1. "Surely there is a mine for silver And a place where they refine gold.
2. "Iron is taken from the dust, And copper is smelted from rock.
3. "Man puts an end to darkness, And to the farthest limit he searches out The rock in gloom and deep shadow.
4. "He sinks a shaft far from habitation, Forgotten by the foot; They hang and swing to and fro far from men.
5. "The earth, from it comes food, And underneath it is turned up as fire.
6. "Its rocks are the source of sapphires, And its dust contains gold.
7. "The path no bird of prey knows, Nor has the falcon's eye caught sight of it.
8. "The proud beasts have not trodden it, Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.
9. "He puts his hand on the flint; He overturns the mountains at the base.
10. "He hews out channels through the rocks, And his eye sees anything precious.
11. "He dams up the streams from flowing, And what is hidden he brings out to the light.
12. "But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
13. "Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living.
14. "The deep says, 'It is not in me'; And the sea says, 'It is not with me.'
15. "Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it, Nor can silver be weighed as its price.
16. "It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, In precious onyx, or sapphire.