Job 28

28TH CHAPTER

Job Continues: Wisdom Is Inaccessible to Humans

¹“There is a place where silver is mined 

and a place where gold is refined. 

²Iron 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. 

⁴They 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. 

⁶That place’s stones are sapphire. 

Its dust contains gold. 

⁷No bird of prey knows the way to it. 

No hawk’s eye has ever seen it. 

⁸No 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. 

¹⁰They cut out mineshafts in the rocks. 

Their eyes see every precious thing. 

¹¹They explore^bthe 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? 

¹³No mortal knows where it is.^c

It cannot be found in this world of the living. 

¹⁴The deep ocean says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ 

The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’ 

¹⁵You cannot obtain it with solid gold 

or buy it for any amount of silver. 

¹⁶It can’t be bought with the gold from Ophir 

or with precious onyx or sapphire. 

¹⁷Neither gold nor glass can equal its value. 

Nor can gold ornaments, jewels, or crystal 

¹⁸be exchanged for it. 

Wisdom is more valuable than gems. 

¹⁹Topaz 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? 

²¹It is hidden from the eyes of every living being, 

hidden even from the birds in the air. 

²²Decay 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 

²⁴because he can see to the ends of the earth 

and observe everything under heaven. 

²⁵When he gave the wind its force 

and measured the water ⸤in the sea⸥, 

²⁶when he made rules for the rain 

and set paths for the thunderstorms, 

²⁷then he saw it and announced it. 

He confirmed it and examined it. 

²⁸So he told humans, 

‘The fear of the Lord is wisdom! 

To stay away from evil is understanding.’ ”