1988 verses about Wisdom

For resentment kills the foolish man, and jealousy kills the simple.

He takes the wise in their own craftiness; the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.

“Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects. Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.

Look this, we have searched it, so it is. Hear it, and know it for your good.”

Isn’t it that I have no help in me, That wisdom is driven quite from me?

“Please inquire of past generations. Find out about the learning of their fathers.

Shall they not teach you, tell you, and utter words out of their heart?

God who is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who has hardened himself against him, and prospered?

that he would show you the secrets of wisdom! For true wisdom has two sides. Know therefore that God exacts of you less than your iniquity deserves.

“Can you fathom the mystery of God? Or can you probe the limits of the Almighty?

They are high as heaven. What can you do? They are deeper than Sheol. What can you know?

Its measure is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

An empty-headed man becomes wise when a man is born as a wild donkey’s colt.

Then Job answered,

“No doubt, but you are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who doesn’t know such things as these?

“But ask the animals, now, and they shall teach you; the birds of the sky, and they shall tell you.

Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach you. The fish of the sea shall declare to you.

Who doesn’t know that in all these, Yahweh’s hand has done this,

Doesn’t the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?

With aged men is wisdom, in length of days understanding.

“With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.

With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.

He leads counselors away stripped. He makes judges fools.

He removes the speech of those who are trusted, and takes away the understanding of the elders.

He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.

He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

What you know, I know also. I am not inferior to you.

Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise.

Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips.

“Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?

For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.

Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?

What do you know, that we don’t know? What do you understand, which is not in us?

With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much elder than your father.

“I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare

(which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;

But as for you all, come on now again; I shall not find a wise man among you.

“How long will you hunt for words? Consider, and afterwards we will speak.

“Shall any teach God knowledge, since he judges those who are high?

“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.

Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.

I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would tell me.

How have you counseled him who has no wisdom, and plentifully declared sound knowledge!

To whom have you uttered words? Whose spirit came out of you?

Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways. How small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

Job again took up his parable, and said,

I will teach you about the hand of God. That which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.

That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.

He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.

He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.

“But where shall wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?

Man doesn’t know its price; Neither is it found in the land of the living.

The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’

It can’t be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for its price.

It can’t be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

Gold and glass can’t equal it, neither shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.

The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, Neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?

Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.

“God understands its way, and he knows its place.

For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.

then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.

To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”

The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me:

“Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.

After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.

Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered, “I am young, and you are very old; Therefore I held back, and didn’t dare show you my opinion.

I said, ‘Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.’

But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.

It is not the great who are wise, nor the aged who understand justice.

Therefore I said, ‘Listen to me; I also will show my opinion.’

Yes, I gave you my full attention, but there was no one who convinced Job, or who answered his words, among you.

Beware lest you say, ‘We have found wisdom, God may refute him, not man;’

Then he opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction,

“If there is beside him an angel, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show to man what is right for him;

If not, listen to me. Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Moreover Elihu answered,

“Hear my words, you wise men. Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.

For the ear tries words, as the palate tastes food.

Let us choose for us that which is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good.

“Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

“If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words.

Shall his recompense be as you desire, that you refuse it? For you must choose, and not I. Therefore speak what you know.

Men of understanding will tell me, yes, every wise man who hears me:

‘Job speaks without knowledge. His words are without wisdom.’

who teaches us more than the animals of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?’

Therefore Job opens his mouth with empty talk, and he multiplies words without knowledge.”

I will get my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

For truly my words are not false. One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

“Behold, God is mighty, and doesn’t despise anyone. He is mighty in strength of understanding.

He also opens their ears to instruction, and commands that they return from iniquity.

Behold, God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him?

Behold, God is great, and we don’t know him. The number of his years is unsearchable.

Do you know the workings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge?

Teach us what we shall tell him, for we can’t make our case by reason of darkness.