Third Millennium Bible TMB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 "Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they refine it.
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"There is a place where silver is mined and a place where gold is refined.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is smelted out of the stone.
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Iron is taken from the ground, and rocks are melted for [their] copper.
3 Man setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection, the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.
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[Humans] bring an end to darkness [there] and search to the limit of the gloomy, pitch-black rock.
4 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant, even the waters forgotten by the foot; they are dried up, they are gone away from men.
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They open up a mineshaft far from civilization, where no one has set foot. [In this shaft] men dangle and swing 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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"Above the ground food grows, but beneath it the food decays as if [it were burned] by fire.
6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
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That place's stones are sapphire. Its dust contains gold.
7 There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen.
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No bird of prey knows the way to it. No hawk's eye has ever seen it.
8 The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
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No proud beast has ever walked on it. No ferocious lion has ever passed over it.
9 Man putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots;
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"Humans exert their power on the flinty rocks and overturn mountains at their base.
10 he cutteth out rivers among the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing;
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They cut out mineshafts in the rocks. Their eyes see every precious thing.
11 he bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
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They explore the sources of rivers so that they bring hidden treasures to light.
12 But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
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"Where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding live?
13 Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
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No mortal knows where it is. It cannot be found in this world of the living.
14 The deep saith, `It is not in me'; and the sea saith, `It is not with me.'
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The deep ocean says, 'It isn't in me.' The sea says, 'It isn't with me.'
15 It cannot be gotten for gold; neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
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You cannot obtain it with solid gold or buy it for any amount of silver.
16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx or the sapphire.
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It can't be bought with the gold from Ophir or with precious onyx or sapphire.
17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it; and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.
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Neither gold nor glass can equal its value. Nor can gold ornaments, jewels, or crystal
18 No mention shall be made of coral or of pearls, for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
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be exchanged for it. Wisdom is more valuable than gems.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it; neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
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Topaz from Ethiopia cannot equal its value. It cannot be bought for [any amount of] pure gold.
20 "Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding--
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"Where does wisdom come from? Where does understanding live?
21 seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air?
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It is hidden from the eyes of every living being, hidden even from the birds in the air.
22 Destruction and death say, `We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.'
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Decay and Death say, 'We've heard a rumor about it.'
23 God understandeth the way thereof, and He knoweth the place thereof.
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"God understands the way to it. He knows where it lives
24 For He looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven,
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because he can see to the ends of the earth and observe everything under heaven.
25 to make the weight for the winds, and He weigheth the waters by measure.
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When he gave the wind its force and measured the water [in the sea],
26 When He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
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when he made rules for the rain and set paths for the thunderstorms,
27 then did He see it and declare it; He prepared it, yea, and searched it out.
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then he saw it and announced it. He confirmed it and examined it.
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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So he told humans, 'The fear of the Lord is wisdom! To stay away from evil is understanding.'"
Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.