For there is a vein for the silver,{HR}And a place for the gold they refine.
Iron is taken out of earth,{HR}And stone molten into copper.
He [man] putteth an end to darkness,{HR}And to the end searcheth he all,{HR}The stone of darkness and death-shade.
He breaketh a shaft away from a dweller,{HR}Forgotten of a foot they hang suspended,{HR}Away from men they swing:
The earth, out of it cometh bread,{HR}And under it is turned up as it were fire.
Its stones [are] the place of the sapphires,{HR}And nuggets of gold it hath,
A path no bird of prey hath known,{HR}Nor vulture’s eye hath seen.
The sons of pride have not trodden it,{HR}Nor the dark lion passed over it.
He [man] layeth his hand on flint,{HR}He overturneth mountains by the root,
He cutteth rivers in the rocks,{HR}And his eye seeth every precious thing.
Floods he bindeth from dripping.{HR}And bringeth to light what was hidden.
But wisdom, where shall it be found?{HR}And where this, the place of understanding?
No mortal knoweth its price,{HR}Nor is it found in the land of the living.
The depth saith Not in me [is] it,{HR}And the sea saith, It [is] not with me.
Pure gold is not given for it,{HR}Nor is silver weighed, its price.
It cannot be weighed with gem of Ophir,{HR}With the precious onyx or the sapphire.
Gold and glass cannot equal it,{HR}Nor its exchange [be] a vessel of fine gold.
Coral or pearl is not to be mentioned.{HR}And the acquisition of wisdom [is] above rubies,
The topaz of Cush doth not match it,{HR}With the clear gem it is not weighed.
And wisdom, whence cometh it,{HR}And where this, the place of understanding?
And further it is hidden from the eyes of all living,{HR}And it is concealed from the birds of the heavens,
Destruction and Death have said,{HR}With our ears we have heard its report.
God understandeth its way, and he knoweth its place.{HR}For he looketh to the ends of the earth,
He seeth under the whole heaven.{HR}In making to wind its weight,
And meting out the waters by measure,{HR}In making a law for the rain,
And a way for the lightning of the thunder,
Then he saw and declared it,{HR}He established and also searched it out;
And unto man he said,{HR}Behold, the fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom,{HR}And to depart from evil understanding.