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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><link rel="canonical" href="https://bibleapps.com/esv/job/28.htm"><title>Job 28 ESV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="../../bible.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../../print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/job/28.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="112" scrolling="no" src="../top.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="54" scrolling="no" src="../../nav1/job/28.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="54" scrolling="no" src="../../nav2/job/28-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><div id="movebox2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="../../menu.htm" width="100%" height="50" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../job/27.htm" title="Job 27">◄</a> Job 28 <a href="../job/29.htm" title="Job 29">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="100%" valign="top">English Standard Version</tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="heading">Job Continues: Where Is Wisdom?</p><span class="block-indent"><p class="line-group"><span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">“Surely there is a mine for silver,</span><br /><span class="indent">and a place for gold that they refine.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">Iron is taken out of the earth,</span><br /><span class="indent">and copper is smelted from the ore.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">Man puts an end to darkness</span><br /><span class="indent">and searches out to the farthest limit</span><br /><span class="indent">the ore in gloom and deep darkness.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">He opens shafts in a valley away from where anyone lives;</span><br /><span class="indent">they are forgotten by travelers;</span><br /><span class="indent">they hang in the air, far away from mankind; they swing to and fro.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">As for the earth, out of it comes bread,</span><br /><span class="indent">but underneath it is turned up as by fire.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">Its stones are the place of sapphires,<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or lapis lazuli; also verse 16">a</a></sup></span></span><br /><span class="indent">and it has dust of gold.</span></p> <p class="line-group"><span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">“That path no bird of prey knows,</span><br /><span class="indent">and the falcon’s eye has not seen it.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">The proud beasts have not trodden it;</span><br /><span class="indent">the lion has not passed over it.</span></p> <p class="line-group"><span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">“Man puts his hand to the flinty rock</span><br /><span class="indent">and overturns mountains by the roots.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">He cuts out channels in the rocks,</span><br /><span class="indent">and his eye sees every precious thing.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle,</span><br /><span class="indent">and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light.</span></p> <p class="line-group"><span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">“But where shall wisdom be found?</span><br /><span class="indent">And where is the place of understanding?</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">Man does not know its worth,</span><br /><span class="indent">and it is not found in the land of the living.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’</span><br /><span class="indent">and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">It cannot be bought for gold,</span><br /><span class="indent">and silver cannot be weighed as its price.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,</span><br /><span class="indent">in precious onyx or sapphire.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">Gold and glass cannot equal it,</span><br /><span class="indent">nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;</span><br /><span class="indent">the price of wisdom is above pearls.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,</span><br /><span class="indent">nor can it be valued in pure gold.</span></p> <p class="line-group"><span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">“From where, then, does wisdom come?</span><br /><span class="indent">And where is the place of understanding?</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">It is hidden from the eyes of all living</span><br /><span class="indent">and concealed from the birds of the air.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">Abaddon and Death say,</span><br /><span class="indent">‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’</span></p> <p class="line-group"><span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">“God understands the way to it,</span><br /><span class="indent">and he knows its place.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">For he looks to the ends of the earth</span><br /><span class="indent">and sees everything under the heavens.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">When he gave to the wind its weight</span><br /><span class="indent">and apportioned the waters by measure,</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">when he made a decree for the rain</span><br /><span class="indent">and a way for the lightning of the thunder,</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">then he saw it and declared it;</span><br /><span class="indent">he established it, and searched it out.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="../../par/job/28-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">And he said to man,</span><br /><span class="ln-group">‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,</span><br /><span class="indent">and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”</span></p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="footnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">6</span> Or <i>lapis lazuli</i>; also verse 16<br /></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">ESV Text Edition® (2016).<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by <a href="http://www.crossway.org/home/esv/">Crossway Bibles</a>, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. 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