12. “But where can anyone find wisdom? Where can we get understanding?
13. People don’t know where wisdom is. It cannot be found by anyone on earth.
14. The deep ocean says, ‘It’s not here with me.’ The sea says, ‘It’s not here with me.’
15. You cannot buy wisdom with even the purest gold. There’s not enough silver in the world to pay for it.
16. You cannot buy it with gold from Ophir or with precious onyx or sapphires.
17. Wisdom is worth more than gold or crystal. It cannot be bought with expensive jewels set in gold.
18. It is far more valuable than coral and jasper, more precious than rubies.
19. The topaz from Ethiopia cannot match its value, which is greater than the purest gold.
20. “So where does wisdom come from? Where can we find understanding?
21. Wisdom is hidden from every living thing on earth. Even birds in the sky cannot see it.
22. Death and destruction say, ‘We have never seen wisdom; we have only heard rumors about it.’
23. “Only God knows the way to wisdom. Only he knows where wisdom is.
24. He can see to the very ends of the earth. He sees everything under the sky.
25. God gave the wind its power. He decided how big to make the oceans.
26. He decided where to send the rain and where the thunderstorms should go.