1 S urely there is a mine for silver, And a place for gold which they refine.

2 I ron is taken out of the earth, And copper is molten out of the stone.

3 M an setteth an end to darkness, And searcheth out, to the furthest bound, The stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.

4 H e breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn; They are forgotten of the foot; They hang afar from men, they swing to and fro.

5 A s for the earth, out of it cometh bread; And underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.

6 T he stones thereof are the place of sapphires, And it hath dust of gold.

7 T hat path no bird of prey knoweth, Neither hath the falcon's eye seen it:

8 T he proud beasts have not trodden it, Nor hath the fierce lion passed thereby.

9 H e putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock; He overturneth the mountains by the roots.

10 H e cutteth out channels among the rocks; And his eye seeth every precious thing.

11 H e bindeth the streams that they trickle not; And the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

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

13 M an knoweth not the price thereof; Neither is it found in the land of the living.

14 T he 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 thereof.

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

17 G old and glass cannot equal it, Neither shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

18 N o mention shall be made of coral or of crystal: Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies.

19 T he topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, Neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

20 W hence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?

21 S eeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, And kept close from the birds of the heavens.

22 D estruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor thereof with our ears.

23 G od understandeth the way thereof, And he knoweth the place thereof.

24 F or he looketh to the ends of the earth, And seeth under the whole heaven;

25 T o make a weight for the wind: Yea, he meteth out the waters by measure.

26 W hen he made a decree for the rain, And a way for the lightning of the thunder;

27 T hen did he see it, and declare it; He established it, yea, and searched it out.

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