Great(i)
1 There is a place where siluer is brought out of, and where golde is tried
2 where yron is dygged out of the ground, and stones resolued to metall.
3 The darckenes shall once come to an ende, he can seke out the grounde of all thinges: the stones, the darcke, and the shadow of death.
4 With the ryuer of water parteth he asunder the straunge people, that knowe no good neyghbour head: soch as are rude, vnmanerly and boyustours.
5 He bringeth foode out of the erth, and that which is vnder, consumeth he with fyre.
6 There is founde a place, whose stones are cleane Saphirs, and where the clottes of the earth are golde.
7 There is a waye also that the byrdes knowe not, that no vulturs eye hath sene:
8 wherin the lions whelpes walke not, and where no lion commeth.
9 There putteth he his hande vpon the stony rockes, and ouerthroweth the mountaines.
10 Riuers flowe out of the rockes, and loke what is pleasaunt, his eye seyth it.
11 Out of droppes bringeth he greate floudes together, and the thinge that is hyd bringeth he to light.
12 How commeth a man then by wysdome? Where is the place that men fynde vnderstanding?
13 Uerely no man can tell how worthy a thinge she is, nether she is founde in the lande of them that lyue.
14 The depe saieth: she is not with me. The see saieth: she is not with me
15 She can not be gottten for golde, nether maye the pryce of her be bought with eny syluer.
16 No wedges of golde of Ophir, no precions Onix stones, no Saphirs maye be compared vnto her.
17 No, nether golde ner Christall, nether swete odours ner golden plate.
18 There is nothinge so worthy, or so excellent, as once to be named vnto her: for perfecte wysdome goeth farre beyonde them all,
19 The Topas that commeth out of Inde, maye in no wyse be likened vnto her: yee, no maner of apparell howe pleasaunt and fayre soeuer it be.
20 From whence then commeth wisdome? and where is the place of vnderstandinge?
21 She is hid from the eyes of all men liuinge, yee, and from the foules of the ayre.
22 Destruccion and death saye: we haue herde tell of her with oure eares.
23 But God seeth her waye, and knoweth her place.
24 For he beholdeth the endes of the world, and loketh vpon all that is vnder heauen.
25 When he weyed the wyndes, and measured the waters:
26 when he set the rayne in ordre, and gaue the myghtye floudes a lawe:
27 Then dyd he se her, then declared he her, prepared her and knewe her.
28 And vnto man he sayde: Beholde, to feare the Lorde, is wysdome: and to for sake euell. is vnderstandinge.