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[1]For there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
[2]Iron is taken out of the dust, and brass is molten out of the stone.
[3]Man setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out to the furthest bound the stones of thick darkness and of the shadow of death.
[4]He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn; they are forgotten of the foot that passeth by; they hang afar from men, they swing to and fro.
[5]As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
[6]The stones thereof are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
[7]That path no bird of prey knoweth, neither hath the falcon's eye seen it;
[8]The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor hath the lion passed thereby.
[9]He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock; He overturneth mountains by the roots.
[10]He cutteth out channels among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
[11]He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
[12]But wisdom, where shall it be found? And where is the place of understanding?
[13]Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it 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]It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
[16]It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
[17]Gold and glass cannot equal it; neither shall the exchange thereof be vessels of fine gold.
[18]No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
[19]The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
[20]Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?
[21]Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
[22]Destruction and Death say: 'We have heard a rumor thereof with our ears.'
[23]God understandeth the way thereof, and He knoweth the place thereof.
[24]For He looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;
[25]When He maketh a weight for the wind, and meteth out the waters by measure.
[26]When He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the storm of thunders;
[27]Then did He see it, and declare it; H established it, yea, and searched it out.
[28]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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