bring hidden things(Q) to light.
12 But where can wisdom be found?(R)
Where does understanding dwell?(S)
13 No mortal comprehends its worth;(T)
it cannot be found in the land of the living.(U)
14 The deep(V) says, “It is not in me”;
the sea(W) says, “It is not with me.”
15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
nor can its price be weighed out in silver.(X)
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,(Y)
with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.(Z)
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,(AA)
nor can it be had for jewels of gold.(AB)
18 Coral(AC) and jasper(AD) are not worthy of mention;
the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.(AE)
19 The topaz(AF) of Cush(AG) cannot compare with it;
it cannot be bought with pure gold.(AH)
20 Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?(AI)
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds in the sky.(AJ)
22 Destruction[b](AK) and Death(AL) say,
“Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
23 God understands the way to it
and he alone(AM) knows where it dwells,(AN)
24 for he views the ends of the earth(AO)
and sees everything under the heavens.(AP)
25 When he established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,(AQ)
26 when he made a decree for the rain(AR)
and a path for the thunderstorm,(AS)
27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
he confirmed it and tested it.(AT)
28 And he said to the human race,
“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil(AU) is understanding.”(AV)
约伯记 28
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
约伯记 28
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
智慧只有 神能賜
28 “銀子有礦，
金子有冶煉的地方。
2 鐵從土中取出，
熔化石頭而得銅。
3 人探求黑暗的盡頭，
查明在陰暗中的石礦，直到極處。
4 在無人居住之處，
足跡罕至之地開坑探礦，
他們與人遠離，懸在坑中搖來搖去。
5 至於地，糧食從它而出，
地底下卻好像被火翻轉過來一樣。
6 石中有藍寶石，
也有金沙。
7 礦坑中的路，鷙鳥不知道，
連鷹的眼也未曾見過；
8 狂傲的野獸未曾行過，
猛獅也未曾經過。
9 人伸手擊鑿堅石，使山腳翻倒過來。
10 在磐石中鑿出坑道，
親眼看見各樣寶物。
11 他堵住水源，不讓滴漏，
又使隱藏之物顯露在光中。
12 然而，智慧在何處可尋？
聰明之地在哪裡呢？
13 智慧的價值人不知道，
在活人之地也尋不到。
14 深淵說：‘不在我裡面’，
滄海說：‘不在我這裡’。
15 智慧不能用純金購買，
也不能稱銀子作它的代價。
16 俄斐金，貴重的瑪瑙、
藍寶石，都不能與它比較。
17 黃金和玻璃不能與它比較，
純金的器皿不能與它交換。
18 珊瑚和水晶都不值一提，
取得智慧勝過取得紅寶石。
19 古實的黃玉不能與它比較，
純金也不能與它較量。
20 然而，智慧從哪裡來，
聰明之地在哪裡呢？
21 眾生的眼睛都看不到，
空中的飛鳥也不能發現。
22 滅亡和死亡都說：
‘我們只風聞它的事罷了。’
23 神明白智慧的道路，
也曉得智慧的所在，
24 因為他察看全世界，
遍觀全地。
25 他為風定輕重，
又度量眾水；
26 為雨露立定律，
為雷電定道路。
27 那時他看見智慧，描述智慧，
他堅立智慧，並且查探智慧。
28 他對人說：‘敬畏主就是智慧，
遠離邪惡就是聰明。’”
Job 28
King James Version
Job 28
King James Version
28 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.
3 He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.
4 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.
5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.
6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.
7 There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:
8 The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
9 He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
10 He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
11 He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
12 But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?
13 Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
14 The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;
25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.
28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Chinese New Version (Traditional) (CNVT) 
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.