# Chapter 28
1. "Surely there is a mine for silver,
And a place _where_ gold is refined.

2. Iron is taken from the earth,
And copper _is_ smelted _from_ ore.

3. _Man_ puts an end to darkness,
And searches every recess
For ore in the darkness and the shadow of death.

4. He breaks open a shaft away from people;
_In places_ forgotten by feet
They hang far away from men;
They swing to and fro.

5. _As for_ the earth, from it comes bread,
But underneath it is turned up as by fire;

6. Its stones _are_ the source of sapphires,
And it contains gold dust.

7. _That_ path no bird knows,
Nor has the falcon's eye seen it.

8. The proud lions have not trodden it,
Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.

9. He puts his hand on the flint;
He overturns the mountains at the roots.

10. He cuts out channels in the rocks,
And his eye sees every precious thing.

11. He dams up the streams from trickling;
_What is_ hidden he brings forth to light.

12. "But where can wisdom be found?
And where _is_ the place of understanding?

13. Man does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.

14. The deep says, '_It is_ not in me';
And the sea says, '_It is_ not with me.'

15. It cannot be purchased for gold,
Nor can silver be weighed _for_ its price.

16. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx or sapphire.

17. Neither gold nor crystal can equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.

18. No mention shall be made of coral or quartz,
For the price of wisdom _is_ above rubies.

19. The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.

20. "From where then does wisdom come?
And where _is_ the place of understanding?

21. It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
And concealed from the birds of the air.

22. Destruction and Death say,
'We have heard a report about it with our ears.'

23. God understands its way,
And He knows its place.

24. For He looks to the ends of the earth,
_And_ sees under the whole heavens,

25. To establish a weight for the wind,
And apportion the waters by measure.

26. When He made a law for the rain,
And a path for the thunderbolt,

27. Then He saw _wisdom_ and declared it;
He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out.

28. And to man He said,
'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that _is_ wisdom,
And to depart from evil _is_ understanding.' "