¹² “But ^(A)where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
^13 (B)Mankind does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
¹⁴ The ocean depth says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
^15 (C)Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it,
Nor can silver be weighed as its price.
¹⁶ It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx, or sapphire.
^17 (D)Gold or glass cannot equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for articles of pure gold.
¹⁸ Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned;
And the acquisition of ^(E)wisdom is more valuable than pearls.
¹⁹ The topaz of ^[a]Cush cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in ^(F)pure gold.
^20 (G)Where then does wisdom come from?
And where is this place of understanding?

⁶ They ^[a]devise injustices, saying,
“We are ^[b]ready with a well-conceived plot”;
For the ^[c](A)inward thought and the heart of a person are ^[d]deep.