1 S urely there is for silver a source, And a place for the gold they refine;

Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.

2 I ron from the dust is taken, And the firm stone brass.

Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.

3 A n end hath he set to darkness, And to all perfection he is searching, A stone of darkness and death-shade.

He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.

4 A stream hath broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, from man they wandered.

The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.

5 T he earth! from it cometh forth bread, And its under-part is turned like fire.

As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.

6 A place of the sapphire its stones, And it hath dust of gold.

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

7 A path -- not known it hath a ravenous fowl, Nor scorched it hath an eye of the kite,

There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen:

8 N or trodden it have the sons of pride, Not passed over it hath the fierce lion.

the lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

9 A gainst the flint he sent forth his hand, He overturned from the root mountains.

He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.

10 A mong rocks, brooks he hath cleaved, And every precious thing hath his eye seen.

He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.

11 F rom overflowing floods he hath bound, And the hidden thing bringeth out light.

He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

12 A nd the wisdom -- whence is it found? And where this, the place of understanding?

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

13 M an hath not known its arrangement, Nor is it found in the land of the living.

Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

14 T he deep hath said, `It not in me,' And the sea hath said, `It is not with me.'

The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.

15 G old is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed -- its price.

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

16 I t is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire,

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

17 N ot equal it do gold and crystal, Nor its exchange a vessel of fine gold.

The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.

18 C orals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom above rubies.

No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.

19 N ot equal it doth the topaz of Cush, With pure gold it is not valued.

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

20 A nd the wisdom -- whence doth it come? And where this, the place of understanding?

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

21 I t hath been hid from the eyes of all living. And from the fowl of the heavens It hath been hidden.

Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.

22 D estruction and death have said: `With our ears we have heard its fame.'

Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.

23 G od hath understood its way, And He hath known its place.

God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.

24 F or He to the ends of the earth doth look, Under the whole heavens He doth see,

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

25 T o make for the wind a weight, And the waters He meted out in measure.

to make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.

26 I n His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices,

When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:

27 T hen He hath seen and declareth it, He hath prepared it, and also searched it out,

then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

28 A nd He saith to man: -- `Lo, fear of the Lord, that wisdom, And to turn from evil understanding.'

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