The Message Bible MSG
King James Version KJV
1 "We all know how silver seams the rocks, we've seen the stuff from which gold is refined,
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Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.
2 We're aware of how iron is dug out of the ground and copper is smelted from rock.
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Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.
3 Miners penetrate the earth's darkness, searching the roots of the mountains for ore, digging away in the suffocating darkness.
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He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.
4 Far from civilization, far from the traffic, they cut a shaft, and are lowered into it by ropes.
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The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.
5 Earth's surface is a field for grain, but its depths are a forge
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As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.
6 Firing sapphires from stones and chiseling gold from rocks.
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The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.
7 Vultures are blind to its riches, hawks never lay eyes on it.
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There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:
8 Wild animals are oblivious to it, lions don't know it's there.
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The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
9 Miners hammer away at the rock, they uproot the mountains.
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He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
10 They tunnel through the rock and find all kinds of beautiful gems.
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He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
11 They discover the origins of rivers, and bring earth's secrets to light.
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He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
12 "But where, oh where, will they find Wisdom? Where does Insight hide?
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But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?
13 Mortals don't have a clue, haven't the slightest idea where to look.
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Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
14 Earth's depths say, 'It's not here'; ocean deeps echo, 'Never heard of it.'
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The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 It can't be bought with the finest gold; no amount of silver can get it.
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It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
16 Even famous Ophir gold can't buy it, not even diamonds and sapphires.
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It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Neither gold nor emeralds are comparable; extravagant jewelry can't touch it.
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The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.
18 Pearl necklaces and ruby bracelets - why bother? None of this is even a down payment on Wisdom!
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No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 Pile gold and African diamonds as high as you will, they can't hold a candle to Wisdom.
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The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
20 "So where does Wisdom come from? And where does Insight live?
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Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
21 It can't be found by looking, no matter how deep you dig, no matter how high you fly.
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Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 If you search through the graveyard and question the dead, they say, 'We've only heard rumors of it.'
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Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
23 "God alone knows the way to Wisdom, he knows the exact place to find it.
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God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
24 He knows where everything is on earth, he sees everything under heaven.
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For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;
25 After he commanded the winds to blow and measured out the waters,
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To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
26 Arranged for the rain and set off explosions of thunder and lightning,
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When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
27 He focused on Wisdom, made sure it was all set and tested and ready.
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Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.
28 Then he addressed the human race: 'Here it is! Fear-of-the-Lord - that's Wisdom, and Insight means shunning evil.'"
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And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The King James Version is in the public domain.