Job 28

 
1 SURELY there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.
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2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.
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3 He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.
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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.
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5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.
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6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.
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7 There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:
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8 The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
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9 He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
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10 He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
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11 He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
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12 But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?
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13 Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
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14 The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.
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15 It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
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16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
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17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.
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18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
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19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
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20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
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21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
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22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
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23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
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24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;
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25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
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26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
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27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.
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28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
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