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Job 28
Expanded Bible
Job 28
Expanded Bible
28 “There are mines where people dig silver
and places where gold is ·made pure [refined].
2 Iron is taken from the ·ground [dust],
and copper is ·melted out of [poured from the] rocks.
3 ·Miners [L They] ·bring lights [L put an end to darkness]
and ·search deep into the mines [L investigate every limit]
for ore in thick darkness.
4 They ·dig a tunnel [sink a shaft] far from where people live,
·where no one has ever walked [L a place forgotten by human feet];
they work far from people, ·swinging and swaying from ropes [L they sway suspended].
5 ·Food grows on top of the earth [L Bread/Food comes out of the earth],
but below ground things are ·changed [overturned] as if by fire.
6 ·Sapphires [or Lapis lazuli] are found in rocks,
and gold dust is also found there.
7 No ·hawk [bird of prey] knows that path;
the ·falcon [or black kite] has not seen it.
8 Proud animals have not walked there,
and no lions cross over it.
9 ·Miners [L They] ·hit [L put their hands to] the rocks of flint
·and dig away at the bottom of the mountains [upturning the mountains from their root].
10 They cut tunnels through the rock
and see all the ·treasures [precious things] there.
11 They ·search for places where rivers begin [or dam up the sources of the rivers]
and bring things hidden out into the light.
12 “But where can wisdom be found,
and where ·does understanding live [is understanding]?
13 People do not understand ·the value of wisdom [L its price];
it cannot be found ·among those who are alive [L in the land of the living].
14 The ·deep ocean [or Deep] says, ‘It’s not in me;’
the ·sea [or Sea; C the Deep and Sea may represent the forces of chaos] says, ‘It’s not in me.’
15 Wisdom cannot be bought with gold,
and its cost cannot be weighed in silver.
16 Wisdom cannot be bought with ·fine gold [L the gold of Ophir; 22:24]
or with ·valuable [precious] onyx or ·sapphire gems [or lapis lazuli].
17 Gold and ·crystal [or glass] ·are not as valuable as wisdom [L cannot match it],
and you cannot buy it with jewels of gold.
18 Coral and ·jasper [or crystal; C the identification of gems is often uncertain] are not worth talking about,
and the price of wisdom is much greater than ·rubies [or pearls].
19 The ·topaz [or chrysolite] from ·Cush [Ethiopia] cannot compare to wisdom;
it cannot be bought with the purest gold.
20 “So where does wisdom come from,
and where does understanding live?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
[L concealed] even from the birds of ·the air [L the sky; heaven].
22 ·The places of destruction [L Abaddon] and ·death [or Death; C the forces of the underworld] say,
‘We have heard reports about it.’
23 Only God understands the way to wisdom,
and he alone knows ·where it lives [L its place],
24 because he looks to the ·farthest parts [ends] of the earth
and sees everything under ·the sky [or heaven].
25 When God gave ·power [substance; L weight] to the wind
and measured the water,
26 when he made ·rules [or limits] for the rain
and set a path for a thunderstorm to follow,
27 then he looked at ·wisdom [L it] and ·decided its worth [L declared it];
he ·set wisdom up [L established it] and ·tested [or investigated] it.
28 Then he said to humans,
‘The fear of the Lord is wisdom [Prov. 1:7];
to ·stay [or turn] away from evil is understanding [Prov. 3:7].’”
Job 28
New International Version
Job 28
New International Version
Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found
28 There is a mine for silver
and a place where gold is refined.(A)
2 Iron is taken from the earth,
and copper is smelted from ore.(B)
3 Mortals put an end to the darkness;(C)
they search out the farthest recesses
for ore in the blackest darkness.(D)
4 Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,(E)
in places untouched by human feet;
far from other people they dangle and sway.
5 The earth, from which food comes,(F)
is transformed below as by fire;
6 lapis lazuli(G) comes from its rocks,
and its dust contains nuggets of gold.(H)
7 No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
no falcon’s eye has seen it.(I)
8 Proud beasts(J) do not set foot on it,
and no lion prowls there.(K)
9 People assault the flinty rock(L) with their hands
and lay bare the roots of the mountains.(M)
10 They tunnel through the rock;(N)
their eyes see all its treasures.(O)
11 They search[a] the sources of the rivers(P)
and bring hidden things(Q) to light.
12 But where can wisdom be found?(R)
Where does understanding dwell?(S)
13 No mortal comprehends its worth;(T)
it cannot be found in the land of the living.(U)
14 The deep(V) says, “It is not in me”;
the sea(W) says, “It is not with me.”
15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
nor can its price be weighed out in silver.(X)
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,(Y)
with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.(Z)
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,(AA)
nor can it be had for jewels of gold.(AB)
18 Coral(AC) and jasper(AD) are not worthy of mention;
the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.(AE)
19 The topaz(AF) of Cush(AG) cannot compare with it;
it cannot be bought with pure gold.(AH)
20 Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?(AI)
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds in the sky.(AJ)
22 Destruction[b](AK) and Death(AL) say,
“Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
23 God understands the way to it
and he alone(AM) knows where it dwells,(AN)
24 for he views the ends of the earth(AO)
and sees everything under the heavens.(AP)
25 When he established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,(AQ)
26 when he made a decree for the rain(AR)
and a path for the thunderstorm,(AS)
27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
he confirmed it and tested it.(AT)
28 And he said to the human race,
“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil(AU) is understanding.”(AV)
Expanded Bible (EXB)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.