Font Size
Job 28
GOD’S WORD Translation
Job 28
GOD’S WORD Translation
Job Continues: Wisdom Is Inaccessible to Humans
28 “There is a place where silver is mined
and a place where gold is refined.
2 Iron is taken from the ground,
and rocks are melted for ⌞their⌟ copper.
3 ⌞Humans⌟ bring an end to darkness ⌞there⌟
and search to the limit of the gloomy, pitch-black rock.
4 They open up a mineshaft far from civilization,
where no one has set foot.
⌞In this shaft⌟ men dangle and swing back and forth.
5 “Above the ground food grows,
but beneath it the food decays as if ⌞it were burned⌟ by fire.
6 That place’s stones are sapphire.
Its dust contains gold.
7 No bird of prey knows the way to it.
No hawk’s eye has ever seen it.
8 No proud beast has ever walked on it.
No ferocious lion has ever passed over it.
9 “Humans exert their power on the flinty rocks
and overturn mountains at their base.
10 They cut out mineshafts in the rocks.
Their eyes see every precious thing.
11 They explore[a] the sources of rivers
so that they bring hidden treasures to light.
Wisdom Is Inaccessible to Decay and Death
12 “Where can wisdom be found?
Where does understanding live?
13 No mortal knows where it is.[b]
It cannot be found in this world of the living.
14 The deep ocean says, ‘It isn’t in me.’
The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’
15 You cannot obtain it with solid gold
or buy it for any amount of silver.
16 It can’t be bought with the gold from Ophir
or with precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Neither gold nor glass can equal its value.
Nor can gold ornaments, jewels, or crystal
18 be exchanged for it.
Wisdom is more valuable than gems.
19 Topaz from Ethiopia cannot equal its value.
It cannot be bought for ⌞any amount of⌟ pure gold.
20 “Where does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding live?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living being,
hidden even from the birds in the air.
22 Decay and Death say,
‘We’ve heard a rumor about it.’
Wisdom Is Accessible Only to the Creator
23 “God understands the way to it.
He knows where it lives
24 because he can see to the ends of the earth
and observe everything under heaven.
25 When he gave the wind its force
and measured the water ⌞in the sea⌟,
26 when he made rules for the rain
and set paths for the thunderstorms,
27 then he saw it and announced it.
He confirmed it and examined it.
28 So he told humans,
‘The fear of the Lord is wisdom!
To stay away from evil is understanding.’ ”
Job 28
La Bible du Semeur
Job 28
La Bible du Semeur
Qui peut avoir la sagesse ?
28 Il existe des lieux ╵d’où l’on extrait l’argent,
il y a des endroits ╵où l’on affine l’or.
2 On sait comment extraire ╵le fer de la poussière,
fondre le minerai ╵pour en tirer le cuivre.
3 On fait reculer les frontières ╵des ténèbres sous terre,
on explore les mines,
on va chercher les pierres ╵dans les plus opaques ténèbres.
4 Dans les galeries que l’on perce, ╵loin des lieux habités,
à l’endroit où le pied ╵a perdu tout appui,
les mineurs se balancent, ╵suspendus dans le vide, ╵loin des autres humains[a].
5 La terre qui nous donne ╵le pain qui nous nourrit
se voit bouleversée ╵jusqu’en ses profondeurs, ╵tout comme par un feu[b].
6 C’est dans ses roches ╵qu’on trouve les saphirs
et la poussière d’or.
7 L’oiseau de proie ignore ╵quel en est le sentier,
et l’œil de l’épervier ╵ne l’a pas repéré.
8 Les plus fiers animaux ╵ne l’ont jamais foulé,
le lion n’y passe pas.
9 On s’attaque au granit,
on remue les montagnes ╵jusqu’en leurs fondements.
10 Au milieu des rochers, ╵l’homme ouvre des tranchées :
rien de précieux ╵n’échappe à son regard.
11 Il arrête le cours des eaux[c]
et amène au grand jour ╵les richesses cachées.
12 Mais, quant à la sagesse, ╵où peut-on la trouver ?
Où donc l’intelligence ╵a-t-elle sa demeure ?
13 L’homme ne connaît pas ╵quelle en est la valeur,
et elle est introuvable ╵au pays des vivants.
