Job continues

Gold and silver are mined

1Gold and silver are mined,

then purified;

2the same is done

with iron and copper.

3Miners carry lanterns

deep into the darkness

to search for these metals.

4They dig tunnels

in distant, unknown places,

where they dangle by ropes.

5Far beneath the grain fields,

fires are built

to break loose those rocks

6that have jewels or gold.28.6 gold: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verses 5,6.

7Miners go to places unseen

by the eyes of hawks;

8they walk on soil unknown

to the proudest lions.

9With their own hands

they remove sharp rocks

and uproot mountains.

10They dig through the rocks

in search of jewels

and precious metals.

11They also uncover

the sources of28.11 uncover the sources of: Two ancient translations; Hebrew “dam up”. rivers

and discover secret places.

Where is wisdom found?

12But where is wisdom found?

13No human knows the way.28.13 the way: Or “its worth”.

14Nor can it be discovered

in the deepest sea.

15-16It is worth much more

than silver or pure gold

or precious stones.

17Nothing is its equal—

not gold or costly glass.28.17 costly glass: In the ancient world, objects made of glass were costly.

18Wisdom is worth much more than

coral, jasper,28.18 jasper: A valuable stone, usually green or clear. or rubies.

19All the topaz28.19 topaz: A valuable, yellow stone. of Ethiopia28.19 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has “Cush”, which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.

and the finest gold

cannot compare with it.

20Where then is wisdom?

21It is hidden from human eyes

and even from birds.

22Death and destruction

have merely heard rumours

about where it is found.

23God is the only one who knows

the way to wisdom,

24because he sees everything

beneath the heavens.

25When God divided out

the wind and the water,

26and when he decided the path

for rain and lightning,

27he also determined the truth

and defined wisdom.

28God told us, “Wisdom means28.28: Ps 111.10; Pr 1.7; 9.10.

that you respect me, the Lord,

and turn from sin.”