And unto man he said, 'Behold, to fear the LORD is wisdom: and to forsake evil, is understanding.'"

There are places were silver is molten, and where gold is tried;

How cometh a man then by wisdom? Where is the place that men find understanding?

When he weighed the winds, and measured the waters;

where iron is digged out of the ground, and stones resolved to metal.

For he holdeth the ends of the world and looketh upon all that is under the heaven.

There is nothing so worthy, or so excellent, as once to be named unto her: for perfect wisdom goeth far beyond them all.

There putteth he his hand upon the stony rocks, and overthroweth the mountains.

Destruction and death say, 'We have heard tell of her with our ears.'

"From where then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?

Rivers flow out of the rocks, and look: what is pleasant, his eye seeth it.

The Topaz that cometh out of Ethiopia may in no wise be likened unto her: yea, no manner of apparel how pleasant and fair soever it be.

She cannot be gotten for the most fine gold, neither may the price of her be bought with any money.

No wedges of gold of Ophir, no precious Onyx stones, no Sapphire may be compared unto her.

When he set the rain in order, and gave the mighty floods a law;

There is a way also that the birds know not, that no vulture's eye hath seen;

No, neither gold nor Crystal, neither sweet odours nor golden plate.

The darkness shall once come to an end: he can seek out the ground of all things; the stones, the dark, and the shadow of death.

But God seeth her way, and knoweth her place.

wherein the proud and high minded walk not, and where no lion cometh.

There is found a place, whose stones are clean Sapphires, and where the clots of the earth are gold.

Out of drops bringeth he great floods together, and the thing that is hid bringeth he to light.

Verily, no man can tell how worthy a thing she is, neither is she found in the land of the living.

He bringeth food out of the earth, and that which is under, consumeth he with fire.

She is hid from the eyes of all men; yea, and from the fouls of the air.

With the river of water parteth he asunder the strange people, that knoweth no good neighborhead; such as are rude, unmannerly and boisterous.

Then did he see her, then declared he her, prepared her and knew her.

"The deep sayeth, 'She is not in me.' The sea sayeth, 'She is not with me.'