Chapter 28
1 " Surely there is a mine for silver , and a place for gold which they refine .
2 Iron is taken out of the earth , and copper is smelted out of the ore.
3 Man sets an end to darkness , and searches out , to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness .
4 He breaks open a shaft away from where people live . They are forgotten by the foot . They hang far from men, they swing back and forth .
5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread . Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold .
7 That path no bird of prey knows , neither has the falcon’s eye seen it .
8 The proud animals have not trodden it , nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
9 He puts his hand on the flinty rock , and he overturns the mountains by the roots .
10 He cuts out channels amongst the rocks . His eye sees every precious thing .
11 He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
12 "But where will wisdom be found ? Where is the place of understanding?
13 Man doesn’t know its price , and it isn’t found in the land of the living .
14 The deep says, ‘ It isn’t in me .’ The sea says, ‘ It isn’t with me .’
15 It can ’t be gotten for gold , neither will silver be weighed for its price .
16 It can ’t be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx , or the sapphire .
17 Gold and glass can ’t equal it , neither will it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold .
18 No mention will be made of coral or of crystal . Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies .
19 The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it . It won’t be valued with pure gold .
20 Where then does wisdom come from ? Where is the place of understanding?
21 Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living , and kept close from the birds of the sky .
22 Destruction and Death say, ‘ We have heard a rumour of it with our ears.’
23 "God understands its way , and he knows its place .
24 For he looks to the ends of the earth , and sees under the whole sky .
25 He establishes the force of the wind . Yes, he measures out the waters by measure .
26 When he made a decree for the rain , and a way for the lightning of the thunder ,
27 then he saw it , and declared it . He established it , yes , and searched it out .
28 To man he said, ‘ Behold , the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom . To depart from evil is understanding.’"