¹² 
“But where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
¹³ 
“Man does not know the value of it;
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
¹⁴ 
“The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
¹⁵ 
“It cannot be obtained for pure gold,
Nor can silver be weighed as its price.
¹⁶ 
“It cannot be valued in [terms of] the gold of Ophir,
In the precious onyx or beryl, or the sapphire.
¹⁷ 
“Gold and glass cannot equal wisdom,
Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.
¹⁸ 
“No mention of coral and crystal can be made;
For the possession of wisdom is even above [that of] rubies or pearls.
¹⁹ 
“The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.
²⁰ 
“From where then does wisdom come?
And where is the place of understanding?
²¹ 
“It is hidden from the eyes of all the living
And concealed from the birds of the heavens.
²² 
“Abaddon (the place of destruction) and Death say,
‘We have [only] heard a report of it with our ears.’

⁵ 
Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart
And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
^6 
[a]In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him,
And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].
⁷ 
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil.^(A)