1 Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.

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

2 Iron is taken from the ground, and copper is smelted from ore.

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

3 Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out to the farthest limits for ore buried in deep darkness.

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

4 He cuts a shaft far from where people dwell; forgotten by travelers, they dangle and swing to and fro far from humankind.

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 The earth produces food, but beneath it is overturned as if by fire.

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

6 Its rocks are the source of sapphires, and it contains dust of gold.

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

7 No bird of prey knows that path, nor has the hawk's eye seen it.

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

8 Proud beasts have not set foot on it, nor has the lion prowled over it.

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

9 Man lays his hand on the hardest rock and overturns mountains from their roots.

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

10 He carves out channels through the rocks, and his eyes see every precious thing.

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

11 He dams up streams to stop their flow, and brings to light what is hidden.

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

12 But where can wisdom be found, and where is the place of understanding?

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

13 Mankind does not know its value, 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 The deep says, 'It is not in me,' and the sea declares, 'It is not with me.'

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

15 It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed in silver.

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

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

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

17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor is it exchanged for jewels 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 Coral and jasper are not worth mentioning; the price of wisdom is above pearls.

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

19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.

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

20 But where does wisdom come from, and where is the place of understanding?

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

21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the sky.

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 a rumor about it with our ears.'

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

23 God understands its way, and He knows its place.

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

24 For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

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

25 When He gave weight to the wind and measured the waters by measure,

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 path for the thunderbolt,

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 and also examined it.

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

28 And He said to mankind, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'

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