New Living Translation NLT
Common English Bible CEB
1 “People know where to mine silver and how to refine gold.
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There is a sure source of silver, a place where gold is refined.
2 They know where to dig iron from the earth and how to smelt copper from rock.
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Iron is taken from the earth; rock is smelted into copper.
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.
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Humans put an end to darkness, dig for ore to the farthest depths, into stone in utter darkness,
4 They sink a mine shaft into the earth far from where anyone lives. They descend on ropes, swinging back and forth.
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open a shaft away from any inhabitant, places forgotten by those on foot, apart from any human they hang and sway.
5 Food is grown on the earth above, but down below, the earth is melted as by fire.
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Earth—from it comes food— is turned over below ground as by fire.
6 Here the rocks contain precious lapis lazuli, and the dust contains gold.
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Its rocks are the source for lapis lazuli; there is gold dust in it.
7 These are treasures no bird of prey can see, no falcon’s eye observe.
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A path— no bird of prey knows it; a hawk's eye hasn't seen it;
8 No wild animal has walked upon these treasures; no lion has ever set his paw there.
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proud beasts haven't trodden on it; a lion hasn't crossed over it.
9 People know how to tear apart flinty rocks and overturn the roots of mountains.
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Humans thrust their hands into flint, pull up mountains from their roots,
10 They cut tunnels in the rocks and uncover precious stones.
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cut channels into rocks; their eyes see everything precious.
11 They dam up the trickling streams and bring to light the hidden treasures.
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They dam up the sources of rivers; hidden things come to light.
12 “But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding?
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But wisdom, where can it be found; where is the place of understanding?
13 No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living.
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Humankind doesn't know its value; it isn't found in the land of the living.
14 ‘It is not here,’ says the ocean. ‘Nor is it here,’ says the sea.
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The Deep says, "It's not with me"; the Sea says, "Not alongside me!"
15 It cannot be bought with gold. It cannot be purchased with silver.
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It can't be bought with gold; its price can't be measured in silver,
16 It’s worth more than all the gold of Ophir, greater than precious onyx or lapis lazuli.
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can't be weighed against gold from Ophir, with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.
17 Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal. It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold.
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Neither gold nor glass can compare with it; she can't be acquired with gold jewelry.
18 Coral and jasper are worthless in trying to get it. The price of wisdom is far above rubies.
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Coral and jasper shouldn't be mentioned; the price of wisdom is more than rubies.
19 Precious peridot from Ethiopia cannot be exchanged for it. It’s worth more than the purest gold.
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Cushite topaz won't compare with her; she can't be set alongside pure gold.
20 “But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding?
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But wisdom, where does she come from? Where is the place of understanding?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of all humanity. Even the sharp-eyed birds in the sky cannot discover it.
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She's hidden from the eyes of all the living, concealed from birds of the sky.
22 Destruction and Death say, ‘We’ve heard only rumors of where wisdom can be found.’
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Destruction and Death have said, "We've heard a report of her."
23 “God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found,
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God understands her way; he knows her place;
24 for he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens.
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for he looks to the ends of the earth and surveys everything beneath the heavens.
25 He decided how hard the winds should blow and how much rain should fall.
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In order to weigh the wind, to prepare a measure for waters,
26 He made the laws for the rain and laid out a path for the lightning.
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when he made a decree for the rain, a path for thunderbolts,
27 Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it. He set it in place and examined it thoroughly.
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then he observed it, spoke of it, established it, searched it out,
28 And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’”
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and said to humankind: "Look, the fear of the LORD is wisdom; turning from evil is understanding."
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.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible