1Surely there is a mine for the silver, and a place [where] they refine gold. 2Iron is taken out of the earth, and bronze [is] melted [out of] the stone. 3He sets an end to darkness, and to every extremity He searches out the stones of darkness and the shadow of death. 4He opens a shaft far from the visitor; they are forgotten by [man's] foot; they hang far away from men, they swing to and fro. 5[As to] the earth, out of it comes bread; and underneath it is turned up like fire. 6Its stones [are] the place of sapphires; and it has dust of gold. 7[There is] a path which no bird knows, nor has the vulture's eye caught sight of it; 8the sons of pride have not walked on it, the lion has not passed by. 9He puts forth His hand on the flinty places; He overturns the mountains by the roots. 10He cuts out rivers among the rocks; and His eye sees every precious thing. 11He holds back the floods from overflowing; and the hidden thing, He brings to light. 12But where shall wisdom be found? And where [is] the place of understanding? 13Man does not know the price of it; nor is it found in the land of the living. 14The deep says, [It is] not in me; and the sea says, [It is] not in me. 15Pure gold cannot be given in its stead, and silver be weighed as its price. 16It cannot be weighed against the gold of Ophir, against precious onyx, or sapphire; 17gold and the crystal cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for a vessel of fine gold. 18No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls; and the price of wisdom [is] above rubies. 19The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it; it cannot be weighed against pure gold. 20From where then does wisdom come, and where [is] the place of understanding? 21Yea, it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and hidden from the birds of the heavens. 22The place of ruin and death say, We have heard the fame of it with our ears. 23God understands the way of it, and He knows its place. 24For He looks to the end of the earth, [and] sees under all the heavens; 25making a weight for the winds, and measuring out the waters by measure. 26When He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning to thunder; 27then He saw it, and declared it; He prepared it, yea, and searched it out. 28And to man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom! And to depart from evil [is] understanding!