Job 28 · איוב

Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold where they refine it.

Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.

He puts an end to darkness, and searches out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.

He breaks open a watercourse in place far from inhabitants, forgotten by foot-travellers: they are dried up; they are gone away from men.

As for the earth, out of it comes bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.

The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it has dust of gold.

There is a path which no bird of prey knows, and which the falcon’s eye has not seen:

the lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

He puts forth his hand upon the rock; he overturns the mountains by the roots.

He cuts out channels among the rocks; and his eye sees every precious thing.

He binds the floods so that they do not trickle; and the thing that is hidden he brings forth to light.

But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

Man cannot know its price; nor is it found in the land of the living.

The depth says, It is not in me: and the sea says, It is not with me.

It cannot be gotten for gold, nor shall silver be weighed for its price.

It cannot be valued with the gold of Ofir, with the precious shoham stone, or the sapphire.

Gold and glass cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for vessels of fine gold.

No mention shall be made of coral, or of crystal: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.

The chrysolite of Kush shall not equal it, nor shall it be valued with pure gold.

Whence then does wisdom come? and where is the place of understanding?

Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.

Avaddon and death say, We have heard a rumour of it with our ears.

God understands its way, and he knows its place.

For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees everything under the whole heaven;

when he makes a weight for the winds; and he weighs the waters by measure.

When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:

then he saw it, and declared it; he established it, yea, and searched it out.

And to man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.