Job 28

Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found

28There is a mine for silver

and a place where gold is refined.^h

²Iron is taken from the earth,

and copper is smelted from ore.ⁱ

³Mortals put an end to the darkness;^j

they search out the farthest recesses

for ore in the blackest darkness.^k

⁴Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,^l

in places untouched by human feet;

far from other people they dangle and sway.

⁵The earth, from which food comes,^m

is transformed below as by fire;

⁶lapis lazuliⁿ comes from its rocks,

and its dust contains nuggets of gold.^o

⁷No bird of prey knows that hidden path,

no falcon’s eye has seen it.^p

⁸Proud beasts^q do not set foot on it,

and no lion prowls there.^r

⁹People assault the flinty rock^s with their hands

and lay bare the roots of the mountains.^t

¹⁰They tunnel through the rock;^u

their eyes see all its treasures.^v

¹¹They search^a the sources of the rivers^w

and bring hidden things^x to light.

¹²But where can wisdom be found?^y

Where does understanding dwell?^z

¹³No mortal comprehends its worth;^a

it cannot be found in the land of the living.^b

¹⁴The deep^c says, “It is not in me”;

the sea^d says, “It is not with me.”

¹⁵It cannot be bought with the finest gold,

nor can its price be weighed out in silver.^e

¹⁶It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,^f

with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.^g

¹⁷Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,^h

nor can it be had for jewels of gold.ⁱ

¹⁸Coral^j and jasper^k are not worthy of mention;

the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.^l

¹⁹The topaz^m of Cushⁿ cannot compare with it;

it cannot be bought with pure gold.^o

²⁰Where then does wisdom come from?

Where does understanding dwell?^p

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

concealed even from the birds in the sky.^q

²²Destruction^br and Death^s say,

“Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”

²³God understands the way to it

and he alone^t knows where it dwells,^u

²⁴for he views the ends of the earth^v

and sees everything under the heavens.^w

²⁵When he established the force of the wind

and measured out the waters,^x

²⁶when he made a decree for the rain^y

and a path for the thunderstorm,^z

²⁷then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;

he confirmed it and tested it.^a

²⁸And he said to the human race,

“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,

and to shun evil^b is understanding.”^c