| Chapter 28 |
1 | Surely there is for silver a source, And a place for the gold they refine;
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2 | Iron from the dust is taken, And [from] the firm stone brass.
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3 | An end hath he set to darkness, And to all perfection he is searching, A stone of darkness and death-shade.
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4 | A stream hath broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, from man they wandered.
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5 | The earth! from it cometh forth bread, And its under-part is turned like fire.
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6 | A place of the sapphire [are] its stones, And it hath dust of gold.
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7 | A path -- not known it hath a ravenous fowl, Nor scorched it hath an eye of the kite,
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8 | Nor trodden it have the sons of pride, Not passed over it hath the fierce lion.
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9 | Against the flint he sent forth his hand, He overturned from the root mountains.
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10 | Among rocks, brooks he hath cleaved, And every precious thing hath his eye seen.
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11 | From overflowing floods he hath bound, And the hidden thing bringeth out [to] light.
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12 | And the wisdom -- whence is it found? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
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13 | Man hath not known its arrangement, Nor is it found in the land of the living.
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14 | The deep hath said, 'It [is] not in me,' And the sea hath said, 'It is not with me.'
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15 | Gold is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed -- its price.
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16 | It is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire,
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17 | Not equal it do gold and crystal, Nor [is] its exchange a vessel of fine gold.
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18 | Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom [is] above rubies.
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19 | Not equal it doth the topaz of Cush, With pure gold it is not valued.
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20 | And the wisdom -- whence doth it come? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
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21 | It hath been hid from the eyes of all living. And from the fowl of the heavens It hath been hidden.
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22 | Destruction and death have said: 'With our ears we have heard its fame.'
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23 | God hath understood its way, And He hath known its place.
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24 | For He to the ends of the earth doth look, Under the whole heavens He doth see,
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25 | To make for the wind a weight, And the waters He meted out in measure.
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26 | In His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices,
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27 | Then He hath seen and declareth it, He hath prepared it, and also searched it out,
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28 | And He saith to man: -- 'Lo, fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom, And to turn from evil [is] understanding.'
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