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¹ Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold which they refine;

² Iron is taken out of the dust, and copper is molten out of the stone.

³ [Man] putteth an end to the darkness, and exploreth to the utmost limit, the stones of darkness and of the shadow of death.

⁴ He openeth a shaft far from the inhabitants [of the earth]: forgotten of the foot, they hang suspended; away below men they hover.

⁵ As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as by fire;

⁶ The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.

⁷ It is a path no bird of prey knoweth, and the vulture's eye hath not seen it;

⁸ The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed over it.

⁹ [Man] putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.

¹⁰ He cutteth out channels in the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing.

¹¹ He bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.

¹² But wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is the place of understanding?

¹³ Man knoweth not the value thereof; and it is not found in the land of the living.

¹⁴ The deep saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, It is not with me.

¹⁵ Choice gold cannot be given for it, nor silver be weighed for its price.

¹⁶ It is not set in the balance with gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, and the sapphire.

¹⁷ Gold and glass cannot be compared to it, nor vessels of fine gold be its exchange.

¹⁸ Corals and crystal are no more remembered; yea, the acquisition of wisdom is above rubies.

¹⁹ The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be compared to it, neither shall it be set in the balance with pure gold.

²⁰ Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

²¹ For it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowl of the heavens.

²² Destruction and death say, We have heard its report with our ears.

²³ God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth its place:

²⁴ For he looketh to the ends of the earth, he seeth under the whole heaven.

²⁵ In making a weight for the wind, and meting out the waters by measure,

²⁶ In appointing a statute for the rain, and a way for the thunder's flash:

²⁷ Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out;

²⁸ And unto man he said, Lo, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.