1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold which they refine;
2 Iron is taken out of the dust, and copper is molten out of the stone.
3 {Man} putteth an end to the darkness, and exploreth to the utmost limit, the stones of darkness and of the shadow of death.
4 He openeth a shaft far from the inhabitants {of the earth}: forgotten of the foot, they hang suspended; away below men they hover.
5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as by fire;
6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
7 It is a path no bird of prey knoweth, and the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
8 The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed over it.
9 {Man} putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.
10 He cutteth out channels in the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing.
11 He bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
12 But wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is the place of understanding?
13 Man knoweth not the value thereof; and it is not 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 Choice gold cannot be given for it, nor silver be weighed for its price.
16 It is not set in the balance with gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, and the sapphire.
17 Gold and glass cannot be compared to it, nor vessels of fine gold be its exchange.
18 Corals and crystal are no more remembered; yea, the acquisition of wisdom is above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be compared to it, neither shall it be set in the balance with pure gold.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
21 For it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowl of the heavens.
22 Destruction and death say, We have heard its report with our ears.
23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth its place:
24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, he seeth under the whole heaven.
25 In making a weight for the wind, and meting out the waters by measure,
26 In appointing a statute for the rain, and a way for the thunder's flash:
27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out;
28 And unto man he said, Lo, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
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。’"