28:1 |
"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine. |
28:2 |
Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore. |
28:3 |
Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness. |
28:4 |
He breaks open a shaft away from where people live. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth. |
28:5 |
As for the earth, out of it comes bread; Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire. |
28:6 |
Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold. |
28:7 |
That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon's eye seen it. |
28:8 |
The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there. |
28:9 |
He puts forth his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots. |
28:10 |
He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing. |
28:11 |
He binds the streams that they don't trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings forth to light. |
28:12 |
"But where shall wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding? |
28:13 |
Man doesn't know its price; Neither is it found in the land of the living. |
28:14 |
The deep says, 'It isn't in me.' The sea says, 'It isn't with me.' |
28:15 |
It can't be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for its price. |
28:16 |
It can't be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire { or, lapis lazuli }. |
28:17 |
Gold and glass can't equal it, neither shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. |
28:18 |
No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies. |
28:19 |
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, Neither shall it be valued with pure gold. |
28:20 |
Whence then comes wisdom? Where is the place of understanding? |
28:21 |
Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky. |
28:22 |
Destruction and Death say, 'We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.' |
28:23 |
"God understands its way, and he knows its place. |
28:24 |
For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky. |
28:25 |
He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure. |
28:26 |
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder; |
28:27 |
then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out. |
28:28 |
To man he said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.'" |