1
"Surely there is a mine for silver, And a place where gold is refined.
2
Iron is taken from the earth, And copper is smelted from ore.
3
Man puts an end to darkness, And searches every recess For ore in the darkness and the shadow of death.
4
He breaks open a shaft away from people; In places forgotten by feet They hang far away from men; They swing to and fro.
5
As for the earth, from it comes bread, But underneath it is turned up as by fire;
6
Its stones are the source of sapphires, And it contains gold dust.
7
That path no bird knows, Nor has the falcon's eye seen it.
8
The proud lions have not trodden it, Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.
9
He puts his hand on the flint; He overturns the mountains at the roots.
10
He cuts out channels in the rocks, And his eye sees every precious thing.
11
He dams up the streams from trickling; What is hidden he brings forth to light.
12
"But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
13
Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living.
14
The deep says, 'It is not in me'; And the sea says, 'It is not with me.'
15
It cannot be purchased for gold, Nor can silver be weighed for its price.
16
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, In precious onyx or sapphire.
17
Neither gold nor crystal can equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.
18
No mention shall be made of coral or quartz, For the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19
The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20
"From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?