It cannot be gotten for gold: in this verse Good News Translation reduces lines a and b to one. Wisdom cannot be found, but if it could, gold and silver would be inadequate to buy it. Gold translates a different Hebrew word here than in verses 1 and 6. The word is found only here, and Dhorme takes it to refer to “solid gold,” which would probably apply to a “bar of gold” in contrast to nuggets or gold dust. In any event an adequate translation will depend on the knowledge and experience of the readers. In some cases “gold” without further description may be adequate. This line may also be expressed, for example, “Even the best gold is not enough to buy it” or “You cannot buy it with gold.”

And silver cannot be weighed as its price: this line extends the thought of the previous line by suggesting a transaction in the market, where silver is weighed on a scale by the merchant. The thought is parallel to line a, namely, “neither can one purchase it with silver.” If the translator has to combine the two lines into one, verse 15 may be rendered “Neither gold nor silver will buy it,” “You cannot buy it even if you have gold and silver for money,” or “No amount of wealth will buy it, not even gold and silver.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .