²⁰ But what about wisdom—where does it come from?
And where is the place to find understanding?
²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of all the living.
It is concealed from the birds of the sky.
²² Destruction and Death^[a] say,
“With our ears we have heard only a rumor about it.”

²³ God understands the way to it,
and he alone knows its place,
²⁴ because he watches the ends of the earth,
and he sees everything under the heavens.
²⁵ He determines the weight of the wind,
and he measures out the waters by volume.
²⁶ He made a decree for the rain
and established a path for the roaring thunderstorm.
²⁷ He saw wisdom and appraised its value.
He established it and also explored it.
²⁸ Then he said to mankind:
Listen carefully. The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to turn away from evil is understanding.