1“Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined.
2Iron is taken out of the ground, and copper is melted from its ore.
3Humans put an end to darkness, and they search to the farthest limits for rocks hidden in gloom and deep darkness.
4They dig a mine shaft far from where people live. Foot traffic forgets them. They hang far from others, swinging back and forth.
5As for the earth, food comes from it; underneath, it is churned up as if by fire.
6Its rocks contain sapphires. It has gold dust.
7No bird of prey knows that path, nor has the falcon's eye seen it.
8Proud animals haven't walked on it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
9He puts his hand on the hard rock, and he overturns mountains from their foundations.
10He carves channels through the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
11He stops up streams so they don't trickle. He brings what is hidden out into the light.
12“But where can wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
13Humans don’t know its value; it isn’t found in the land of the living.
14The deep ocean says, ‘It’s not in me.’ The sea says, ‘It’s not with me.’
15It cannot be bought with gold, nor can silver be weighed out as its price.
16Its value cannot be compared to the gold of Ophir, to precious onyx, or to sapphire.
17Gold and crystal cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for fine gold jewelry.
18Coral and crystal are not even worth mentioning. Yes, the price of wisdom is greater than rubies.
19The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued with pure gold.
20So where does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?
21It is hidden from the eyes of all living things, and kept secret from the birds of the sky.
22Destruction and Death say, ‘We’ve heard rumors of it.’
23“God understands its path, and he knows its location.
24For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees everything under the whole sky.
25He controls the power of the wind. And yes, he measures out the waters precisely.
26When he decided how much rain there would be, and he made a path for the thunder and lightning;
27then he looked at it, and announced it. He set it up, and also investigated it thoroughly.
28He told humans, 'Look, respecting the Lord, that is wisdom. Staying away from evil is understanding.'