Study Desk

"Certainly there is a mine for silver And a place for refining gold.

Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.

"Iron is taken from the dust, And copper is smelted from rock.

Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.

"Man puts an end to darkness, And to the farthest limit he searches out The rock in gloom and deep shadow.

He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.

"He sinks a shaft away from inhabited areas, Forgotten by the foot; They hang and swing, away from people.

The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.

"From the earth comes food, And underneath, it is turned over like fire.

As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.

"Its rocks are the source of sapphires, And its dust contains gold.

The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.

"No bird of prey knows the path, Nor has the falcon's eye caught sight of it.

There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:

"The proud animals have not trodden it, Nor has the lion passed over it.

The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

"He puts his hand on the flint; He overturns the mountains at the base.

He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.

"He carves out channels through the rocks, And his eye sees anything precious.

He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.

"He dams up the streams from flowing, And brings to light what is hidden.

He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

"But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

"Mankind does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living.

Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

"The ocean depth says, 'It is not in me'; And the sea says, 'It is not with me.'

The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.

"Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it, Nor can silver be weighed as its price.

It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

"It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, In precious onyx, or sapphire.

It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

"Gold or glass cannot equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for articles of pure gold.

The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.

"Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned; And the acquisition of wisdom is more valuable than pearls.

No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.

"The topaz of Cush cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold.

The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.