[1] “Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
[2] Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.
[3] Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
[4] He breaks open a shaft away from where people live. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth.
[5] As for the earth, out of it comes bread; Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
[6] Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
[7] That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.
[8] The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
[9] He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
[10] He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
[11] He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
[12] “But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
[13] Man doesn’t know its price; Neither is it found in the land of the living.
[14] The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’
[15] It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.
[16] It can’t be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
[17] Gold and glass can’t equal it, neither will it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
[18] No mention will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
[19] The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it, nor will it be valued with pure gold.
[20] Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?
[21] Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
[22] Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
[23] “God understands its way, and he knows its place.
[24] For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.
[25] He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.
[26] When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
[27] then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.
[28] To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”