1: Surely there is for silver a source, And a place for the gold they refine; 2: Iron from the dust is taken, And [from] the firm stone brass. 3: An end hath he set to darkness, And to all perfection he is searching, A stone of darkness and death-shade. 4: A stream hath broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, from man they wandered. 5: The earth! from it cometh forth bread, And its under-part is turned like fire. 6: A place of the sapphire [are] its stones, And it hath dust of gold. 7: A path -- not known it hath a ravenous fowl, Nor scorched it hath an eye of the kite, 8: Nor trodden it have the sons of pride, Not passed over it hath the fierce lion. 9: Against the flint he sent forth his hand, He overturned from the root mountains. 10: Among rocks, brooks he hath cleaved, And every precious thing hath his eye seen. 11: From overflowing floods he hath bound, And the hidden thing bringeth out [to] light. 12: And the wisdom -- whence is it found? And where [is] this, the place of understanding? 13: Man hath not known its arrangement, Nor is it found in the land of the living. 14: The deep hath said, 'It [is] not in me,' And the sea hath said, 'It is not with me.' 15: Gold is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed -- its price. 16: It is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire, 17: Not equal it do gold and crystal, Nor [is] its exchange a vessel of fine gold. 18: Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom [is] above rubies. 19: Not equal it doth the topaz of Cush, With pure gold it is not valued. 20: And the wisdom -- whence doth it come? And where [is] this, the place of understanding? 21: It hath been hid from the eyes of all living. And from the fowl of the heavens It hath been hidden. 22: Destruction and death have said: 'With our ears we have heard its fame.' 23: God hath understood its way, And He hath known its place. 24: For He to the ends of the earth doth look, Under the whole heavens He doth see, 25: To make for the wind a weight, And the waters He meted out in measure. 26: In His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices, 27: Then He hath seen and declareth it, He hath prepared it, and also searched it out, 28: And He saith to man: -- 'Lo, fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom, And to turn from evil [is] understanding.'
