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¹ For there is a place for the silver, whence it comes, and a place for the gold, whence it is refined. ² For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone. ³ He has set a bound to darkness, and he searches out every limit: a stone is darkness, and the shadow of death. ⁴ There is a cutting off the torrent by reason of dust: so they that forget the right way are weakened; they are removed from among men. ⁵ As for the earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were fire. ⁶ Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and her dust supplies man with gold. ⁷ There is a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it: ⁸ neither have the sons of the proud trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it. ⁹ He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp rock, and turned up mountains by the roots: ¹⁰ and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing. ¹¹ And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light. ¹² But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge? ¹³ A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered among men.

¹⁴ The depth said, It is not in me: and the sea said, It is not with me. ¹⁵ One shall not give fine gold instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it. ¹⁶ Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire. ¹⁷ Gold and crystal shall not be equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange. ¹⁸ Coral and fine pearl shall not be mentioned: but do thou esteem wisdom above the most precious things. ¹⁹ The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equalled to it; it shall not be compared with pure gold.

²⁰ Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind is the place of understanding? ²¹ It has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky. ²² Destruction and Death said, We have heard the report of it. ²³ God has well ordered the way of it, and he knows the place of it. ²⁴ For he surveys the whole earth under heaven, knowing the things in the earth: ²⁵ all that he has made; the weight of the winds, the measures of the water. ²⁶ When he made them, thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way for the pealing of the thunder. ²⁷ Then he saw it, and declared it: he prepared it and traced it out. ²⁸ And he said to man, Behold, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.