Job’s Discourse on Wisdom

¹ “Indeed, there is a mine for silver and a place ⌞for gold to be refined⌟.¹

1. Literally “for the gold they refine”

² Iron is taken from dust, and he pours out copper from ore.

³ He puts an end to darkness, and he searches out the farthest limits for the ore in gloom and deep shadow.

⁴ He breaks open a mine shaft ⌞away from where people dwell⌟;¹ those who are forgotten ⌞by travelers⌟,² they dangle, they sway far away from human beings.

1. Literally “from with dwelling”
2. Literally “by feet”

⁵ As for the earth, from it comes food,¹ but² underneath it, it is turned up as by fire.

1. Or “bread”
2. Hebrew “and”

⁶ Its stones are the place of sapphire, and the earthen dirt ⌞has⌟¹ gold.

1. Literally “for it”

⁷ “It is a path a bird of prey does not know and the black kite’s eye has not seen.

⁸ ⌞Proud wild animals⌟¹ have not trodden it; the lion in its prime has not prowled over it.

1. Literally “The sons of pride”

⁹ He puts his hand on the hard rock; he overturns mountains by the roots.

¹⁰ He cuts out tunnels in the rocks, and his eye sees every treasure.

¹¹ He dams up rivers from their sources, and he brings secret things to the light.

¹² “But¹ from where will wisdom be found? And ⌞where in the world⌟² is the place of understanding?

1. Hebrew “And”
2. Literally “where this”

¹³ A human being does not know its proper value, and it is not found in the land of the living.

¹⁴ The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’ and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’

¹⁵ “Refined gold cannot be gotten in its place, and silver cannot be weighed out as its price.

¹⁶ It cannot be bought for the gold of Ophir, for precious onyx or¹ sapphire.

1. Hebrew “and”

¹⁷ Gold and glass cannot be compared with it, and its substitution cannot be an ornament of refined gold.

¹⁸ Black corals and crystal will not be mentioned, and wisdom’s price is more than red corals.

¹⁹ The topaz of Cush cannot be compared with it; it cannot be bought for pure gold.

²⁰ Indeed,¹ from where does wisdom come? And ⌞where in the world⌟² is the place of understanding?

1. Hebrew “And”
2. Literally “where this”

²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and it is concealed from the birds of the heaven.

²² Abaddon and Death say, ‘We heard its rumor with our ears.’

²³ “God understands its way, and he knows its place,

²⁴ for he himself¹ looks to the end of the earth; he sees under all the heaven.

1. Emphatic personal pronoun

²⁵ ⌞When he gave⌟¹ weight to the wind and he apportioned the waters by measure,

1. Literally “To give”

²⁶ ⌞when he made⌟¹ a rule for the rain and a way for the thunder’s lightning bolt,

1. Literally “at his making”

²⁷ then he saw it and talked about it; he established it, and moreover, he explored it.

²⁸ And to the human beings he said, ‘Look, the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”