1 "银子有矿， 金子有冶炼的地方。 2 铁从土中取出， 熔化石头而得铜。 3 人探求黑暗的尽头， 查明在阴暗中的石矿， 直到极处。 4 在无人居住之处， 足迹罕至之地开坑探矿， 他们与人远离， 悬在坑中摇来摇去。 5 至于地， 粮食从它而出， 地底下却好像被火翻转过来一样。 6 石中有蓝宝石， 也有金沙。 7 矿坑中的路， 鸷鸟不知道， 连鹰的眼也未曾见过； 8 狂傲的野兽未曾行过， 猛狮也未曾经过。 9 人伸手击凿坚石， 使山脚翻倒过来。 10 在磐石中凿出坑道， 亲眼看见各样宝物。 11 他堵住水源， 不让滴漏， 又使隐藏之物显露在光中。 12 然而， 智慧在何处可寻？聪明之地在哪里呢？ 13 智慧的价值人不知道， 在活人之地也寻不到。 14 深渊说： ‘不在我里面’， 沧海说： ‘不在我这里’。 15 智慧不能用纯金购买， 也不能称银子作它的代价。 16 俄斐金， 贵重的玛瑙、蓝宝石， 都不能与它比较。 17 黄金和玻璃不能与它比较， 纯金的器皿不能与它交换。 18 珊瑚和水晶都不值一提， 取得智慧胜过取得红宝石。 19 古实的黄玉不能与它比较， 纯金也不能与它较量。 20 然而， 智慧从哪里来， 聪明之地在哪里呢？ 21 众生的眼睛都看不到， 空中的飞鸟也不能发现。 22 灭亡和死亡都说： ‘我们只风闻它的事罢了。’ 23 神明白智慧的道路， 也晓得智慧的所在， 24 因为他察看全世界， 遍观全地。 25 他为风定轻重， 又度量众水； 26 为雨露立定律， 为雷电定道路。 27 那时他看见智慧， 描述智慧， 他坚立智慧， 并且查探智慧。 28 他对人说： ‘敬畏主就是智慧， 远离邪恶就是聪明。’"

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.`