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12 “But where shall wisdom be found?
    And where is the place of understanding?(A)
13 Mortals do not know the way to it,[a]
    and it is not found in the land of the living.(B)
14 The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’
    and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 It cannot be gotten for gold,
    and silver cannot be weighed out as its price.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
    in precious onyx or sapphire.[b]
17 Gold and glass cannot equal it,
    nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.(C)
18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;
    the price of wisdom is above pearls.(D)
19 The chrysolite of Cush cannot compare with it,
    nor can it be valued in pure gold.(E)

20 “Where then does wisdom come from?
    And where is the place of understanding?(F)
21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living
    and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 Abaddon and Death say,
    ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’(G)

23 “God understands the way to it,
    and he knows its place.(H)
24 For he looks to the ends of the earth
    and sees everything under the heavens.(I)
25 When he gave to the wind its weight
    and apportioned out the waters by measure,(J)
26 when he made a decree for the rain,
    and a way for the thunderbolt,(K)
27 then he saw it and declared it;
    he established it and searched it out.
28 And he said to humankind,
‘Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
    and to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”(L)

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Footnotes

  1. 28.13 Gk: Heb its price
  2. 28.16 Or lapis lazuli