Hiob 28

1. ¹Surely there is for silver a source, And a place for the gold they refine;
2. ²Iron from the dust is taken, And `from' the firm stone brass.
3. ³An end hath he set to darkness, And to all perfection he is searching, A stone of darkness and death-shade.
4. ⁴A stream hath broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, from man they wandered.
5. ⁵The earth! from it cometh forth bread, And its under-part is turned like fire.
6. ⁶A place of the sapphire `are' its stones, And it hath dust of gold.
7. ⁷A path -- not known it hath a ravenous fowl, Nor scorched it hath an eye of the kite,
8. ⁸Nor trodden it have the sons of pride, Not passed over it hath the fierce lion.
9. ⁹Against the flint he sent forth his hand, He overturned from the root mountains.
10. ¹⁰Among rocks, brooks he hath cleaved, And every precious thing hath his eye seen.
11. ¹¹From overflowing floods he hath bound, And the hidden thing bringeth out `to' light.
12. ¹²And the wisdom -- whence is it found? And where `is' this, the place of understanding?
13. ¹³Man hath not known its arrangement, Nor is it found in the land of the living.
14. ¹⁴The deep hath said, `It `is' not in me,' And the sea hath said, `It is not with me.'
15. ¹⁵Gold is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed -- its price.
16. ¹⁶It is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire,
17. ¹⁷Not equal it do gold and crystal, Nor `is' its exchange a vessel of fine gold.
18. ¹⁸Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom `is' above rubies.
19. ¹⁹Not equal it doth the topaz of Cush, With pure gold it is not valued.
20. ²⁰And the wisdom -- whence doth it come? And where `is' this, the place of understanding?
21. ²¹It hath been hid from the eyes of all living. And from the fowl of the heavens It hath been hidden.
22. ²²Destruction and death have said: `With our ears we have heard its fame.'
23. ²³God hath understood its way, And He hath known its place.
24. ²⁴For He to the ends of the earth doth look, Under the whole heavens He doth see,
25. ²⁵To make for the wind a weight, And the waters He meted out in measure.
26. ²⁶In His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices,
27. ²⁷Then He hath seen and declareth it, He hath prepared it, and also searched it out,
28. ²⁸And He saith to man: -- `Lo, fear of the Lord, that `is' wisdom, And to turn from evil `is' understanding.'

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