Job 28:12-22 - Wisdom Is Inaccessible To Decay And Death

¹²
“But where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
¹³
“Man does not know the value of it;
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
“It cannot be obtained for pure gold,
Nor can silver be weighed as its price.
¹⁶
“It cannot be valued in [terms of] the gold of Ophir,
In the precious onyx or beryl, or the sapphire.
¹⁷
“Gold and glass cannot equal wisdom,
Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.
¹⁸
“No mention of coral and crystal can be made;
For the possession of wisdom is even above [that of] rubies or pearls.
¹⁹
“The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.

²⁰
“From where then does wisdom come?
And where is the place of understanding?
²¹
“It is hidden from the eyes of all the living
And concealed from the birds of the heavens.
²²
“Abaddon (the place of destruction) and Death say,
‘We have [only] heard a report of it with our ears.’