Chapter 28

  Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold [where] they fine [it].  

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  Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass [is] molten [out of] the stone.  

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  He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.  

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  The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; [even the waters] forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.  

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  [As for] the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.  

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  The stones of it [are] the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.  

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  [There is] a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:  

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  The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.  

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  He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.  

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  He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.  

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  He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and [the thing that is] hid bringeth he forth to light.  

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  But where shall wisdom be found? and where [is] the place of understanding?  

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  Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.  

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  The depth saith, It [is] not in me: and the sea saith, [It is] not with me.  

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  It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed [for] the price thereof.  

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  It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.  

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  The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it [shall not be for] jewels of fine gold.  

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  No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom [is] above rubies.  

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  The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.  

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

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  Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.  

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  Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.  

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  God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.  

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  For he looketh to the ends of the earth, [and] seeth under the whole heaven;  

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  To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.  

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  When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:  

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  Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.  

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

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