surely there is a vein for the silver and a place for gold where they fine
iron is taken out of the earth and brass is molten out of the stone
he setteth an end to darkness and searcheth out all perfection the stones of darkness and the shadow of death
the flood breaketh out from the inhabitant even the waters forgotten of the foot they are dried up they are gone away from men
as for the earth out of it cometh bread and under it is turned up as it were fire
the stones of it are the place of sapphires and it hath dust of gold
there is a path which no fowl knoweth and which the vultures eye hath not seen
the lions whelps have not trodden it nor the fierce lion passed
he putteth forth his hand upon the rock he overturneth the mountains by the roots
he cutteth out rivers among the rocks and his eye seeth every precious thing
he bindeth the floods from overflowing and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light
but where shall wisdom be found and where is the place of understanding
man knoweth not the price thereof neither is it found in the land of the living
the depth saith it is not in me and the sea saith
it cannot be gotten for gold neither shall silver be weighed for the price
it cannot be valued with the gold of ophir with the precious onyx or the sapphire
the gold and the crystal cannot equal it and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold
no mention shall be made of coral or of pearls for the price of wisdom is above rubies
the topaz of ethiopia shall not equal it neither shall it be valued with pure gold
whence then cometh wisdom and where is the place of understanding
seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living and kept close from the fowls of the air
destruction and death say we have heard the fame thereof with our ears
god understandeth the way thereof and he knoweth the place
for he looketh to the ends of the earth and seeth under the whole heaven
to make the weight for the winds and he weigheth the waters by measure
when he made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder
then did he see it and declare it he prepared it yea and searched it out
and unto man he said behold the fear of the lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding