Wycliffe WYC
New International Version NIV
17 Neither gold, neither glass shall be made even worth thereto; and high and far appearing vessels of gold shall not be (ex)changed for wisdom, (Neither gold, nor crystal, can be made equal in worth to it; and high-priced and outstanding vessels of gold cannot be exchanged for wisdom,)
17
Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold.
18 neither they shall be had in mind in comparison thereof. Forsooth wisdom is drawn out of privy things; (nor shall they even be considered when compared to it. For wisdom is drawn from private, or hidden, things;)
18
Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 topaz of Ethiopia shall not be made even worth to wisdom (the topaz of Ethiopia cannot be made equal in worth to wisdom), and most precious dyeings shall not be set together in price, or comparisoned, thereto.
19
The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold.
20 Therefore whereof cometh wisdom, and which is the place of understanding? (And so from where cometh wisdom, and where is the place of understanding?)
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Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?
21 It is hid from the eyes of all living men; and also it is hid from the birds of (the) heaven(s), or of the air.
21
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds in the sky.
22 Perdition and death said, With our ears we have heard (of) the fame of wisdom.
22
Destruction and Death say, “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
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God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells,
24 For he beholdeth the ends of the world, and beholdeth all things that be under heaven.
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for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
25 He hath made weight to winds (He hath made a counter-weight for the winds), and he hath weighed (the) waters in measure.
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When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters,
26 When he set law to rain, and way to tempests sounding; (When he made a law for the rain, and a way for the sounding tempests;)
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when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm,
27 then he saw wisdom, and told it out, and he made it ready, and sought it out.
27
then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.