¹ Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine [it]. ² Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone. ³ He sets an end to darkness, and searches out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death. ⁴ The flood breaks out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men. ⁵ As for the earth, out of it comes bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire. ⁶ The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it has dust of gold. ⁷ There is a path which no fowl know, and which the vulture's eye has not seen ⁸ The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it. ⁹ He puts forward his hand on the rock he overturns the mountains by the roots. ¹⁰ He cuts out rivers among the rocks and his eye sees every precious thing. ¹¹ He binds the floods from overflowing and the thing that is hid brings he forward to light. ¹² But where will wisdom be found ? and where is the place of understanding? ¹³ Man know not the price of it neither is it found in the land of the living. ¹⁴ The depth says, It is not in me: and the sea says , [It is] not with me. ¹⁵ It cannot be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for the price of it. ¹⁶ It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. ¹⁷ The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it will not be for jewels of fine gold. ¹⁸ No mention will be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. ¹⁹ The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it, neither will it be valued with pure gold. ²⁰ Where then comes wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? ²¹ Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. ²² Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame of it with our ears. ²³ God understands the way of it, and he know the place of it. ²⁴ For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven; ²⁵ To make the weight for the winds and he weighs the waters by measure. ²⁶ When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder ²⁷ Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yes, and searched it out. ²⁸ And to man he said, See, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.