Job 28–30

In Praise of Wisdom

28There are mines where silver is dug;

There are places where gold is refined.

²Miners dig iron out of the ground

And melt copper out of the stones.

³They explore the deepest darkness.

They search the depths of the earth

And dig for rocks in the darkness.

⁴Far from where anyone lives

Or human feet ever travel,

They dig the shafts of mines.

There they work in loneliness,

Clinging to ropes in the pits.

⁵Food grows out of the earth,

But underneath the same earth

All is torn up and crushed.

⁶The stones of the earth contain sapphires,

And its dust contains gold.

⁷No hawk sees the roads to the mines,

And no vulture ever flies over them.

⁸No lion or other fierce beast

Ever travels those lonely roads.

⁹Miners dig the hardest rocks,

Dig mountains away at their base.

¹⁰As they tunnel through the rocks,

They discover precious stones.

¹¹They dig to the sources of^h rivers

And bring to light what is hidden.

¹²But where can wisdom be found?

Where can we learn to understand?

¹³Wisdom is not to be found among mortals;

No one knows its true value.

¹⁴The depths of the oceans and seas

Say that wisdom is not found there.

¹⁵It cannot be bought with silver or gold.

¹⁶The finest gold and jewels

Cannot equal its value.

¹⁷It is worth more than gold,

Than a gold vase or finest glass.

¹⁸The value of wisdom is more

Than coral or crystal or rubies.

¹⁹The finest topaz and the purest gold

Cannot compare with the value of wisdom.

²⁰Where, then, is the source of wisdom?

Where can we learn to understand?

²¹No living creature can see it,

Not even a bird in flight.

²²Even death and destruction

Admit they have heard only rumours.

²³God alone knows the way,

Knows the place where wisdom is found,

²⁴Because he sees the ends of the earth,

Sees everything under the sky.

²⁵When God gave the wind its power

And determined the size of the sea;

²⁶When God decided where the rain would fall,

And the path that the thunderclouds travel;

²⁷It was then he saw wisdom and tested its worth—

He gave it his approval.

^28*God said to human beings,

“To be wise, you must have reverence for the Lord.

To understand, you must turn from evil.”

Job’s Final Statement of His Case

29Job began speaking again.

²If only my life could once again

be as it was when God watched over me.

³God was always with me then

and gave me light as I walked through the darkness.

⁴Those were the days when I was prosperous,

and the friendship of God protected my home.

⁵Almighty God was with me then,

and I was surrounded by all my children.

⁶My cows and goats gave plenty of milk,

and my olive trees grew in the rockiest soil.

⁷Whenever the city elders met

and I took my place among them,

⁸young men stepped aside as soon as they saw me,

and old men stood up to show me respect.

⁹The leaders of the people would stop talking;

¹⁰even the most important men kept silent.

¹¹Everyone who saw me or heard of me

had good things to say about what I had done.

¹²When the poor cried out, I helped them;

I gave help to orphans who had nowhere to turn.

¹³Those who were in deepest misery praised me,

and I helped widows find security.

¹⁴I have always acted justly and fairly.

¹⁵I was eyes for the blind,

and feet for the lame.

¹⁶I was like a father to the poor

and took the side of strangers in trouble.

¹⁷I destroyed the power of cruel men

and rescued their victims.

¹⁸I always expected to live a long life

and to die at home in comfort.

¹⁹I was like a tree whose roots always have water

and whose branches are wet with dew.

²⁰Everyone was always praising me,

and my strength never failed me.

²¹When I gave advice, people were silent

and listened carefully to what I said;

²²they had nothing to add when I had finished.

My words sank in like drops of rain;

²³everyone welcomed them

just as farmers welcome rain in spring.

²⁴I smiled on them when they had lost confidence;

my cheerful face encouraged them.

²⁵I took charge and made the decisions;

I led them as a king leads his troops,

and gave them comfort in their despair.

30But men younger than I am make fun of me now!

Their fathers have always been so worthless

that I wouldn’t let them help my dogs guard sheep.

²They were a bunch of worn-out men,

too weak to do any work for me.

³They were so poor and hungry

that they would gnaw dry roots—

at night, in wild, desolate places.

⁴They pulled up the plants of the desert and ate them,

even the tasteless roots of the broom tree!

⁵Everyone drove them away with shouts,

as if they were shouting at thieves.

⁶They had to live in caves,

in holes dug in the sides of cliffs.

⁷Out in the wilds they howled like animals

and huddled together under the bushes.

⁸A worthless bunch of nameless nobodies!

They were driven out of the land.

⁹Now they come and laugh at me;

I am nothing but a joke to them.

¹⁰They treat me with disgust;

they think they are too good for me,

and even come and spit in my face.

¹¹Because God has made me weak and helpless,

they turn against me with all their fury.

¹²This mob attacks me head-on;

they send me running; they prepare their final assault.

¹³They cut off my escape and try to destroy me;

and there is no one to stopⁱ them.

¹⁴They pour through the holes in my defences

and come crashing down on top of me;

¹⁵I am overcome with terror;

my dignity is gone like a puff of wind,

and my prosperity like a cloud.

¹⁶Now I am about to die;

there is no relief for my suffering.

¹⁷At night my bones all ache;

the pain that gnaws me never stops.

¹⁸God seizes me by my collar

and twists my clothes out of shape.

¹⁹He throws me down in the mud;

I am no better than dirt.

²⁰I call to you, O God, but you never answer;

and when I pray, you pay no attention.

²¹You are treating me cruelly;

you persecute me with all your power.

²²You let the wind blow me away;

you toss me about in a raging storm.

²³I know you are taking me off to my death,

to the fate in store for everyone.

²⁴Why do you attack a ruined man,

one who can do nothing but beg for pity?^j

²⁵Didn’t I weep with people in trouble

and feel sorry for those in need?

²⁶I hoped for happiness and light,

but trouble and darkness came instead.

²⁷I am torn apart by worry and pain;

I have had day after day of suffering.

²⁸I go about in gloom, without any sunshine;

I stand up in public and plead for help.

²⁹My voice is as sad and lonely

as the cries of a jackal or an ostrich.

³⁰My skin has turned dark; I am burning with fever.

³¹Where once I heard joyful music,

now I hear only mourning and weeping.