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