Job 28
1 Though there is, for silver, a vein, and a place for the gold they refine;
Siluer hath bigynnyngis of his veynes; and a place is to gold, in which it is wellid togidere.
2 Iron, out of the ore, is taken, and, stone, poureth out copper;
Irun is takun fro erthe, and a stoon resolued, `ethir meltid, bi heete, is turned in to money.
3 An end, hath one set to the darkness, and, into every extremity, is, he, making search, for the stone of darkness and death-shade;
God hath set tyme to derknessis, and he biholdith the ende of alle thingis.
4 He hath sunken a shaft, away from the inhabitants; Places forsaken by the foot, they hang down, away from men, sway to and fro;
Also a stronde departith a stoon of derknesse, and the schadewe of deth, fro the puple goynge in pilgrymage; it departith tho hillis, whiche the foot of a nedi man foryat, and hillis with out weie.
5 As for the earth, out of it, cometh forth bread, and, under it, is upturned, as it were fire;
The erthe, wher of breed cam forth in his place, is destried bi fier.
6 The place of sapphires, are the stones thereof, and it hath, nuggets of gold: —
The place of saphir ben stoonys therof, and the clottis therof ben gold.
7 A path, the vulture hath not discerned, nor hath the eye of the hawk scanned it;
A brid knewe not the weie, and the iye of a vultur, ethir rauenouse brid, bihelde it not.
8 Ravenous beasts have not made a track thereof, neither hath the lion marched thereon:
The sones of marchauntis tretiden not on it, and a lyonesse passide not therbi.
9 Upon the flint, hath he thrust forth his hand, He hath turned up mountains by the roots;
God stretchide forth his hond to a flynt; he distriede hillis fro the rootis.
10 Among the rocks, hath he cut open streams, and, every precious thing, hath his eye seen:
He hewide doun ryuers in stoonys; and his iye siy al precious thing.
11 From trickling, he restraineth, rivers, and, some hidden thing, is he bringing out to light.
And he souyte out the depthis of floodis; and he brouyte forth hid thingis in to liyt.
12 Yet where can, Wisdom, be found? And where is the place of understanding?
But where is wisdom foundun, and which is the place of vndurstondyng?
13 Mortal knoweth not the way thereof, neither can it be found in the land of the living;
A man noot the prijs therof, nether it is foundun in the lond of men lyuynge swetli, `ether delicatli.
14 The resounding deep, hath said, It is not in me! And, the sea, hath said, It is not with me!
The depthe of watris seith, It is not in me; and the see spekith, It is not with me.
15 Pure gold cannot be given in its stead, neither can silver he weighed as the value thereof;
Gold ful cleene schal not be youun for wisdom, nether siluer schal be weied in the chaungyng therof.
16 It cannot be put into the scales against the gold of Ophir, with costly onyx, or sapphire;
It schal not be comparysound to the died colours of Iynde, not to the moost preciouse stoon of sardius, nether to saphir.
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can, the exchange thereof, be a vessel of pure gold,
Nether gold, nether glas schal be maad euene worth therto;
18 Coral or crystal, cannot be mentioned, Yea, a possession, is wisdom, above red coral;
and hiye and fer apperynge vessels of gold schulen not be chaungid for wisdom, nether schulen be had in mynde in comparisoun therof. Forsothe wisdom is drawun of pryuy thingis;
19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, Against purest gold, can it not be weighed.
topasie of Ethiope schal not be maad euene worth to wisdom, and moost preciouse diyngis schulen not be set togidere in prijs, `ether comparisound, therto.
20 Whence then cometh, wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?
Therfor wherof cometh wisdom, and which is the place of vndurstondyng?
21 Seeing it hath been hid from the eyes of every living thing, and, from the bird of the heavens, hath it been concealed?
It is hid fro the iyen of alle lyuynge men; also it is hid fro briddis of heuene.
22 Destruction and death, have said, With our ears, have we heard the report thereof!
Perdicioun and deeth seiden, With oure eeris we herden the fame therof.
23 GOD, understandeth the way thereof, and, he, discerneth the place thereof;
God vndurstondith the weye therof, and he knowith the place therof.
24 For, he, unto the ends of the earth, directeth his look, under all the heavens, he seeth;
For he biholdith the endis of the world, and biholdith alle thingis that ben vndur heuene.
25 Making, for the wind, a weight, and, the waters, he proved by measure,
`Which God made weiyte to wyndis, and weiede watris in mesure.
26 When he made, for the rain, a decree, and a way for the lightning of thunders,
Whanne he settide lawe to reyn, and weie to tempestis sownynge;
27 Then, saw he it, and declared it, He settled it, yea also he searched it out;
thanne he siy wisdom, and telde out, and made redi, and souyte out.
28 And said to the son of earth, Lo! the reverence of the Lord, that, is wisdom, and, to avoid evil, is understanding.
And he seide to man, Lo! the drede of the Lord, thilke is wisdom; and to go awei fro yuel, is vndurstondyng.
