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28:1  Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold where they refine it.
28:2  Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted from the stone ore.
28:3  Man sets an end to darkness, and he searches out the farthest bounds for the ore buried in gloom and deep darkness.
28:4  Men break open shafts away from where people sojourn, in places forgotten by [human] foot; and [descend into them], hanging afar from men, they swing or flit to and fro.
28:5  As for the earth, out of it comes bread, but underneath [its surface, down deep in the mine] there is blasting, turning it up as by fire.
28:6  Its stones are the bed of sapphires; it holds dust of gold [which he wins].
28:7  That path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon’s eye has not seen it.
28:8  The proud beasts [and their young] have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed over it.
28:9  Man puts forth his hand upon the flinty rock; he overturns the mountains by the roots.
28:10  He cuts out channels and passages among the rocks; and his eye sees every precious thing.
28:11  [Man] binds the streams so that they do not trickle [into the mine], and the thing that is hidden he brings forth to light.
28:12  But where shall Wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
28:13  Man knows not the price of it; neither is it found in the land of the living.
28:14  The deep says, [Wisdom] is not in me; and the sea says, It is not with me.
28:15  It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price of it.
28:16  It cannot be valued in [terms of] the gold of Ophir, in the precious onyx or beryl, or the sapphire.
28:17  Gold and glass cannot equal [Wisdom], nor can it be exchanged for jewels or vessels of fine gold.
28:18  No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; for the possession of Wisdom is even above rubies or pearls.
28:19  The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
28:20  From where then does Wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?
28:21  It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and knowledge of it is withheld from the birds of the heavens.
28:22  Abaddon (the place of destruction) and Death say, We have [only] heard the report of it with our ears.
28:23  God understands the way [to Wisdom] and He knows the place of it [Wisdom is with God alone].
28:24  For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
28:25  When He gave to the wind weight or pressure and allotted the waters by measure,
28:26  When He made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
28:27  Then He saw [Wisdom] and declared it; He established it, yes, and searched it out [for His own use, and He alone possesses it].
28:28  But to man He said, Behold, the reverential and worshipful fear of the Lord—that is Wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.