14 L’abîme affirme : ╵« Elle n’est pas ici. »
La mer déclare : ╵« Elle n’est point chez moi. »
15 On ne peut l’acquérir ╵avec de l’or massif,
on ne peut l’acheter ╵en pesant de l’argent[d].
16 Elle ne se compare pas ╵avec de l’or d’Ophir,
ni avec le précieux onyx, ╵ou le saphir.
17 Ni le verre, ni l’or, ni le cristal ╵n’ont autant de valeur,
on ne l’échange pas ╵contre un vase d’or fin.
18 Le corail et l’albâtre[e] ╵ne sont rien auprès d’elle.
La sagesse vaut plus ╵que des perles précieuses.
19 La topaze éthiopienne ╵n’égale pas son prix,
et l’or le plus fin même ╵n’atteint pas sa valeur.
20 Mais alors, la sagesse, ╵d’où provient-elle ?
Et où l’intelligence ╵a-t-elle sa demeure ?
21 Elle se cache aux yeux ╵de tout être vivant,
elle se dissimule ╵à l’œil vif des oiseaux.
22 L’abîme et la mort disent :
« Nous avons seulement ╵entendu parler d’elle. »
23 Car c’est Dieu seul qui sait ╵le chemin qu’elle emprunte.
Oui, il en connaît la demeure.
24 Car son regard parcourt ╵le monde entier,
et tout ce qui se passe ╵sous le ciel, il le voit.
25 C’est lui qui a fixé ╵la pesanteur du vent,
et donné leur mesure ╵aux eaux des mers.
26 Lorsqu’il a établi ╵une loi pour la pluie,
et tracé un chemin ╵aux éclairs, au tonnerre,
27 c’est alors qu’il l’a vue ╵et l’a décrite.
Il a établi la sagesse[f] ╵et l’a sondée.
28 Puis il a dit à l’homme :
« La crainte du Seigneur, ╵voilà la vraie sagesse !
Se détourner du mal, ╵voilà l’intelligence[g] ! »
Footnotes
- 28.4 Autrefois, les mineurs travaillaient assis sur un siège suspendu à une corde.
- 28.5 L’activité des mineurs est comparée aux ravages d’un incendie.
- 28.11 Pour éviter que les cours d’eau souterrains ne minent les murs des galeries ou les inondent. Les documents anciens révèlent l’existence de mines dès l’époque de Joseph. Le fer était travaillé déjà au temps de Gn 4.22.
- 28.15 On pesait l’argent au moment du paiement (Gn 23.16).
- 28.18 Autre traduction : le cristal.
- 28.27 Quelques manuscrits hébreux ont : il a examiné la sagesse.
- 28.28 Voir Ps 111.10 ; Pr 1.7 ; 9.10.
Job 28
New American Standard Bible
Job 28
New American Standard Bible
Job Tells of Earth’s Treasures
28 “Certainly there is a [a]mine for silver
And a place [b]for refining gold.
2 Iron is taken from the dust,
And copper is smelted from rock.
3 Man puts an end to darkness,
And (A)to the farthest limit he searches out
The rock in gloom and deep shadow.
4 He [c]sinks a shaft away from [d]inhabited areas,
Forgotten by the foot;
They hang and swing, away from people.
5 [e]From the earth comes food,
And underneath, it is turned over like fire.
6 Its rocks are the [f]source of sapphires,
And its dust contains gold.
7 No bird of prey knows the path,
Nor has the falcon’s eye caught sight of it.
8 The [g]proud animals have not trodden it,
Nor has the lion passed over it.
9 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.
20 (H)Where then does wisdom come from?
And where is this place of understanding?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living creature,
And concealed from the birds of the sky.
22 [k](I)Abaddon and Death say,
‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’
23 “(J)God understands its way,
And He knows its place.
24 For He (K)looks to the ends of the earth;
He sees everything under the heavens.
25 When He imparted (L)weight to the wind,
And (M)assessed the waters by measure,
26 When He made a (N)limit for the rain,
And a course for the (O)thunderbolt,
27 Then He saw it and declared it;
He established it and also searched it out.
28 And to mankind He said, ‘Behold, the (P)fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
And to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
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)
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
La Bible du Semeur (BDS)
La Bible Du Semeur (The Bible of the Sower) Copyright © 1992, 1999 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. 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.