Job 28

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

1There is a place in the ground where people dig silver. There is a place where gold is made pure.

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

2Iron is dug out of the ground. Copper is melted out of rock.

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

3Miners carry light into the dark. They search the deepest dark places for metal.

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

4They dig a shaft far from where people live. They hang and swing on ropes down there.

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

5Food grows on top of the ground. But deep below, the ground is changed as if by fire.

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

6The rocks down there hold blue gems called sapphires. There are bits of gold in them too.

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

7No bird knows that path. No hawk has ever seen it with its sharp eyes.

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

8No proud wild animal has walked there. No lion has ever prowled that way.

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

9The miner hits the hard rock with his hand. He digs up mountains from the bottom.

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

10He cuts tunnels through the rock. His eyes find every treasure hidden there.

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

11He blocks up the streams so they will not flood. He brings hidden things into the light.

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

12But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding live?

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

13No one knows what wisdom is worth. It is not found anywhere among living people.

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

14The deep ocean says, "It is not in me." The sea says, "It is not with me."

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

15You cannot buy wisdom with gold. You cannot weigh out silver to pay for it.

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

16The finest gold from Ophir cannot buy it. Neither can costly stones like onyx or sapphire.

NoteOphir was a faraway land known for the very best gold. Onyx and sapphire are valuable stones.

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

17Gold and clear crystal are not equal to it. No golden jewel can be traded for it.

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

18Coral and pearls are not even worth naming here. Wisdom costs more than red rubies.

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

19The yellow topaz stone from Ethiopia is not equal to it. Pure gold cannot pay its price.

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

20So where does wisdom come from? Where does understanding live?

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

21It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing. Even the birds cannot see it.

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

22Death and the place of the dead say, "We have only heard people talk about it."

NoteThe King James Bible says "Destruction and death" here. These are pictures of the place where dead people go, speaking as if they could talk.

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

23God understands the way to wisdom. He knows the place where it is.

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

24He looks to the far ends of the earth. He sees everything under the sky.

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

25He decided how strong the wind would be. He measured out how much water there would be.

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

26He made a rule for the rain. He made a path for the lightning and thunder.

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

27Then God looked at wisdom and saw what it was worth. He set it in place and studied it.

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

28And God said to people, "Honoring God is wisdom. Turning away from evil is understanding."

NoteThe old words are "the fear of the LORD." Here "fear" does not mean being scared. It means deep respect for God and doing what he says.