<p class="poetry">I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold,p> <p class="poetry">and people more scarce<n id="1" /> than gold from Ophir.p>

<p class="poetry">all flesh would perish togetherp> <p class="poetry">and human beings would return to dust.p>

<p class="poetry">but, despite their wealth, people do not last,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">they are like animals<n id="2" /> that perish.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Then you will find<n id="1" /> favor and good understanding,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">in the sight of God and people.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Blessed<n id="1" /> is the one<n id="2" /> who finds<n id="3" /> wisdom,p> <p class="poetry">and the one who obtains<n id="4" /> understanding.p>

<p class="poetry">The steps of a person<n id="1" /> are ordained by<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">so how can anyone<n id="3" /> understand his own<n id="4" /> way?p>

<p class="poetry">because I was terrified<n id="1" /> of the great multitude,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and the contempt of families terrified me,p> <p class="poetry">so that I remained silentp> <p class="poetry">and would not go outdoors &#8211; <n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">However, a poor but wise man lived in the city,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and he could have delivered<n id="2" /> the city by his wisdom,p> <p class="poetry">but no one listened<n id="3" /> to that poor man.p>

<p class="poetry">I made the earth,p> <p class="poetry">I created the people who live<n id="1" /> on it.p> <p class="poetry">It was me &#8211; my hands<n id="2" /> stretched out the sky,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I give orders to all the heavenly lights.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Now<n id="1" /> no shrub of the field had yet grown on the earth, and no plant of the field<n id="2" /> had yet sprouted, for the <sc>Lordsc> God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.<n id="3" />