✧Surely 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. ✧5[As 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. ✧7[There 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. ✧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. ✧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.