Bible Stories: Job (Chapter Xxviii) Poem by Dr John Celes

There is a place for everything:
A mine for gold, and for silver;
Extracted is iron from earth;
And melted is from stone, copper.

Out of the earth, our food comes first;
It also gives us golden dust;
Out of its stones, comes sapphire;
Its bowels inside is afire.

But wherefrom wisdom can be gained?
Wherefrom understanding is rained?
Nothing equal to it, man knows;
Our living earth is not its source.

It cannot be purchased by gold;
To silver too, it can’t be sold;
No precious metals can buy it;
To hold, no gold vessel is fit.

Wisdom is more than priceless stone;
Wherefrom it comes, remains unknown;
From every beast, it hidden stays;
No bird or eyes have seen its ways.

No beast has ever trodden it;
The seas, abyss are far unfit;
Abaddon never came across;
To death, it was always a cross.

God only knows the way to it;
He knows the place by mere habit;
For, He beholds the ends of earth:
All under heavens that have birth!

Even the darkness has confines;
To farthest realms, His glory shines;
He knows the nature of each rock,
And pow’r to mountains even knock.

All precious things, He knows by heart,
And probes the springs and streams by art;
All hidden things, He brings to light,
And knows the wind by weight and might.

Even the rain follows His rule;
Nothing on earth can dare Him fool;
He fixed the scope of waters too;
And knew wisdom all through and through.

To man, God said, the fear of God-
Fortitude is wisdom, Behold!
Avoiding evil, more than gold-
Understanding, comes from the Lord!

Copyright by Dr John Celes 5-8-2007