Job 28:12–28

The Search for Wisdom Is Harder

12 “But awhere can wisdom be found?

And where is the place of understanding?

13 “aMan does not know its value,

Nor is it found in the land of the living.

14 “The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;

And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’

15 “aPure gold cannot be given in exchange for it,

Nor can silver be weighed as its price.

16 “It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,

In precious onyx, or sapphire.

17 “aGold or glass cannot equal it,

Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.

18 “Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned;

And the acquisition of awisdom is above that of pearls.

19 “The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,

Nor can it be valued in apure gold.

20 “aWhere then does wisdom come from?

And where is the place of understanding?

21 “Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living

And concealed from the birds of the sky.

22 “1aAbaddon and Death say,

‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’

23 “aGod understands its way,

And He knows its place.

24 “For He alooks to the ends of the earth

And sees everything under the heavens.

25 “When He imparted aweight to the wind

And bmeted out the waters by measure,

26 When He set a alimit for the rain

And a course for the bthunderbolt,

27 Then He saw it and declared it;

He established it and also searched it out.

28 “And to man He said, ‘Behold, the afear of the Lord, that is wisdom;

And to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”