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

Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold which they refine;

2 I ron is taken out of the dust, and bronze is melted out of the stone.

Iron is taken out of the dust, and copper is molten out of the stone.

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

putteth an end to the darkness, and exploreth to the utmost limit, the stones of darkness and of the shadow of death.

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

He openeth a shaft far from the inhabitants: forgotten of the foot, they hang suspended; away below men they hover.

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

As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as by fire;

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

The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.

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

It is a path no bird of prey knoweth, and the vulture's eye hath not seen it;

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

The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed over it.

9 H e put his hand upon the flint and overturned the mountains from the root.

putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.

10 H e cut rivers out of the rocks; and his eye saw every precious thing.

He cutteth out channels in the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing.

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

He bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.

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

But wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is the place of understanding?

13 M an never knew its price; neither is it found in the land of the living.

Man knoweth not the value thereof; and it is not found in the land of the living.

14 ¶ The deep saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, 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 its price.

Choice gold cannot be given for it, nor silver be weighed for its price.

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

It is not set in the balance with gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, and the sapphire.

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

Gold and glass cannot be compared to it, nor vessels of fine gold be its exchange.

18 N o mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls; for wisdom is better than precious stones.

Corals and crystal are no more remembered; yea, the acquisition of wisdom is above rubies.

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

The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be compared to it, neither shall it be set in the balance with pure gold.

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

Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

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

For it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowl of the heavens.

22 H ell and death say, We have heard its fame with our ears.

Destruction and death say, We have heard its report with our ears.

23 G od understands its way, and he alone knows its place.

God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth its place:

24 F or he looks unto the ends of the earth and sees under the whole heaven,

For he looketh to the ends of the earth, he seeth under the whole heaven.

25 T o make a weight for the wind and to supply water by measure,

In making a weight for the wind, and meting out the waters by measure,

26 w hen he made a law for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunders.

In appointing a statute for the rain, and a way for the thunder's flash:

27 T hen he saw it and counted it; he prepared it and also searched it out.

Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out;

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

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