1“There is a mine for silver

and a place where gold is refined.

2Iron is taken from the earth,

and copper is smelted from ore.

3Man puts an end to the darkness;

he searches the farthest recesses

for ore in the blackest darkness.

4Far from where people dwell he cuts a shaft,

in places forgotten by the foot of man;

far from men he dangles and sways.

5The earth, from which food comes,

is transformed below as by fire;

6sapphires^a come from its rocks,

and its dust contains nuggets of gold.

7No bird of prey knows that hidden path,

no falcon’s eye has seen it.

8Proud beasts do not set foot on it,

and no lion prowls there.

9Man’s hand assaults the flinty rock

and lays bare the roots of the mountains.

10He tunnels through the rock;

his eyes see all its treasures.

11He searches^b the sources of the rivers

and brings hidden things to light.

12“But where can wisdom be found?

Where does understanding dwell?

13Man does not comprehend its worth;

it cannot be found in the land of the living.

14The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;

the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’

15It cannot be bought with the finest gold,

nor can its price be weighed in silver.

16It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,

with precious onyx or sapphires.

17Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,

nor can it be had for jewels of gold.

18Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention;

the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.

19The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it;

it cannot be bought with pure gold.

20“Where then does wisdom come from?

Where does understanding dwell?

21It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,

concealed even from the birds of the air.

22Destruction^c and Death say,

‘Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.’

23God understands the way to it

and he alone knows where it dwells,

24for he views the ends of the earth

and sees everything under the heavens.

25When he established the force of the wind

and measured out the waters,

26when he made a decree for the rain

and a path for the thunderstorm,

27then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;

he confirmed it and tested it.

28And he said to man,

‘The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,

and to shun evil is understanding.’”