1 S urely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold where they refine it.

¶ Surely there is a mine for the silver, and a place for gold where they refine it.

2 I ron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted from the stone ore.

Iron is taken out of the dust, and bronze is melted out of the stone.

3 M an sets an end to darkness, and he searches out the farthest bounds for the ore buried in gloom and deep darkness.

He set a border unto the darkness, and unto every perfect work that he made, he placed a stone of darkness and shadow of death.

4 M en break open shafts away from where people sojourn, in places forgotten by foot; and, hanging afar from men, they swing or flit to and fro.

The river breaks forth next to the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot, that were higher than man, are gone away.

5 A s for the earth, out of it comes bread, but underneath there is blasting, turning it up as by fire.

Land out of which bread comes forth, and underneath it shall be as if it were converted in fire.

6 I ts stones are the bed of sapphires; it holds dust of gold.

A place where its stones shall be sapphires; and it shall have dust of gold.

7 T hat path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon’s eye has not seen it.

A path which no fowl knows and which the vulture’s eye has never seen;

8 T he proud beasts have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed over it.

the young of the proud have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by it.

9 M an puts forth his hand upon the flinty rock; he overturns the mountains by the roots.

He put his hand upon the flint and overturned the mountains from the root.

10 H e cuts out channels and passages among the rocks; and his eye sees every precious thing.

He cut rivers out of the rocks; and his eye saw every precious thing.

11 b inds the streams so that they do not trickle, and the thing that is hidden he brings forth to light.

He detained the rivers in their source and caused that which was hid to be brought to light.

12 B ut where shall Wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

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

13 M an knows not the price of it; neither is it found in the land of the living.

Man never knew its price; neither is it found in the land of the living.

14 T he deep says, is not in me; and the sea says, It is not with me.

¶ The deep saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, It is not with me.

15 I t cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price of it.

It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for its price.

16 I t cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in the precious onyx or beryl, or the sapphire.

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

17 G old and glass cannot equal, nor can it be exchanged for jewels or vessels of fine gold.

Gold cannot equal it, nor can diamond; neither shall it be exchanged for vessels of fine gold.

18 N o mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; for the possession of Wisdom is even above rubies or pearls.

No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls; for wisdom is better than precious stones.

19 T he topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.

The emerald of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

20 F rom where then does Wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?

¶ Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding?

21 I t is hidden from the eyes of all living, and knowledge of it is withheld from the birds of the heavens.

Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living and kept concealed from every fowl of the heaven.

22 A baddon (the place of destruction) and Death say, We have heard the report of it with our ears.

Hell and death say, We have heard its fame with our ears.

23 G od understands the way and He knows the place of it.

God understands its way, and he alone knows its place.

24 F or He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

For he looks unto the ends of the earth and sees under the whole heaven,

25 W hen He gave to the wind weight or pressure and allotted the waters by measure,

To make a weight for the wind and to supply water by measure,

26 W hen He made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder,

when he made a law for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunders.

27 T hen He saw and declared it; He established it, yes, and searched it out.

Then he saw it and counted it; he prepared it and also searched it out.

28 B ut to man He said, Behold, the reverential and worshipful fear of the Lord—that is Wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

And unto man he said, Behold, that the fear of the Lord, is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.