1Surely there is a source for the silver, and a place for the gold which they refine.
2Iron is taken from the dust (aphar), and stone is poured out into copper.
3He sets an end to the darkness, and to every limit he searches out — the stone of gloom and the shadow of death.
4He breaks open a shaft away from where one sojourns; forgotten by the foot, they hang low, away from men they sway.
5The earth — out of it comes bread; and underneath it is overturned as by fire.
6The place of sapphire are its stones, and it has dust (aphar) of gold.
7A path — no bird of prey knows it, and the eye of the falcon has not gazed on it.
8The sons of pride have not trodden it, nor has the lion passed over it.
9Against the flint he puts forth his hand; he overturns mountains from the root.
10In the rocks he cuts out channels, and every precious thing his eye sees.
11From trickling he binds the streams, and the hidden thing he brings forth to light.
12But wisdom — from where is it found? And where is the place of understanding?
13Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living (chai).
14The deep says, "It is not in me"; and the sea says, "It is not with me."
15Fine gold cannot be given for it, and silver cannot be weighed as its price.
16It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx and sapphire.
17Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor its exchange be a vessel of fine gold.
18Coral and crystal shall not be mentioned; and the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19The topaz of Cush cannot equal it; it cannot be valued with pure gold.
20But wisdom — from where does it come? And where is the place of understanding?
21It is hidden from the eyes of all living (chai), and from the birds of the heavens it is concealed.
22Abaddon and Death say, "With our ears we have heard a report of it."
23God understands its way, and He knows its place.
24For He looks to the ends of the earth; under all the heavens He sees.
25To make a weight for the spirit (ruach), and the waters He apportioned by measure;
26When He made a statute (choq) for the rain, and a way for the lightning of thunders;
27Then He saw it and recounted it; He established it, and also searched it out.
28And He said to man (adam), "Behold, the fear of my Lord (Adonai), that is wisdom; and to turn aside from evil is understanding."