23SOMEONE WILL CLAP ON HIM HANDS THEIR SO HE MAY HISS ON HIM FROM PLACE HIS 23It claps its hands at him and hisses him out of his place. [’’]
1FOR THERE FOR <THE> SILVER [IS] A MINE AND A PLACE FOR <THE> GOLD [WHICH] PEOPLE REFINE Where Can Wisdom Be Found? 1“Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
2IRON FROM [THE] DUST IT IS TAKEN AND STONE SOMEONE POURS OUT COPPER 2Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.
3AN END SOMEONE PUTS TO THE DARKNESS AND TO EVERY OUTERMOST PART HE [IS] SEARCHING FOR [THE] STONE OF GLOOM AND DEEP DARKNESS 3Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.
4HE BREAKS OPEN A SHAFT AWAY FROM WITH A SOJOURNER <THE> FORGOTTEN FROM FOOT THEY HANG DOWN AWAY FROM HUMANKIND THEY SWING 4Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.
5[THE] EARTH FROM IT IT COMES FORTH FOOD AND UNDER IT IT IS TURNED OVER LIKE FIRE 5Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.
6[ARE] A PLACE OF SAPPHIRE STONES ITS AND DUST<S> OF GOLD [BELONG] TO IT 6Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold
7[THE] PATH NOT IT KNOWS IT A BIRD OF PREY AND NOT IT CATCHES SIGHT OF IT [THE] EYE OF A HAWK 7No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8NOT THEY TREAD IT [THE] SONS OF PRIDE NOT IT PASSES BY ON IT A LION 8Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
9ON THE FLINT HE STRETCHES OUT HAND HIS HE OVERTURNS FROM [THE] ROOT MOUNTAINS 9The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
10IN THE ROCKS SHAFTS HE SPLITS OPEN AND EVERY PRECIOUS THING IT SEES EYE HIS 10He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
11FROM WEEPING RIVERS HE RESTRAINS AND SECRET HER HE BRINGS OUT LIGHT 11He stops up*NoteCloseHebrew; LXX and Vulgate He searches the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
12AND <THE> WISDOM FROM WHERE? WILL IT BE FOUND AND WHERE? THIS [IS THE] PLACE OF UNDERSTANDING 12But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
13NOT HE KNOWS HUMANKIND VALUATION ITS AND NOT IT IS FOUND IN [THE] LAND OF THE LIVING [ONES] 13No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.
14[THE] DEEP IT SAYS NOT [IS] IN ME IT AND [THE] SEA IT SAYS NOT [IT] [IS] WITH ME 14The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’
15NOT IT WILL BE GIVEN FINE GOLD FOR IT AND NOT IT WILL BE WEIGHED OUT SILVER PRICE ITS 15It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
16NOT IT WILL BE PAID IN [THE] GOLD OF OPHIR IN ONYX PRECIOUS AND SAPPHIRE 16It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
17NOT IT WILL BE COMPARABLE TO IT GOLD AND GLASS AND [IS] EXCHANGE ITS A VESSEL OF PURE GOLD 17Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.
18CORALS AND CRYSTAL NOT IT IS REMEMBERED AND [THE] PRICE OF WISDOM [IS] MORE THAN PEARLS 18Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19NOT IT WILL BE COMPARABLE TO IT <THE> TOPAZ OF CUSH IN GOLD PURE NOT IT WILL BE PAID 19Topaz from Cush*NoteCloseThat is, the upper Nile region cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20AND <THE> WISDOM FROM WHERE? DOES IT COME AND WHERE? THIS [IS THE] PLACE OF UNDERSTANDING 20From where, then, does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?
21AND IT HAS BEEN CONCEALED FROM [THE] EYES OF EVERY LIVING [THING] AND FROM [THE] BIRD[S] OF THE HEAVENS IT HAS BEEN HIDDEN 21It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.
22ABADDON AND DEATH THEY SAY WITH EARS OUR WE HAVE HEARD REPORT ITS 22Abaddon*NoteCloseAbaddon means Destruction. and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it
23GOD HE UNDERSTANDS WAY ITS AND HE HE KNOWS <OBJ.> PLACE ITS 23But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
24FOR HE TO [THE] ENDS OF THE EARTH HE LOOKS UNDER ALL THE HEAVENS HE SEES 24For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
25TO MAKE FOR THE WIND WEIGHT AND [THE] WATERS HE HAS MEASURED WITH A MEASURE 25When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
26WHEN MADE HE FOR THE RAIN A DECREE AND A PATH FOR [THE] STORM OF THUNDER CLAPS 26when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,
27THEN HE SAW IT AND HE RECOUNTED IT HE ESTABLISHED IT AND ALSO HE EXAMINED IT 27then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.
28AND HE SAID TO <THE> HUMANKIND HERE! [THE] FEAR OF [THE] LORD THAT [IS] WISDOM AND TO TURN FROM EVIL [IS] UNDERSTANDING 28And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”