Job's Discourse On Wisdom

1 “Surely there is a mine for silver,And a place where they refine gold.

1 “Surely there is a (a)mine for silverAnd a place (b)where they refine gold.

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

1 Surely there is a mine for silverand a place where gold is refined.

1 "Surely there are mines for silver and places where gold is refined.

2 “Iron is taken out of the earth,And copper is smelted from the stone ore.

2 “Iron is taken from the dust,And copper is smelted from rock.

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

2 Iron is taken from the ground,and copper is smelted from ore.

2 Iron is taken from the ground; and copper is smelted from ore.

3 “Man puts an end to darkness [by bringing in a light],And to the farthest bounds he searches outThe rock buried in gloom and deep shadow.

3 “Man puts an end to darkness,And (A)to the farthest limit he searches outThe rock in gloom and deep shadow.

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

3 A miner puts an end to the darkness;he probes(a) the deepest recessesfor ore in the gloomy darkness.

3 Mankind limits the darkness as they search the deepest depths for ore in unfathomable darkness.

4 “He breaks open (mine) shafts far away from where people live,[In places] forgotten by the [human] foot;They dangle [in the mines] and hang away from men.

4 “He (c)sinks a shaft far from (d)habitation,Forgotten by the foot;They hang and swing to and fro far from men.

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

4 He cuts a shaft far from human habitation,in places unknown to those who walk above ground.(b)Suspended far away from people,the miners swing back and forth.

4 He sinks his shaft far from human habitations, in a place forgotten by explorers; they hang on harnesses as they swing back and forth.

5 “[As for] the earth, out of it comes food,But underneath [its surface, down deep] it is turned over as fire.

5 “The earth, from it comes food,And underneath it is turned up as fire.

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

5 Food may come from the earth,but below the surface the earth is transformed as by fire.

5 "While the ground produces food, underneath it is torn up and burning hot,

6 “Its stones are the bed of sapphires;It holds dust of gold.

6 “Its rocks are the (e)source of sapphires,And its dust contains gold.

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

6 Its rocks are a source of sapphire,(c)(A)containing flecks of gold.

6 where stones are sapphire and gold dust can be found,

7 “The path [deep within] no bird of prey knows,And the falcon’s eye has not caught sight of it.

7 “The path no bird of prey knows,Nor has the falcon’s eye caught sight of it.

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

7 No bird of prey knows that path;no falcon’s eye has seen it.

7 a place where birds of prey never fly, and the eyes of the falcon have never seen.

8 “The proud beasts [and their young] have not walked on it,Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.

8 “The (f)proud beasts have not trodden it,Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.

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

8 Proud beasts have never walked on it;no lion has ever prowled over it.

8 The proud beasts haven't walked there; lions have never passed over it.

9 “Man puts his hand on [and tears apart] the flinty rock;He overturns the mountains at the base [looking for treasure].

9 “He puts his hand on the flint;He overturns the mountains at the (g)base.

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

9 The miner strikes the flintand transforms the mountains at their foundations.

9 "Using a flint, he thrusts his hand, overturning mountains by the roots.

10 “He cuts out channels and passages among the rocks;And his eye sees every precious thing.

10 “He hews out channels through the rocks,And his eye sees anything precious.

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

10 He cuts out channels in the rocks,and his eyes spot every treasure.

10 He cuts a channel through the rocks, while his eyes search for anything of value.

11 “Man dams up the streams from flowing [so that they do not trickle into the mine],And what is hidden he brings out to the light.

11 “He dams up the streams from (h)flowing,And what is hidden he brings out to the light.

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

11 He dams up the streams from flowing(d)so that he may bring to light what is hidden.

11 He dams up flowing rivers, bringing hidden things to light."

Wisdom Is Inaccessible To Decay And Death

12 “But where can wisdom be found?And where is the place of understanding?

12 “But (B)where can wisdom be found?And where is the place of understanding?

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

12 But where can wisdom(B) be found,and where is understanding located?

12 "Where can wisdom be found? Where is understanding's home?

13 “Man does not know the value of it;Nor is it found in the land of the living.

13 (C)Man does not know its value,Nor is it found in the land of the living.

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

13 No man can know its value,(e)since it cannot be found in the land of the living.

13 Mankind doesn't appreciate their value; and you won't find it anywhere on earth.

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

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

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

14 The ocean depths say, “It’s not in me,”while the sea declares, “I don’t have it.”(C)

14 The deepest ocean says, "It's not within me.' and the sea says, "You'll never find it with me.'

15 “It cannot be obtained for pure gold,Nor can silver be weighed as its price.

