Job 28

1✦Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.

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

3✦He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.

4The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.

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

6✦The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.

7✦There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen:

8The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

9✦He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.

10✦He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.

11✦He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

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

13✦Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

14✦The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.

15✦It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

16✦It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

17✦The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.

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

19✦The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

20✦Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

21✦Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.

22✦Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.

23✦God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.

24✦For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;

25✦To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.

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

27✦Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

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