¹² “But where will wisdom be found?
    And where is the place of understanding?
¹³ Man does not know its price,
    nor is it found in the land of the living.
¹⁴ The depth says, ‘It is not in me,’
    and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
¹⁵ It cannot be bought for gold,
    nor can silver be weighed for its price.
¹⁶ It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
    with the precious onyx or the sapphire.
¹⁷ The gold and the crystal cannot equal it,
    and it cannot be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
¹⁸ No mention will be made of coral or of pearls,
    for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
¹⁹ The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it,
    nor will it be valued with 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 living
    and concealed from the birds of the air.
²² Destruction and Death say,
    ‘We have heard of its fame with our ears.’
²³ God understands its way,
    and He knows its place.
²⁴ For He looks to the ends of the earth,
    and sees under the whole heaven,
²⁵ to make the weight of the wind,
    and He weighs the waters by measure.
²⁶ When He made a decree for the rain,
    and a path for the lightning of the thunder,
²⁷ then He saw it and declared it;
    He prepared it, yes, and searched it out.
²⁸ To man He said:
    ‘Look, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
    And to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”