¹ Silver hath beginnings of its veins, and gold hath a place wherein it is melted.

² Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone melted with heat is turned into brass.

³ He hath set a time for darkness, and the end of all things he considereth, the stone also that is in the dark and the shadow of death.

⁴ The flood divideth from the people that are on their journey, those whom the food of the needy man hath forgotten, and who cannot be come at.

⁵ The land, out of which bread grew in its place, hath been overturned with fire.

⁶ The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and the clods of it are gold.

⁷ The bird hath not known the path, neither hath the eye of the vulture beheld it.

⁸ The children of the merchants have not trodden it, neither hath the lioness passed by it.

⁹ He hath stretched forth his hand to the flint, he hath overturned mountains from the roots.

¹⁰ In the rocks he hath cut out rivers, and his eye hath seen every precious thing.

¹¹ The depths also of rivers he hath searched, and hidden things he hath brought forth to light.

¹² But where is wisdom to be found, and where is the place of understanding?

¹³ Man knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it found in the land of them that live in delights.

¹⁴ The depth saith: It is not in me: and the sea saith: It is not with me.

¹⁵ The finest gold shall not purchase it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.

¹⁶ It shall not be compared with the dyed colours of India, or with the most precious stone sardonyx, or the sapphire.

¹⁷ Gold or crystal cannot equal it, neither shall any vessels of gold be changed for it.

¹⁸ High and eminent things shall not be mentioned in comparison of it: but wisdom is drawn out of secret places.

¹⁹ The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equal to it, neither shall it be compared to the cleanest dyeing.

²⁰ Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

²¹ It is hid from the eyes of all living, and the fowls of the air know it not.

²² Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard the fame thereof.

²³ God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth the place thereof.

²⁴ For he beholdeth the ends of the world: and looketh on all things that are under heaven.

²⁵ Who made a weight for the winds, and weighed the waters by measure.

²⁶ When he gave a law for the rain, and a way for the sounding storms.

²⁷ Then he saw it, and declared, and prepared, and searched it.

²⁸ And he said to man: Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom: and to depart from evil, is understanding.