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Where Can Wisdom Be Found?

28 [a]Surely there is a [b]mine for silver,
And a place [c]where they refine for gold.
Iron is taken from the dust,
And copper is smelted from rock.
Man puts an end to darkness,
And (A)to the farthest limit he searches out
The rock in thick darkness and shadow of death.
He [d]sinks a shaft far from [e]habitation,
Forgotten by the foot;
They hang and swing to and fro far from men.
The earth, from it comes food,
And underneath it is overturned as fire.
Its rocks are the [f]source of sapphires,
And its dust contains gold.
The path no bird of prey knows,
Nor has the falcon’s eye caught sight of it.
The [g]proud beasts have not trodden it,
Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.
He sends his hand forth to the flint;
He overturns the mountains at the [h]base.
10 He breaks out channels through the rocks,
And his eye sees anything precious.
11 He dams up the streams from [i]flowing,
And what is hidden he brings out to the light.

12 “But (B)where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
13 (C)Man does not know its worth,
And it is not found in the land of the living.
14 The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 (D)Pure gold cannot be given in place of 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 meet its worth,
Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.
18 Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned;
And the acquisition of (F)wisdom is above that of pearls.
19 The topaz of [j]Ethiopia cannot meet its worth,
Nor can it be valued in (G)pure gold.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 28:1 Or For
  2. Job 28:1 Or source
  3. Job 28:1 Lit for gold they refine
  4. Job 28:4 Lit breaks open
  5. Job 28:4 Lit sojourning
  6. Job 28:6 Or place
  7. Job 28:8 Lit sons of pride
  8. Job 28:9 Lit roots
  9. Job 28:11 Lit weeping
  10. Job 28:19 Or Cush, cf. Gen 10:6

Job Continues: Where Is Wisdom?

28 “Surely there is a mine for silver,
    and a place for gold that they (A)refine.
Iron is taken out of the earth,
    and copper is smelted from the ore.
Man puts an end to darkness
    and searches out to the farthest limit
    the ore in (B)gloom and (C)deep darkness.
He opens shafts in a valley away from where anyone lives;
    they are forgotten by travelers;
    they hang in the air, far away from mankind; they swing to and fro.
As for the earth, (D)out of it comes bread,
    but underneath it is turned up as by fire.
Its stones are the place of (E)sapphires,[a]
    and it has dust of gold.

“That path no bird of prey knows,
    and the falcon's eye has not seen it.
(F)The proud beasts have not trodden it;
    (G)the lion has not passed over it.

“Man puts his hand to (H)the flinty rock
    and overturns mountains by the roots.
10 He cuts out channels in the rocks,
    and his eye sees every precious thing.
11 He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle,
    and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light.

12 (I)“But where shall wisdom be found?
    And where is the place of understanding?
13 Man does not know its worth,
    and it is not found in (J)the land of the living.
14 (K)The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’
    and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 It (L)cannot be bought for gold,
    and silver cannot be weighed as its price.
16 It cannot be valued in (M)the gold of (N)Ophir,
    in precious (O)onyx or (P)sapphire.
17 Gold and glass cannot equal it,
    nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of (Q)coral or of crystal;
    the price of wisdom is above (R)(S)pearls.
19 (T)The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
    nor can it be valued in pure gold.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 28:6 Or lapis lazuli; also verse 16