28:1 Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
28:2 Iron is taken from the ground, and copper is smelted from ore.
28:3 A miner puts an end to the darkness; he probes the deepest recesses for ore in the gloomy darkness.
28:4 He cuts a shaft far from human habitation, in places unknown to those who walk above ground. Suspended far away from people, the miners swing back and forth.
28:5 Food may come from the earth, but below the surface the earth is transformed as by fire.
28:6 Its rocks are a source of sapphire, containing flecks of gold.
28:7 No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon's eye has seen it.
28:8 Proud beasts have never walked on it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
28:9 The miner strikes the flint and transforms the mountains at their foundations.
28:10 He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
28:11 He dams up the streams from flowing so that he may bring to light what is hidden.
28:12 But where can wisdom be found, and where is understanding located?
28:13 No man can know its value, since it cannot be found in the land of the living.
28:14 The ocean depths say, "It's not in me," while the sea declares, "I don't have it."
28:15 Gold cannot be exchanged for it, and silver cannot be weighed out for its price.
28:16 Wisdom cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
28:17 Gold and glass do not compare with it, and articles of fine gold cannot be exchanged for it.
28:18 Coral and quartz are not worth mentioning. The price of wisdom is beyond pearls.
28:19 Topaz from Cush cannot compare with it, and it cannot be valued in pure gold.
28:20 Where then does wisdom come from, and where is understanding located?
28:21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the sky.
28:22 Abaddon and Death say, "We have heard news of it with our ears."
28:23 But God understands the way to wisdom, and He knows its location.
28:24 For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
28:25 When God fixed the weight of the wind and limited the water by measure,
28:26 when He established a limit for the rain and a path for the lightning,
28:27 He considered wisdom and evaluated it; He established it and examined it.
28:28 He said to mankind, "The fear of the Lord is this: wisdom. And to turn from evil is understanding."
Want to give us your feedback? Suggestions?
Would like to help?
Click here to become a Patreon. Entry level is FREE:
www.patreon.com/ScriptureAwakened Thank you!