| 1 | Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it. |
| 2 | Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is melted out of the stone. |
| 3 | He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shades of death. |
| 4 | The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant: even the waters forgotten by the foot: they are dried up, they have gone away from men. |
| 5 | As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire. |
| 6 | The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold. |
| 7 | There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vultur's eye hath not seen: |
| 8 | The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it. |
| 9 | He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots. |
| 10 | He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing. |
| 11 | He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid he bringeth forth to light. |
| 12 | But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? |
| 13 | Man knoweth not the price of it; neither is it found in the land of the living. |
| 14 | The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. |
| 15 | It cannot be obtained for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price of it. |
| 16 | It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. |
| 17 | The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. |
| 18 | No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. |
| 19 | The topaz of Cush shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. |
| 20 | Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? |
| 21 | Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. |
| 22 | Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame of it with our ears. |
| 23 | God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth its place. |
| 24 | For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; |
| 25 | To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. |
| 26 | When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: |
| 27 | Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. |
| 28 | And to man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. |