For there is a place for the silver, whence it comes, and a place for the gold, whence it is refined.
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For iron comes out of the earth, and brass is hewn out like stone.
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He has set a bound to darkness, and he searches out every limit: a stone [is] darkness, and the shadow of death.
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There is a cutting off of the torrent by reason of dust: so they that forget the right way are weakened; they are removed from [among] men.
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[As for] the earth, out of it shall come bread: under it has been turned up as it were fire.
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Her stones are the place of the sapphire: and [her] dust [supplies] man with gold.
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[There is] a path, the fowl has not known it, neither has the eye of the vulture seen it:
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neither have the sons of the proud trodden it, a lion has not passed upon it.
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He has stretched forth his hand on the sharp [rock], and turned up mountains by the roots:
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and he has interrupted the whirlpools of rivers, and mine eye has seen every precious thing.
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And he has laid bare the depths of rivers, and has brought his power to light.
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But whence has wisdom been discovered? and what is the place of knowledge?
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A mortal has not known its way, neither indeed has it been discovered among men.
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The depth said, It is not in me: and the sea said, It is not with me.
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One shall not give fine gold instead of it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
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Neither shall it be compared with gold of Sophir, with the precious onyx and sapphire.
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Gold and crystal shall not be equalled to it, neither shall vessels of gold be its exchange.
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Coral and fine pearl shall not be mentioned: but do thou esteem wisdom above the most precious things.
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The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equalled to it; it shall not be compared with pure gold.
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Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind is the place of understanding?
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It has escaped the notice of every man, and has been hidden from the birds of the sky.
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Destruction and Death said, We have heard the report of it.
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God has well ordered the way of it, and he knows the place of it.
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For he surveys the whole [earth] under heaven, knowing the things in the earth:
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all that he has made; the weight of the winds, the measures of the water.
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When he made [them], thus he saw and numbered them, and made a way for the pealing of the thunder.
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Then he saw it, and declared it: he prepared it [and] traced it out.
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And he said to man, Behold, godliness is wisdom; and to abstain from evil is understanding.
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