New Century Version NCV
The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
1 "There are mines where people dig silver and places where gold is made pure.
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"There are mines for silver and places where gold is refined;
2 Iron is taken from the ground, and copper is melted out of rocks.
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iron is extracted from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
3 Miners bring lights and search deep into the mines for ore in thick darkness.
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Miners conquer the darkness and dig as far in as they can, to the ore in gloom and deep darkness.
4 Miners dig a tunnel far from where people live, where no one has ever walked; they work far from people, swinging and swaying from ropes.
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There where no one lives, they break open a shaft; the feet passing over are oblivious to them; far from people, suspended in space, they swing to and fro.
5 Food grows on top of the earth, but below ground things are changed as if by fire.
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"While the earth is [peacefully] yielding bread, underneath, it is being convulsed as if by fire;
6 Sapphires are found in rocks, and gold dust is also found there.
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its rocks have veins of sapphire, and there are flecks of gold.
7 No hawk knows that path; the falcon has not seen it.
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Birds of prey don't know that path, no falcon's eye has seen it,
8 Proud animals have not walked there, and no lions cross over it.
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the proud beasts have never set foot on it, no lion has ever passed over it.
9 Miners hit the rocks of flint and dig away at the bottom of the mountains.
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"[The miner] attacks the flint, overturns mountains at their roots,
10 They cut tunnels through the rock and see all the treasures there.
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and cuts out galleries in the rock, all the while watching for something of value.
11 They search for places where rivers begin and bring things hidden out into the light.
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He dams up streams to keep them from flooding, and brings what was hidden out into the light.
12 "But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding live?
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"But where can wisdom be found? Where is the source of understanding?
13 People do not understand the value of wisdom; it cannot be found among those who are alive.
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No one knows its value, and it can't be found in the land of the living.
14 The deep ocean says, 'It's not in me;' the sea says, 'It's not in me.'
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The deep says, 'It isn't in me,'and the sea says, 'It isn't with me.'
15 Wisdom cannot be bought with gold, and its cost cannot be weighed in silver.
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It can't be obtained with gold, nor can silver be weighed out to buy it.
16 Wisdom cannot be bought with fine gold or with valuable onyx or sapphire gems.
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It can't be purchased with choice gold from Ofir, or with precious onyx or sapphires.
17 Gold and crystal are not as valuable as wisdom, and you cannot buy it with jewels of gold.
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Neither gold nor glass can be compared with it; nor can it be exchanged for a bowl of fine gold,
18 Coral and jasper are not worth talking about, and the price of wisdom is much greater than rubies.
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let alone coral or crystal; for indeed, the price of wisdom is above that of pearls.
19 The topaz from Cush cannot compare to wisdom; it cannot be bought with the purest gold.
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It can't be compared with Ethiopian topaz, and it can't be valued with pure gold.
20 "So where does wisdom come from, and where does understanding live?
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"So where does wisdom come from? where is the source of understanding,
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, even from the birds of the air.
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inasmuch as it is hidden from the eyes of all living and kept secret from the birds flying around in the sky?
22 The places of destruction and death say, 'We have heard reports about it.'
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Destruction and Death say, 'We have heard a rumor about it with our ears.'
23 Only God understands the way to wisdom, and he alone knows where it lives,
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"God understands its way, and he knows its place.
24 because he looks to the farthest parts of the earth and sees everything under the sky.
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For he can see to the ends of the earth and view everything under heaven.
25 When God gave power to the wind and measured the water,
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When he determined the force of the wind and parceled out water by measure,
26 when he made rules for the rain and set a path for a thunderstorm to follow,
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when he made a law for the rain and cleared a path for the thunderbolts;
27 then he looked at wisdom and decided its worth; he set wisdom up and tested it.
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then he saw [wisdom] and declared it, yes, he set it up and searched it out.
28 Then he said to humans, 'The fear of the Lord is wisdom; to stay away from evil is understanding.'"
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And to human beings he said, 'Look, fear of Adonai is wisdom! Shunning evil is understanding!'"
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.