Lexham English Bible LEB
New International Version NIV
1 "Indeed, there is a mine for silver and a place {for gold to be refined}.
1
There is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
2 Iron is taken from dust, and he pours out copper [from] ore.
2
Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
3 He puts an end to darkness, and he searches out the farthest limits [for the] ore [in] gloom and deep shadow.
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Mortals put an end to the darkness; they search out the farthest recesses for ore in the blackest darkness.
4 He breaks open a mine shaft {away from where people dwell}; [those] who are forgotten {by travelers}, they dangle, they sway [far away] from human beings.
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Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft, in places untouched by human feet; far from other people they dangle and sway.
5 [As for the] earth, from it comes food, but underneath it, it is turned up as [by] fire.
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The earth, from which food comes, is transformed below as by fire;
6 Its stones [are the] place of sapphire, and [the] earthen dirt {has} gold.
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lapis lazuli comes from its rocks, and its dust contains nuggets of gold.
7 "[It is] a path a bird of prey does not know and [the] black kite's eye has not seen.
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No bird of prey knows that hidden path, no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8 {Proud wild animals} have not trodden it; [the] lion in its prime has not prowled over it.
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Proud beasts do not set foot on it, and no lion prowls there.
9 He puts his hand on the hard rock; he overturns mountains by [the] roots.
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People assault the flinty rock with their hands and lay bare the roots of the mountains.
10 He cuts out tunnels in the rocks, and his eye sees every treasure.
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They tunnel through the rock; their eyes see all its treasures.
11 He dams up rivers from [their] sources, and he brings secret things to [the] light.
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They search the sources of the rivers and bring hidden things to light.
12 "But from where will wisdom be found? And {where in the world} [is the] place of understanding?
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But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?
13 A human being does not know its proper value, and it is not found in [the] land of the living.
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No mortal comprehends its worth; it cannot be 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.'
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The deep says, “It is not in me”; the sea says, “It is not with me.”
15 "Refined gold cannot be gotten in its place, and silver cannot be weighed out [as] its price.
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It cannot be bought with the finest gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
16 It cannot be bought for the gold of Ophir, for precious onyx or sapphire.
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It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.
17 Gold and glass cannot be compared with it, and its substitution [cannot be] an ornament of refined gold.
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Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold.
18 Black corals and crystal will not be mentioned, and wisdom's price [is] more than red corals.
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Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 The topaz of Cush cannot be compared with it; it cannot be bought for pure gold.
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The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold.
20 Indeed, from where does wisdom come? And {where in the world} [is the] place of understanding?
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Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?
21 It is hidden from [the] eyes of all living, and it is concealed from [the] birds of the heaven.
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It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds in the sky.
22 Abaddon and Death say, 'We heard its rumor with our ears.'
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Destruction and Death say, “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
23 "God understands its way, and he knows its place,
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God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells,
24 for he himself looks to [the] end of the earth; he sees under all the heaven.
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for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
25 {When he gave} weight to the wind and he apportioned [the] waters by measure,
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When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters,
26 {when he made} a rule for the rain and a way for [the] thunder's lightning bolt,
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when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm,
27 then he saw it and talked about it; he established it, and moreover, he explored it.
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then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it.
28 And to the human beings he said, 'Look, the fear of the Lord [is] wisdom, and to depart from evil [is] understanding.'"
28
And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.”
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.