Man's industry searcheth out many things: true wisdom is taught by God alone.

 1 Silver hath beginnings of its veins, and gold hath a place wherein it is melted.
Habet argentum venarum suarum principia, et auro locus est in quo conflatur.

 2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone melted with heat is turned into brass.
Ferrum de terra tollitur, et lapis solutus calore in aes vertitur.

 3 He hath set a time for darkness, and the end of all things he considereth, the stone also that is in the dark and the shadow of death.
Tempus posuit tenebris, et universorum finem ipse considerat, lapidem quoque caliginis et umbram mortis.

 4 The flood divideth from the people that are on their journey, those whom the food of the needy man hath forgotten, and who cannot be come at.
Dividit torrens a populo peregrinante, eos quos oblitus est pes egentis hominis, et invios.

 5 The land, out of which bread grew in its place, hath been overturned with fire.
Terra, de qua oriebatur panis, in loco suo igni subversa est.

 6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and the clods of it are gold.
Locus sapphiri lapides ejus, et glebae illius aurum.

 7 The bird hath not known the path, neither hath the eye of the vulture beheld it.
Semitam ignoravit avis, nec intuitus est eam oculus vulturis.

 8 The children of the merchants have not trodden it, neither hath the lioness passed by it.
Non calcaverunt eam filii institorum, nec pertransivit per eam leaena.

 9 He hath stretched forth his hand to the flint, he hath overturned mountains from the roots.
Ad silicem extendit manum suam, subvertit a radicibus montes.

 10 In the rocks he hath cut out rivers, and his eye hath seen every precious thing.
In petris rivos excidit, et omne pretiosum vidit oculus ejus.

 11 The depths also of rivers he hath searched, and hidden things he hath brought forth to light.
Profunda quoque fluviorum scrutatus est, et abscondita in lucem produxit.

 12 But where is wisdom to be found, and where is the place of understanding?
Sapientia vero ubi invenitur? et quis est locus intelligentiae?

 13 Man knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it found in the land of them that live in delights.
Nescit homo pretium ejus, nec invenitur in terra suaviter viventium.

 14 The depth saith: It is not in me: and the sea saith: It is not with me.
Abyssus dicit : Non est in me, et mare loquitur : Non est mecum.

 15 The finest gold shall not purchase it, neither shall silver be weighed in exchange for it.
Non dabitur aurum obrizum pro ea, nec appendetur argentum in commutatione ejus.

 16 It shall not be compared with the dyed colours of India, or with the most precious stone sardonyx, or the sapphire.
Non conferetur tinctis Indiae coloribus, nec lapidi sardonycho pretiosissimo, vel sapphiro.

 17 Gold or crystal cannot equal it, neither shall any vessels of gold be changed for it.
Non adaequabitur ei aurum vel vitrum, nec commutabuntur pro ea vasa auri.

 18 High and eminent things shall not be mentioned in comparison of it: but wisdom is drawn out of secret places.
Excelsa et eminentia non memorabuntur comparatione ejus : trahitur autem sapientia de occultis.

 19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equal to it, neither shall it be compared to the cleanest dyeing.
Non adaequabitur ei topazius de Aethiopia, nec tincturae mundissimae componetur.

 20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
Unde ergo sapientia venit? et quis est locus intelligentiae?

 21 It is hid from the eyes of all living. and the fowls of the air know it not.
Abscondita est ab oculis omnium viventium : volucres quoque caeli latet.

 22 Destruction and death have said: With our ears we have heard the fame thereof.
Perditio et mors dixerunt : Auribus nostris audivimus famam ejus.

 23 God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth the place thereof.
Deus intelligit viam ejus, et ipse novit locum illius.

 24 For he beholdeth the ends of the world: and looketh on all things that are under heaven.
Ipse enim fines mundi intuetur, et omnia quae sub caelo sunt respicit.

 25 Who made a weight for the winds and weighed the waters by measure.
Qui fecit ventis pondus, et aquas appendit in mensura.

 26 When he gave a law for the rain, and a way for the sounding storms.
Quando ponebat pluviis legem, et viam procellis sonantibus :

 27 Then he saw it, and declared, and prepared, and searched it.
tunc vidit illam et enarravit, et praeparavit, et investigavit.

 28 And he said to man: Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom: and to depart from evil, is understanding.
Et dixit homini : Ecce timor Domini, ipsa est sapientia, et recedere a malo, intelligentia.