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Job 28
Modern English Version
Job 28
Modern English Version
Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found
28 “Surely there is a mine for the silver,
and a place where they refine gold.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth,
and copper is smelted from the ore.
3 Man puts an end to darkness,
and searches every extremity
for ore in the darkness and the shadow of death.
4 He breaks open a shaft away from the inhabitants;
in places forgotten by feet
they hang far away from men; and they totter.
5 As for the earth, from it comes bread,
and underneath it is turned up as by fire.
6 Its stones are the source of sapphires,
and it has dust of gold.
7 There is a path that no bird knows,
and that the vulture’s eye has not seen;
8 the lion cubs have not trodden it,
nor has the fierce lion passed by it.
9 He puts forth his hand upon the rock;
he overturns the mountains by the roots.
10 He cuts out rivers among the rocks,
and his eye sees every precious thing.
11 He prevents the floods from overflowing,
and the thing that is hidden he brings forth to light.
12 “But where will wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
13 Man does not know its price,
nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 The depth says, ‘It is not in me,’
and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 It cannot be bought for gold,
nor can silver be weighed for its price.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
with the precious onyx or the sapphire.
17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it,
and it cannot be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention will be made of coral or of pearls,
for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it,
nor will it be valued with pure gold.
20 “From where then does wisdom come?
And where is the place of understanding?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living
and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 Destruction and Death say,
‘We have heard of its fame with our ears.’
23 God understands its way,
and He knows its place.
24 For He looks to the ends of the earth,
and sees under the whole heaven,
25 to make the weight of the wind,
and He weighs the waters by measure.
26 When He made a decree for the rain,
and a path for the lightning of the thunder,
27 then He saw it and declared it;
He prepared it, yes, and searched it out.
28 To man He said:
‘Look, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
And to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”
Job 28
New International Version
Job 28
New International Version
Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found
28 There is a mine for silver
and a place where gold is refined.(A)
2 Iron is taken from the earth,
and copper is smelted from ore.(B)
3 Mortals put an end to the darkness;(C)
they search out the farthest recesses
for ore in the blackest darkness.(D)
4 Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,(E)
in places untouched by human feet;
far from other people they dangle and sway.
5 The earth, from which food comes,(F)
is transformed below as by fire;
6 lapis lazuli(G) comes from its rocks,
and its dust contains nuggets of gold.(H)
7 No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
no falcon’s eye has seen it.(I)
8 Proud beasts(J) do not set foot on it,
and no lion prowls there.(K)
9 People assault the flinty rock(L) with their hands
and lay bare the roots of the mountains.(M)
10 They tunnel through the rock;(N)
their eyes see all its treasures.(O)
11 They search[a] the sources of the rivers(P)
and bring hidden things(Q) to light.
12 But where can wisdom be found?(R)
Where does understanding dwell?(S)
13 No mortal comprehends its worth;(T)
it cannot be found in the land of the living.(U)
14 The deep(V) says, “It is not in me”;
the sea(W) says, “It is not with me.”
15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
nor can its price be weighed out in silver.(X)
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,(Y)
with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.(Z)
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,(AA)
nor can it be had for jewels of gold.(AB)
18 Coral(AC) and jasper(AD) are not worthy of mention;
the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.(AE)
19 The topaz(AF) of Cush(AG) cannot compare with it;
it cannot be bought with pure gold.(AH)
20 Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?(AI)
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds in the sky.(AJ)
22 Destruction[b](AK) and Death(AL) say,
“Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
23 God understands the way to it
and he alone(AM) knows where it dwells,(AN)
24 for he views the ends of the earth(AO)
and sees everything under the heavens.(AP)
25 When he established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,(AQ)
26 when he made a decree for the rain(AR)
and a path for the thunderstorm,(AS)
27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
he confirmed it and tested it.(AT)
28 And he said to the human race,
“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil(AU) is understanding.”(AV)
Modern English Version (MEV)
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.