Job 28-29

New International Version

Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found

28 There is a mine for silver
    and a place where gold is refined.^(A)
²Iron is taken from the earth,
    and copper is smelted from ore.^(B)
³Mortals put an end to the darkness;^(C)
    they search out the farthest recesses
    for ore in the blackest darkness.^(D)
⁴Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,^(E)
    in places untouched by human feet;
    far from other people they dangle and sway.
⁵The earth, from which food comes,^(F)
    is transformed below as by fire;
⁶lapis lazuli^(G) comes from its rocks,
    and its dust contains nuggets of gold.^(H)
⁷No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
    no falcon’s eye has seen it.^(I)
⁸Proud beasts^(J) do not set foot on it,
    and no lion prowls there.^(K)
⁹People assault the flinty rock^(L) with their hands
    and lay bare the roots of the mountains.^(M)
¹⁰They tunnel through the rock;^(N)
    their eyes see all its treasures.^(O)
¹¹They search^[a] the sources of the rivers^(P)
    and bring hidden things^(Q) to light.

¹²But where can wisdom be found?^(R)
    Where does understanding dwell?^(S)
¹³No mortal comprehends its worth;^(T)
    it cannot be found in the land of the living.^(U)
¹⁴The deep^(V) says, “It is not in me”;
    the sea^(W) says, “It is not with me.”
¹⁵It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
    nor can its price be weighed out in silver.^(X)
¹⁶It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,^(Y)
    with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.^(Z)
¹⁷Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,^(AA)
    nor can it be had for jewels of gold.^(AB)
¹⁸Coral^(AC) and jasper^(AD) are not worthy of mention;
    the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.^(AE)
¹⁹The topaz^(AF) of Cush^(AG) cannot compare with it;
    it cannot be bought with pure gold.^(AH)

²⁰Where then does wisdom come from?
    Where does understanding dwell?^(AI)
²¹It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
    concealed even from the birds in the sky.^(AJ)
²²Destruction^[b]^(AK) and Death^(AL) say,
    “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
²³God understands the way to it
    and he alone^(AM) knows where it dwells,^(AN)
²⁴for he views the ends of the earth^(AO)
    and sees everything under the heavens.^(AP)
²⁵When he established the force of the wind
    and measured out the waters,^(AQ)
²⁶when he made a decree for the rain^(AR)
    and a path for the thunderstorm,^(AS)
²⁷then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
    he confirmed it and tested it.^(AT)
²⁸And he said to the human race,
    “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
    and to shun evil^(AU) is understanding.”^(AV)

Job’s Final Defense

29 Job continued his discourse:^(AW)

²“How I long for the months gone by,^(AX)
    for the days when God watched over me,^(AY)
³when his lamp shone on my head
    and by his light I walked through darkness!^(AZ)
⁴Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,
    when God’s intimate friendship^(BA) blessed my house,^(BB)
⁵when the Almighty was still with me
    and my children^(BC) were around me,^(BD)
⁶when my path was drenched with cream^(BE)
    and the rock^(BF) poured out for me streams of olive oil.^(BG)

⁷“When I went to the gate^(BH) of the city
    and took my seat in the public square,
⁸the young men saw me and stepped aside^(BI)
    and the old men rose to their feet;^(BJ)
⁹the chief men refrained from speaking^(BK)
    and covered their mouths with their hands;^(BL)
¹⁰the voices of the nobles were hushed,^(BM)
    and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.^(BN)
¹¹Whoever heard me spoke well of me,
    and those who saw me commended me,^(BO)
¹²because I rescued the poor^(BP) who cried for help,
    and the fatherless^(BQ) who had none to assist them.^(BR)
¹³The one who was dying blessed me;^(BS)
    I made the widow’s^(BT) heart sing.
¹⁴I put on righteousness^(BU) as my clothing;
    justice was my robe and my turban.^(BV)
¹⁵I was eyes^(BW) to the blind
    and feet to the lame.^(BX)
¹⁶I was a father to the needy;^(BY)
    I took up the case^(BZ) of the stranger.^(CA)
¹⁷I broke the fangs of the wicked
    and snatched the victims^(CB) from their teeth.^(CC)

¹⁸“I thought, ‘I will die in my own house,
    my days as numerous as the grains of sand.^(CD)
¹⁹My roots will reach to the water,^(CE)
    and the dew will lie all night on my branches.^(CF)
²⁰My glory will not fade;^(CG)
    the bow^(CH) will be ever new in my hand.’^(CI)

²¹“People listened to me expectantly,
    waiting in silence for my counsel.^(CJ)
²²After I had spoken, they spoke no more;^(CK)
    my words fell gently on their ears.^(CL)
²³They waited for me as for showers
    and drank in my words as the spring rain.^(CM)
²⁴When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;
    the light of my face^(CN) was precious to them.^[c]^(CO)
²⁵I chose the way for them and sat as their chief;^(CP)
    I dwelt as a king^(CQ) among his troops;
    I was like one who comforts mourners.^(CR)