Behold, the Fear of the Lord, that is Wisdom

 

Behold, the Fear of the Lord, that is Wisdom.  Job 28:1-28

 ¹ "Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold that they refine.

 ² Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted from the ore.

 ³ Man puts an end to darkness and searches out to the farthest limit the ore in gloom and deep darkness.

 ⁴ He opens shafts in a valley away from where anyone lives; they are forgotten by travelers; they hang in the air, far away from mankind; they swing to and fro.

 ⁵ As for the earth, out of it comes bread, but underneath it is turned up as by fire.

 ⁶ Its stones are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold.

 ⁷ "That path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon's eye has not seen it.

 ⁸ The proud beasts have not trodden it; the lion has not passed over it.

 ⁹ "Man puts his hand to the flinty rock and overturns mountains by the roots.

 ¹⁰ He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing.

 ¹¹ He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle, and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light.

 ¹² "But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

 ¹³ Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living.

 ¹⁴ The deep says, 'It is not in me,' and the sea says, 'It is not with me.'

 ¹⁵ It cannot be bought for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price.

 ¹⁶ It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.

 ¹⁷ Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

 ¹⁸ No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; the price of wisdom is above pearls.

 ¹⁹ The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.

 ²⁰ "From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?

 ²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air.

 ²² Abaddon and Death say, 'We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.'

 ²³ "God understands the way to it, and he knows its place.

 ²⁴ For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

 ²⁵ When he gave to the wind its weight and apportioned the waters by measure,

 ²⁶ when he made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder,

 ²⁷ then he saw it and declared it; he established it, and searched it out.

 ²⁸ And he said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'"