16. It cannot be weighed in gold from Ophir, in precious onyx, or sapphire.
17. Neither gold or crystal can compare with it, nor vessels of fine gold exchanged for it.
18. No mention will be made of coral or jasper; the price of wisdom is more than pearls.
19. The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare to it; nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20. Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?
21. It has been hidden from the eyes of all living things, concealed from the birds of the sky.
22. Abaddon and Death say, ‘With our ears we have heard a rumor of it.’
23. “God understands its way and He knows its place.
24. He looks to the ends of the earth, and sees everything under the heavens.
25. When He made the force of the wind, and measured out the waters,
26. when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm,
27. then He looked at it and assessed it established it and examined it.
28. And He said to mankind, ‘The fear of the Lord —that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.”’