Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold where they refine it.

[reversion to 27:6 (… for why should I be wicked? Not for silver and gold)] for there is a source [(a beginning)] for silver and a place where gold is refined [and "finished,] but (verse 20): "Whence does wisdom come, etc."? (i.e., it has no beginning and no end, and it is to that that I have devoted my life)].

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

Iron is drawn from the earth and a stone gives forth copper. [(All things have a beginning and an end, for the world will end and all that is in it.)]

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

He has set an end for the [onset of] darkness [i.e., oblivion], and He searches out every end, the stone [i.e., the source] of blackness and the shadow of death.

He breaks open a watercourse in place far from inhabitants, forgotten by foot-travellers: they are dried up; they are gone away from men.

A stream [(of fire and brimstone)] burst forth from its source [(upon Sodom and Gomorrah)], who [(i.e., the people of Sodom)] caused the [code of the] wayfarer to be forgotten.

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

A land from which bread had issued forth — its place was overturned, as if [consumed by] fire.

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

A place of sapphire were its stones, and dusts of gold were there.

There is a path which no bird of prey knows, and which the falcon’s eye has not seen:

[And now it is] a path unknown [i.e., unfrequented] by brigands and unseen by the falcon's eye [i.e., not scouted out by the spies],

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

untrodden by the haughty [beasts] and not crossed by the lion.

He puts forth his hand upon the rock; he overturns the mountains by the roots.

He sent His hand against the flint. He overturned mountains from their roots.

He cuts out channels among the rocks; and his eye sees every precious thing.

[(reversion to verse 1)] He cleft rocks [as the source of] rivers, and His eye [fore-] saw [the sources of] all precious [things for man].

He binds the floods so that they do not trickle; and the thing that is hidden he brings forth to light.

From Bechi [(a source of a kind)] He girded rivers, and from Ta'alumah [(a window in heaven)] He brings forth light. [(In sum, all things have a source.)]

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

But whence is wisdom [i.e., Torah] brought forth? And where is the place of understanding?

Man cannot know its price; nor is it found in the land of the living.

Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living [(but only among those who "mortify" themselves [by toil and hunger] for it)].

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

The depths [i.e., those who plumb the depths for gems] say: "It is not within me," and the sea [-merchant] says: "It is not with me."

It cannot be gotten for gold, nor shall silver be weighed for its price.

Pure gold cannot be given for it, and silver cannot be weighed in exchange for it.

It cannot be valued with the gold of Ofir, with the precious shoham stone, or the sapphire.

It cannot be valued by the jewels of Ophir, or the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

Gold and glass cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for vessels of fine gold.

Gold and fine glass cannot be compared to it; [nor] can its exchange be made in vessels of gold.

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

Coral and crystal will not be mentioned [next to it], and the extraction of wisdom [is more precious] than pearls.

The chrysolite of Kush shall not equal it, nor shall it be valued with pure gold.

The crysolithe of Kush cannot be compared to it. It cannot be valued by pure jewels.

Whence then does wisdom come? and where is the place of understanding?

Now whence is wisdom [(Torah)] derived, and where is the place of understanding?

Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.

It is hidden from the eyes of all living things and concealed from the winged things [(the angels)] of heaven.

Avaddon and death say, We have heard a rumour of it with our ears.

Destruction and death [(i.e., those who mortify themselves over it (viz. 13)] have said: "With our ears we have heard its report [(i.e., that it remains only with those who toil over it)].

God understands its way, and he knows its place.

[Only] G d understands its way; [only] He knows its place.

For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees everything under the whole heaven;

For He looks [in it (Torah)] to [establish] the ends of the earth, and He sees in it [(the needs of all the creations)] under all of the heavens [(Torah being the blueprint of the universe)].

when he makes a weight for the winds; and he weighs the waters by measure.

[He looks in it] to give the wind [its proper] weight [(relative to the land mass)] and [(likewise)] to prepare water by measure,

When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:

decreeing a statute for the rain [(relative to the land)] and [making] a path for cloud and thunder.

then he saw it, and declared it; he established it, yea, and searched it out.

He saw [it (and made everything by its counsel)] and He counted [(its letters and made everything through their combinations)]. He prepared it [(for the creation)] and He also searched it out.

And to man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

And He said to man: "The fear of the L rd — that is wisdom, and the turning away from evil is understanding."