28:001

For there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine

28:002

Iron is taken out of the dust, and brass is molten out of the stone

28:003

Man setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out to the furthest bound the stones of thick darkness and of the shadow of death

28:004

He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn; they are forgotten of the foot that passeth by; they hang afar from men, they swing to and fro

28:005

As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as it were by fire

28:006

The stones thereof are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold

28:007

That path no bird of prey knoweth, neither hath the falcon's eye seen it

28:008

The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor hath the lion passed thereby

28:009

He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock; He overturneth the mountains by the roots

28:010

He cutteth out channels among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing

28:011

He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light

28:012

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

28:013

Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living

28:014

The deep saith: 'It is not in me'; and the sea saith: 'It is not with me.

28:015

It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof

28:016

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

28:017

Gold and glass cannot equal it; neither shall the exchange thereof be vessels of fine gold

28:018

No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies

28:019

The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold

28:020

Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding

28:021

Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air

28:022

Destruction and Death say: 'We have heard a rumor thereof with our ears.

28:023

G-d understandeth the way thereof, and He knoweth the place thereof

28:024

For He looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven

28:025

When He maketh a weight for the wind, and meteth out the waters by measure

28:026

When He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the storm of thunders

28:027

Then did He see it, and declare it; He established it, yea, and searched it out

28:028

And unto man He said: 'Behold, the fear of the L-rd, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.