| New International Version | King James Bible |
| 1There is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined. | 1Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it. |
| 2Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore. | 2Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone. |
| 3Mortals put an end to the darkness; they search out the farthest recesses for ore in the blackest darkness. | 3He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death. |
| 4Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft, in places untouched by human feet; far from other people they dangle and sway. | 4The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men. |
| 5The earth, from which food comes, is transformed below as by fire; | 5As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire. |
| 6lapis lazuli comes from its rocks, and its dust contains nuggets of gold. | 6The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold. |
| 7No bird of prey knows that hidden path, no falcon's eye has seen it. | 7There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen: |
| 8Proud beasts do not set foot on it, and no lion prowls there. | 8The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it. |
| 9People assault the flinty rock with their hands and lay bare the roots of the mountains. | 9He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots. |
| 10They tunnel through the rock; their eyes see all its treasures. | 10He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing. |
| 11They search the sources of the rivers and bring hidden things to light. | 11He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light. |
| 12But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell? | 12But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? |
| 13No mortal comprehends its worth; it cannot be found in the land of the living. | 13Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. |
| 14The deep says, "It is not in me"; the sea says, "It is not with me." | 14The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. |
| 15It cannot be bought with the finest gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver. | 15It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. |
| 16It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or lapis lazuli. | 16It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. |
| 17Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold. | 17The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. |
| 18Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. | 18No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. |
| 19The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold. | 19The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. |
| 20Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell? | 20Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? |
| 21It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds in the sky. | 21Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. |
| 22Destruction and Death say, "Only a rumor of it has reached our ears." | 22Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. |
| 23God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells, | 23God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. |
| 24for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. | 24For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; |
| 25When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters, | 25To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. |
| 26when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm, | 26When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: |
| 27then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it. | 27Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. |
| 28And he said to the human race, "The fear of the Lord--that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding." | 28And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. |
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