Job 28:1-19
Christian Standard Bible
A 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.
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 lapis lazuli,(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 uses a flint tool
and turns up ore from the root of the mountains.
10 He cuts out channels in the rocks,
and his eyes spot every treasure.
11 He dams up the streams from flowing[b]
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 one can know its value,[c]
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 lapis lazuli.(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.
Job 28:1-19
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.
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