New Living Translation NLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 “People know where to mine silver and how to refine gold.
1
"We all know how silver seams the rocks, we've seen the stuff from which gold is refined,
2 They know where to dig iron from the earth and how to smelt copper from rock.
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We're aware of how iron is dug out of the ground and copper is smelted from rock.
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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Miners penetrate the earth's darkness, searching the roots of the mountains for ore, digging away in the suffocating 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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Far from civilization, far from the traffic, they cut a shaft, and are lowered into it by ropes.
5 Food is grown on the earth above, but down below, the earth is melted as by fire.
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Earth's surface is a field for grain, but its depths are a forge
6 Here the rocks contain precious lapis lazuli, and the dust contains gold.
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Firing sapphires from stones and chiseling gold from rocks.
7 These are treasures no bird of prey can see, no falcon’s eye observe.
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Vultures are blind to its riches, hawks never lay eyes on it.
8 No wild animal has walked upon these treasures; no lion has ever set his paw there.
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Wild animals are oblivious to it, lions don't know it's there.
9 People know how to tear apart flinty rocks and overturn the roots of mountains.
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Miners hammer away at the rock, they uproot the mountains.
10 They cut tunnels in the rocks and uncover precious stones.
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They tunnel through the rock and find all kinds of beautiful gems.
11 They dam up the trickling streams and bring to light the hidden treasures.
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They discover the origins of rivers, and bring earth's secrets to light.
12 “But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding?
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"But where, oh where, will they find Wisdom? Where does Insight hide?
13 No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living.
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Mortals don't have a clue, haven't the slightest idea where to look.
14 ‘It is not here,’ says the ocean. ‘Nor is it here,’ says the sea.
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Earth's depths say, 'It's not here'; ocean deeps echo, 'Never heard of it.'
15 It cannot be bought with gold. It cannot be purchased with silver.
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It can't be bought with the finest gold; no amount of silver can get it.
16 It’s worth more than all the gold of Ophir, greater than precious onyx or lapis lazuli.
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Even famous Ophir gold can't buy it, not even diamonds and sapphires.
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 emeralds are comparable; extravagant jewelry can't touch it.
18 Coral and jasper are worthless in trying to get it. The price of wisdom is far above rubies.
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Pearl necklaces and ruby bracelets - why bother? None of this is even a down payment on Wisdom!
19 Precious peridot from Ethiopia cannot be exchanged for it. It’s worth more than the purest gold.
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Pile gold and African diamonds as high as you will, they can't hold a candle to Wisdom.
20 “But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding?
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"So where does Wisdom come from? And where does Insight live?
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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It can't be found by looking, no matter how deep you dig, no matter how high you fly.
22 Destruction and Death say, ‘We’ve heard only rumors of where wisdom can be found.’
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If you search through the graveyard and question the dead, they say, 'We've only heard rumors of it.'
23 “God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found,
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"God alone knows the way to Wisdom, he knows the exact place to find it.
24 for he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens.
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He knows where everything is on earth, he sees everything under heaven.
25 He decided how hard the winds should blow and how much rain should fall.
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After he commanded the winds to blow and measured out the waters,
26 He made the laws for the rain and laid out a path for the lightning.
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Arranged for the rain and set off explosions of thunder and lightning,
27 Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it. He set it in place and examined it thoroughly.
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He focused on Wisdom, made sure it was all set and tested and ready.
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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Then he addressed the human race: 'Here it is! Fear-of-the-Lord - that's Wisdom, and Insight means shunning evil.'"
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.
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.