Of coral and jasper no mention will be made; the price of wisdom is more than pearls.

Destruction and Death say, ‘With our ears we have heard a rumor about where it can be found.’

And he said to mankind, ‘The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Then Job continued his speech:

the voices of the nobles fell silent, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.

I put on righteousness and it clothed me, my just dealing was like a robe and a turban;

They waited for me as people wait for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rains.

“But now they mock me, those who are younger than I, whose fathers I disdained too much to put with my sheep dogs.

Moreover, the strength of their hands – what use was it to me? Men whose strength had perished;

Sons of senseless and nameless people, they were driven out of the land with whips.

“And now I have become their taunt song; I have become a byword among them.

If I have walked in falsehood, and if my foot has hastened to deceit –

if I looked at the sun when it was shining, and the moon advancing as a precious thing,

so that my heart was secretly enticed, and my hand threw them a kiss from my mouth,

I would give him an accounting of my steps; like a prince I would approach him.

Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job, because the others were older than he was.

Now I was paying you close attention, yet there was no one proving Job wrong, not one of you was answering his statements!

“They are dismayed and cannot answer any more; they have nothing left to say.

Inside I am like wine which has no outlet, like new wineskins ready to burst!

See now, I have opened my mouth; my tongue in my mouth has spoken.