Job 28:1-19
Revised Standard Version
Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found
28 “Surely there is a mine for silver,
and a place for gold which they refine.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth,
and copper is smelted from the ore.
3 Men put an end to darkness,
and search out to the farthest bound
the ore in gloom and deep darkness.
4 They open shafts in a valley away from where men live;
they are forgotten by travelers,
they hang afar from men, they swing to and fro.
5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread;
but underneath it is turned up as by fire.
6 Its stones are the place of sapphires,[a]
and it has dust of gold.
7 “That path no bird of prey knows,
and the falcon’s eye has not seen it.
8 The proud beasts have not trodden it;
the lion has not passed over it.
9 “Man puts his hand to 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 binds up the streams so that they do not trickle,
and the thing that is hid he brings forth to light.
12 “But where shall wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
13 Man does not know the way to it,[b]
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 It cannot be gotten for gold,
and silver cannot be weighed as its price.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
in precious onyx or sapphire.[c]
17 Gold and glass cannot equal it,
nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;
the price of wisdom is above pearls.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it,
nor can it be valued in pure gold.
Job 28:1-19
American Standard Version
28 [a]Surely there is a mine for silver,
And a place for gold which they refine.
2 Iron is taken out of the [b]earth,
And copper is molten out of the stone.
3 Man setteth an end to darkness,
And searcheth out, to the furthest bound,
The stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
4 [c]He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn;
They are forgotten of the foot;
They hang afar from men, they [d]swing to and fro.
5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread;
And underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 The stones thereof are the place of sapphires,
[e]And it hath dust of gold.
7 That path no bird of prey knoweth,
Neither hath the falcon’s eye seen it:
8 The [f]proud beasts have not trodden it,
Nor hath the fierce lion passed thereby.
9 He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock;
He overturneth the mountains by the roots.
10 He cutteth out [g]channels among the rocks;
And his eye seeth every precious thing.
11 He bindeth the streams [h]that they trickle not;
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 deep saith, It is not in me;
And the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 It cannot be gotten for [i]gold,
Neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir,
With the precious [j]onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Gold and glass cannot equal it,
Neither shall it be exchanged for [k]jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal:
Yea, the price of wisdom is above [l]rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it,
Neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
Footnotes
- Job 28:1 Or, For
- Job 28:2 Or, dust
- Job 28:4 Or, The flood breaketh out from where men sojourn; Even the waters forgotten of the foot: They are diminished, they are gone away from man
- Job 28:4 Or, flit
- Job 28:6 Or, And he winneth lumps of gold
- Job 28:8 Hebrew sons of pride.
- Job 28:10 Or, passages
- Job 28:11 Hebrew from weeping.
- Job 28:15 Or, treasure
- Job 28:16 Or, beryl
- Job 28:17 Or, vessels
- Job 28:18 Or, red coral. Or, pearls
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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