1. Surely there is a mine for the silver, and a place where they refine gold.
2. Iron is taken out of the earth, and bronze is smelted from stone.
3. He sets an end to darkness, and to every extremity He searches out a stone of darkness and death-shade.
4. He opens a shaft far from the visitor; they are forgotten by man's foot; they hang far from men; they swing to and fro.
5. As to the earth, out of it comes bread; and underneath it, it is turned up like fire.
6. The place of sapphires is in its stones, and it has dust of gold.
7. There is a path not known to birds of prey, nor has a falcon's eye caught sight of it;
8. the sons of pride have not trodden on it; the lion has not passed by it.
9. He places his hand on the flint places; He overturns mountains by the roots.
10. He cuts out rivers among the rocks, and His eye sees every precious thing.
11. He restrains the floods from overflowing; and He brings the hidden thing to light.
12. But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
13. Man does not know its value, nor is it 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. Pure gold cannot be given instead of it, and silver cannot be weighed as its price.
16. It cannot be weighed against the gold of Ophir, against precious onyx, or sapphire;
17. gold and crystal cannot be ranked with it, nor its exchange a vessel of fine gold.
18. Coral and rock crystal cannot be mentioned; yea, the getting of wisdom is above jewels.
19. The topaz of Ethiopia cannot be ranked with it; it cannot be weighed against pure gold.
20. Where then does wisdom come from, and where is the place of understanding?
21. Yea, it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the heavens;
22. the Place of Ruin and Death say, We have heard its fame with our ears.
23. God knows its way, and He knows its place.
24. For He looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under all the heavens;
25. making a weight for the winds and measuring out the waters by measure.
26. When He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the flash, the thunderclap,
27. then He saw it, and declared it; He prepared it, and He also searched it out.
28. And to man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom! And to turn from evil is understanding.