1Surely there is a source for silver, and a place where gold is refined. 2Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted from stone. 3Man puts an end to darkness, and searches every recess for stone in the gloom and deep darkness. 4The torrent breaks out far from the sojourners; forgotten by the feet of men, they hang and swing to and fro. 5As for the earth, from it comes bread, but underneath it is churned up like fire; 6its stones are the source of sapphires, and it contains gold dust. 7It is a path no bird knows, nor has the falcon’s eye caught sight of it. 8The young of the majestic beasts have not trodden it, nor has the lion passed by it. 9He has put his hand on the rock; He has overturned the mountains by the roots. 10He cuts out streams in the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing. 11He has bound up the streams from flowing; He brings what is hidden out into the light. 12But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? 13Man does not know its value, 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 with me. 15It cannot be given for gold, nor can silver be weighed for its price. 16It cannot be weighed against the gold of Ophir, the precious onyx or sapphire. 17Neither gold nor crystal can be compared to it, nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold. 18No mention shall be made of coral or crystal, for the acquiring of wisdom is above precious stones. 19The topaz of Ethiopia cannot be compared to it, nor can it be weighed out for pure gold. 20From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? 21It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the heavens. 22Abaddon and Death say, We have heard a report of it with our ears. 23God understands its way, and He knows its place. 24For He looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heavens, 25to appoint a weight for the wind, and mete out the waters by measure. 26When He made a decree for the rain, and a path for the thunderbolt, 27then He saw and declared it; He prepared it, yea, He searched it out. 28And to man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.