Hiob 28

1. ¹Truly there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is washed out.
2. ²Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone is changed into brass by the fire.
3. ³Man puts an end to the dark, searching out to the farthest limit the stones of the deep places of the dark.
4. ⁴He makes a deep mine far away from those living in the light of day; when they go about on the earth, they have no knowledge of those who are under them, who are hanging far from men, twisting from side to side on a cord.
5. ⁵As for the earth, bread comes out of it; but under its face it is turned up as if by fire.
6. ⁶Its stones are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold.
7. ⁷No bird has knowledge of it, and the hawk's eye has never seen it.
8. ⁸The great beasts have not gone over it, and the cruel lion has not taken that way.
9. ⁹Man puts out his hand on the hard rock, overturning mountains by the roots.
10. ¹⁰He makes deep ways, cut through the rock, and his eye sees everything of value.
11. ¹¹He keeps back the streams from flowing, and makes the secret things come out into the light.
12. ¹²But where may wisdom be seen? and where is the resting-place of knowledge?
13. ¹³Man has not seen the way to it, and it is not in the land of the living.
14. ¹⁴The deep waters say, It is not in me: and the sea says, It is not with me.
15. ¹⁵Gold may not be given for it, or a weight of silver in payment for it.
16. ¹⁶It may not be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the onyx of great price, or the sapphire.
17. ¹⁷Gold and glass are not equal to it in price, and it may not be exchanged for jewels of the best gold.
18. ¹⁸There is no need to say anything about coral or crystal; and the value of wisdom is greater than that of pearls.
19. ¹⁹The topaz of Ethiopia is not equal to it, and it may not be valued with the best gold.
20. ²⁰From where then does wisdom come, and where is the resting-place of knowledge?
21. ²¹For it is kept secret from the eyes of all living, unseen by the birds of the air.
22. ²²Destruction and Death say, We have only had word of it with our ears.
23. ²³God has knowledge of the way to it, and of its resting-place;
24. ²⁴For his eyes go to the ends of the earth, and he sees everything under heaven.
25. ²⁵When he made a weight for the wind, measuring out the waters;
26. ²⁶When he made a law for the rain, and a way for the thunder-flames;
27. ²⁷Then he saw it, and put it on record; he gave it its fixed form, searching it out completely.
28. ²⁸And he said to man, Truly the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to keep from evil is the way to knowledge.

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