And to 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 fine it.

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

To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.

Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is melted out of the stone.

For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;

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

He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.

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

Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.

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

It cannot be obtained for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price of it.

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 knoweth, and which the vultur's eye hath not seen:

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

He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shades of death.

God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth 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 hath dust of gold.

He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid he bringeth forth to light.

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

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

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

The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant: even the waters forgotten by the foot: they are dried up, they have gone away from men.

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

The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.