15 (D)Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it,Nor can silver be weighed as its price.

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

15 Gold cannot be exchanged for it,and silver cannot be weighed out for its price.

15 You can't buy it with gold, and its value cannot be calculated in silver.

16 “It cannot be valued in [terms of] the gold of Ophir,In the precious onyx or beryl, or the sapphire.

16 “It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,In precious onyx, or sapphire.

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

16 Wisdom cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,(D)in precious onyx or sapphire.(f)(E)

16 It cannot be compared to gold from Ophir, with precious onyx, or with sapphire.

17 “Gold and glass cannot equal wisdom,Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.

17 (E)Gold or glass cannot equal it,Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.

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

17 Gold and glass do not compare with it,and articles of fine gold cannot be exchanged for it.(F)

17 It cannot be compared to gold and fine glass crystal, nor can it be exchanged for gold-plated weaponry.

18 “No mention of coral and crystal can be made;For the possession of wisdom is even above [that of] rubies or pearls.

18 “Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned;And the acquisition of (F)wisdom is above that of pearls.

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

18 Coral and quartz are not worth mentioning.The price of wisdom is beyond pearls.

18 Don't even bother to mention coral and crystal wisdom is more valuable than a bag of rubies.

19 “The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it,Nor can it be valued in pure gold.

19 “The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,Nor can it be valued in (G)pure gold.

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

19 Topaz from Cush cannot compare with it,and it cannot be valued in pure gold.

19 It can neither be compared with the topaz of Ethiopia nor valued in comparison to pure gold."

20 “From where then does wisdom come?And where is the place of understanding?

20 (H)Where then does wisdom come from?And where is the place of understanding?

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

20 Where then does wisdom come from,and where is understanding located?

20 "From where, then, does wisdom originate? Where does understanding live?

21 “It is hidden from the eyes of all the livingAnd concealed from the birds of the heavens.

21 “Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all livingAnd concealed from the birds of the sky.

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

21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thingand concealed from the birds of the sky.

21 It has been concealed from the sight of every living creature and hidden even from the birds in the skies.

22 “Abaddon (the place of destruction) and Death say,‘We have [only] heard a report of it with our ears.’

22 (i)(I)Abaddon and Death say,‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’

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

22 Abaddon and Death(G) say,“We have heard news of it with our ears.”

22 Abaddon and death said, "We did hear a rumor about it.'

Wisdom Is Accessible Only To The Creator

23 “God understands the way [to wisdom]And He knows its place [for wisdom is with God alone].

23 (J)God understands its way,And He knows its place.

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

23 But God understands the way to wisdom,and He knows its location.

23 God understands how to get there; he knows where they live.

24 “For He looks to the ends of the earthAnd sees everything under the heavens.

24 “For He (K)looks to the ends of the earthAnd sees everything under the heavens.

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

24 For He looks to the ends of the earthand sees everything under the heavens.

24 For he looks as far as the ends of the earth and sees everything under the sky.

25 “When He gave weight and pressure to the windAnd allotted the waters by measure,

25 “When He imparted (L)weight to the windAnd (M)meted out the waters by measure,

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

25 When God fixed the weight of the windand limited the water by measure,(H)

25 "He imparted weight to the wind; he regulated water by his measurement.

26 When He made a limit for the rainAnd a way for the thunderbolt,

26 When He set a (N)limit for the rainAnd a course for the (O)thunderbolt,

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

26 when He established a limit(g) for the rain(I)and a path for the lightning,

26 He set in place ordinances for the rain; and determined the pathway for thunder that accompanies lightning.

27 Then He saw wisdom and declared it;He established it and searched it out.

27 Then He saw it and declared it;He established it and also searched it out.

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

27 He considered wisdom and evaluated it;He established it and examined it.

27 Then he looked at wisdom, and fixed it in place; he established it, and also examined it.

28 “But to man He said, ‘Behold, the reverential and worshipful fear of the Lord—that is wisdom;And to depart from evil is understanding.’”

28 “And to man He said, ‘Behold, the (P)fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;And to depart from evil is understanding.’”

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

28 He said to mankind,“The fear of the Lord is this: wisdom.And to turn from evil is understanding.”(J)

28 He has commanded mankind: "To fear the Lord that is wisdom; to move away from evil that is understanding.'"

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