And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they refine it.

But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

To make the weight for the wind; and he apportions the waters by measure.

Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.

For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven;

No mention shall be made of coral, or of crystal: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.

He puts forth his hand upon the flinty rock; he overturns the mountains by the roots.

Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame of it with our ears.

From where then comes wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

He cuts out rivers in the rocks; and his eye sees every precious thing.

The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:

There is a path which no fowl knows, and which the falcon's eye has not seen:

The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.

Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out all recesses for ore in darkness, and the shadow of death.

God understands its way, and he knows its place.

The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it has dust of gold.

He binds the streams from overflowing; and the thing that is hid brings he forth to light.

Man knows not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

As for the earth, out of it comes bread: but under it is turned up as it were fire.

Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowls of the air.

He breaks open a shaft away from the inhabitants; even in places forgotten of the foot: they are gone away from men, they swing to and fro.

Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

The deep says, It is not in me: and the sea says, It is not with me.