King James Version KJV
New Living Translation NLT
1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.
1
“People know where to mine silver and how to refine gold.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.
2
They know where to dig iron from the earth and how to smelt copper from rock.
3 He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.
3
They know how to shine light in the darkness and explore the farthest regions of the earth as they search in the dark for ore.
4 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.
4
They sink a mine shaft into the earth far from where anyone lives. They descend on ropes, swinging back and forth.
5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.
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Food is grown on the earth above, but down below, the earth is melted as by fire.
6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.
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Here the rocks contain precious lapis lazuli, and the dust contains gold.
7 There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:
7
These are treasures no bird of prey can see, no falcon’s eye observe.
8 The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
8
No wild animal has walked upon these treasures; no lion has ever set his paw there.
9 He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
9
People know how to tear apart flinty rocks and overturn the roots of mountains.
10 He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
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They cut tunnels in the rocks and uncover precious stones.
11 He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
11
They dam up the trickling streams and bring to light the hidden treasures.
12 But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?
12
“But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding?
13 Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
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No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living.
14 The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.
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‘It is not here,’ says the ocean. ‘Nor is it here,’ says the sea.
15 It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
15
It cannot be bought with gold. It cannot be purchased with silver.
16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
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It’s worth more than all the gold of Ophir, greater than precious onyx or lapis lazuli.
17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.
17
Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal. It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
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Coral and jasper are worthless in trying to get it. The price of wisdom is far above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
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Precious peridot from Ethiopia cannot be exchanged for it. It’s worth more than the purest gold.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
20
“But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding?
21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
21
It is hidden from the eyes of all humanity. Even the sharp-eyed birds in the sky cannot discover it.
22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
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Destruction and Death say, ‘We’ve heard only rumors of where wisdom can be found.’
23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
23
“God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found,
24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;
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for he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens.
25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
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He decided how hard the winds should blow and how much rain should fall.
26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
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He made the laws for the rain and laid out a path for the lightning.
27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.
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Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it. He set it in place and examined it thoroughly.
28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
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And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’”
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.