1“Beae a wotu dwetɛ wɔ hɔ
ne beae a wɔnan sika kɔkɔɔ.
2Wotu dade fi fam,
na wɔnan kɔbere fi dadebo mu.
3Onipa ma sum ba awiei;
na ɔhwehwɛ kɔ akyirikyiri asase mu
kɔhwehwɛ dadebo wɔ sum kabii mu.
4Wɔde fagudetu afiri hyɛ beae a ɛmmɛn ɔdesani atenae,
mmeae a nnipa anan nsii hɔ da,
baabi a ɛmmɛn nnipa no, ɛhɔ na wodi aforosian.
5Asase a ɛbɔ aduan no,
wɔdan ase no te sɛ nea wɔde ogya na ayɛ;
6hoabo fi nʼabotan mu
na sikakɔkɔɔ mpɔw nso wɔ ne mfutuma mu.
7Ɔkɔre biara nnim saa kwan a ahintaw no,
akoroma biara ani nhuu ɛ.
8Mmoa ahantanfo nsi hɔ
na gyata nkɔdɛɛdɛɛ wɔ hɔ.
9Onipa nsa paapae abotan dennen
na ɔma mmepɔw ase da hɔ.
10Otwa aka fa abotan mu,
na ohu nʼademude nyinaa.
11Ɔhwehwɛ baabi a nsubɔnten ti wɔ
na ɔda nneɛma a ahintaw adi.
12“Nanso ɛhe na yebehu nea nyansa hyɛ?
Ɛhe na ntease te?
13Onipa renhu ne bo a ɛsom;
wɔrenhu wɔ ateasefo asase so.
14Na ebun ka se, ‘Enni me mu’;
na po nso se, ‘Enni me nkyɛn.’
15Wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ ankasa ntɔ,
na wɔrentumi mfa dwetɛ nkari ne bo.
16Wɔrentumi mfa Ofir sikakɔkɔɔ ntɔ
apopobibiribo anaa hoabo nso saa ara.
17Wɔrentumi mfa ahwehwɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ ntoto ho,
na wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ nnwinne nsesa.
18Ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛbɔ ahene panyin ne ahwehwɛbo din;
nyansa bo sen nhene pa.
19Etiopia akraatebo ne no nsɛ;
wɔrentumi mfa sikakɔkɔɔ kronkron ntɔ.
20“Ɛno de, na ɛhe na nyansa fi?
Ɛhe na ntease te?
21Wɔde asie abɔde biara ani,
wɔde asie wim nnomaa mpo.
22Ɔsɛe ne Owu ka se,
‘Yɛate no huhuhuhu kɛkɛ.’
23Onyankopɔn te ɔkwan a ɛkɔ hɔ ase,
na ɔno nko ara na onim faako a ɛte,
24efisɛ ɔhwɛ kodu nsase ano
na ohu biribiara a ɛwɔ ɔsoro ase.
25Bere a ɔhyɛɛ mframa ano den too hɔ
na osusuw nsuwa no,
26bere a ɔkaa no ɔhyɛ so kyerɛɛ osutɔ
na otwaa kwan maa aprannaa no,
27afei ɔhwɛɛ nyansa na ɔkarii no hwɛe;
na ogyee no too mu na ɔsɔɔ no hwɛe.
28Na ɔka kyerɛɛ onipa se,
‘Awurade suro, ɛno ne nyansa;
na sɛ wokyi bɔne, yɛ ntease.’ ”
The Place Where Wisdom Is Found Is Explained
1There are mines where silver is found.
There are places where gold is purified.
2Iron is taken out of the earth.
Copper is melted down from ore.
3Human beings light up the darkness.
They search for ore in the deepest pits.
They look for it in the blackest darkness.
4Far from where people live they cut a tunnel.
They do it in places where other people don’t go.
Far away from people they swing back and forth on ropes.
5Food grows on the surface of the earth.
But far below, the earth is changed as if by fire.
6Lapis lazuli is taken from the rocky earth.
Its dust contains nuggets of gold.
7No bird knows that hidden path.
No falcon’s eye has seen it.
8Proud animals don’t walk on it.
Lions don’t prowl there.
9Human hands attack the hardest rock.
Their strong hands uncover the base of the mountains.
10They tunnel through the rock.
Their eyes see all its treasures.
11They search the places where the rivers begin.
They bring hidden things out into the light.
12But where can wisdom be found?
Where does understanding live?
13No human being understands how much it’s worth.
It can’t be found anywhere in the world.
14The ocean says, “It’s not in me.”
The sea says, “It’s not here either.”
15It can’t be bought with the finest gold.
Its price can’t be weighed out in silver.
16It can’t be bought with gold from Ophir.
It can’t be bought with priceless onyx or lapis lazuli.
17Gold or crystal can’t compare with it.
It can’t be bought with jewels made of gold.
18Don’t bother to talk about coral and jasper.
Wisdom is worth far more than rubies.
19A topaz from Cush can’t compare with it.
It can’t be bought with the purest gold.
20So where does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding live?
21It’s hidden from the eyes of every living thing.
Even the birds in the sky can’t find it.
22Death and the Grave say,
“Only reports about it have reached our ears.”
23But God understands the way to it.
He is the only one who knows where it lives.
24He sees from one end of the earth to the other.
He views everything in the world.
25He made the mighty wind.
He measured out the waters.
26He gave orders for the rain to fall.
He made paths for the thunderstorms.
27Then he looked at wisdom and set its price.
He established it and tested it.
28He said to human beings,
“Have respect for the Lord. That will prove you are wise.
Avoid evil. That will show you have understanding.”
