For silver has a source, and gold has a place where they refine it.

Iron from dust is taken, and copper from rock is cast.

He sets an end to darkness, and to every limit he searches stone of gloom and shadow of death.

A stream breaks forth from the place of a stranger, forgotten from the foot; they are diminished from man, they wander.

From the earth, bread comes forth; beneath it, it is overturned like fire.

Its stones are a place of sapphire, and its dust is gold.

A path the eagle does not know, and the eye of the hawk has not seen it.

Sons of pride have not walked in it; the lion has not passed over it.

On flint he puts his hand; he overturns from the root of mountains.

Through rocks he cuts channels, and every precious thing his eye sees.

From the weeping of rivers he stops them, and brings hidden things to light.

But wisdom, from where is it found? And where is the place of understanding?

Man does not know its value, and it is not found in the land of the living.

The deep says, 'It is not in me,' and the sea says, 'It is not with me.'

It cannot be bought for gold, and its price cannot be weighed in silver.

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

Gold and glass cannot equal it, and its exchange is vessels of fine gold.

Coral and crystal are not mentioned, and the price of wisdom is beyond pearls.

The topaz of Cush cannot equal it; it cannot be bought with pure gold.

But wisdom, from where does it come? And where is the place of understanding?

And it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the sky.

Destruction and death say, 'With our ears we have heard its report.'

Elohim understood its way, and He knew its place.

For He looks to the ends of the earth; He sees under all the heavens.

To give weight to the wind, and to measure the waters by measure.

When He made a decree for the rain, and a path for the lightning of thunder.

Then He saw it and declared it; He prepared it and also searched it out.

And He said to man, 'Behold, the fear of Adonai, that is wisdom, and to turn from evil, that is understanding.'