Job 28
1 Silver has its fissures where it is first found, and gold has a place where it is melted.
| כִּי יֵשׁ לַכֶּסֶף מוֹצָא וּמָקוֹם לַזָּהָב יָזֹֽקּוּ׃ |
2 Iron is taken from the earth, and ore, unbound by heat, is turned into brass.
| בַּרְזֶל מֵעָפָר יֻקָּח וְאֶבֶן יָצוּק נְחוּשָֽׁה׃ |
3 He has established a time for darkness, and he has settled on an end for all things, as well as for the stone that is in the gloom and shadow of death.
| קֵץ ׀ שָׂם לַחֹשֶׁךְ וּֽלְכָל־תַּכְלִית הוּא חוֹקֵר אֶבֶן אֹפֶל וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃ |
4 The burning separates a pilgrim people from those who have been forgotten by the feet of the destitute man and from the unapproachable.
| פָּרַץ נַחַל ׀ מֵֽעִם־גָּר הַֽנִּשְׁכָּחִים מִנִּי־רָגֶל דַּלּוּ מֵאֱנוֹשׁ נָֽעוּ׃ |
5 The land, where bread appeared in its place, has been destroyed by fire.
| אֶרֶץ מִמֶּנָּה יֵֽצֵא־לָחֶם וְתַחְתֶּיהָ נֶהְפַּךְ כְּמוֹ־אֵֽשׁ׃ |
6 Its stones are embedded with sapphires, and its soil, with gold.
| מְקוֹם־סַפִּיר אֲבָנֶיהָ וְעַפְרֹת זָהָב לֽוֹ׃ |
7 The bird does not know its path, nor has the eye of the vulture beheld it.
| נָתִיב לֹֽא־יְדָעוֹ עָיִט וְלֹא שְׁזָפַתּוּ עֵין אַיָּֽה׃ |
8 The sons of merchants have not walked there, nor has the lioness traveled through it.
| לֹֽא־הִדְרִיכֻהוּ בְנֵי־שָׁחַץ לֹֽא־עָדָה עָלָיו שָֽׁחַל׃ |
9 He has stretched out his hand to the rocks; he has overturned the foundations of the mountains.
| בַּֽחַלָּמִישׁ שָׁלַח יָדוֹ הָפַךְ מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ הָרִֽים׃ |
10 He has cut rivers through the rocks, and his eye has seen all precious things.
| בַּצּוּרוֹת יְאֹרִים בִּקֵּעַ וְכָל־יְקָר רָאֲתָה עֵינֽוֹ׃ |
11 The depths of rivers he has also examined, and he has brought hidden things into the light.
| מִבְּכִי נְהָרוֹת חִבֵּשׁ וְתַעֲלֻמָהּ יֹצִא אֽוֹר׃ |
12 But, in truth, where is wisdom to be found, and where is the place of understanding?
| וְֽהַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תִּמָּצֵא וְאֵי זֶה מְקוֹם בִּינָֽה׃ |
13 Man does not know its price, nor is it found in the land of those who live in sweetness.
| לֹא־יָדַע אֱנוֹשׁ עֶרְכָּהּ וְלֹא תִמָּצֵא בְּאֶרֶץ הֽ͏ַחַיִּֽים׃ |
14 The abyss declares, “It is not in me.” And the sea says, “It is not with me.”
| תְּהוֹם אָמַר לֹא בִי־הִיא וְיָם אָמַר אֵין עִמָּדִֽי׃ |
15 The finest gold will not be paid for it, nor will silver be weighed in exchange for it.
| לֹא־יֻתַּן סְגוֹר תַּחְתֶּיהָ וְלֹא יִשָּׁקֵל כֶּסֶף מְחִירָֽהּ׃ |
16 It will not be compared with the dyed colors of India, nor with the very costly stone sardonyx, nor with the sapphire.
| לֹֽא־תְסֻלֶּה בְּכֶתֶם אוֹפִיר בְּשֹׁהַם יָקָר וְסַפִּֽיר׃ |
17 Neither gold nor crystal will be its equal; neither will vessels of gold be fitted for it.
| לֹא־יַעַרְכֶנָּה זָהָב וּזְכוֹכִית וּתְמוּרָתָהּ כְּלִי־פָֽז׃ |
18 The exalted and the eminent will not be remembered in comparison with it. Yet wisdom is drawn out of concealment.
| רָאמוֹת וְגָבִישׁ לֹא יִזָּכֵר וּמֶשֶׁךְ חָכְמָה מִפְּנִינִֽים׃ |
19 The topaz of Ethiopia will not be equal to it, nor will it be compared to the purest dyes.
| לֹֽא־יַעַרְכֶנָּה פִּטְדַת־כּוּשׁ בְּכֶתֶם טָהוֹר לֹא תְסֻלֶּֽה׃ |
20 So then, where does wisdom begin, and where is the place of understanding?
| וְֽהַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תָּבוֹא וְאֵי זֶה מְקוֹם בִּינָֽה׃ |
21 It has been hidden from the eyes of all living things, just as the birds of the heavens escape notice.
| וְֽנֶעֶלְמָה מֵעֵינֵי כָל־חָי וּמֵעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם נִסְתָּֽרָה׃ |
22 Perdition and death have said, “With our ears, we have heard its fame.”
| אֲבַדּוֹן וָמָוֶת אָמְרוּ בְּאָזְנֵינוּ שָׁמַעְנוּ שִׁמְעָֽהּ׃ |
23 God understands its way, and he knows its location.
| אֱלֹהִים הֵבִין דַּרְכָּהּ וְהוּא יָדַע אֶת־מְקוֹמָֽהּ׃ |
24 For he beholds the limits of the world, and he looks upon all things that are under heaven.
| כִּי־הוּא לִקְצוֹת־הָאָרֶץ יַבִּיט תַּחַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמַיִם יִרְאֶֽה׃ |
25 He created a counterweight for the winds, and he suspended the waters to measure them.
| לַעֲשׂוֹת לָרוּחַ מִשְׁקָל וּמַיִם תִּכֵּן בְּמִדָּֽה׃ |
26 At that time, he gave a law to the rain and a path to the resounding storms.
| בַּעֲשֹׂתוֹ לַמָּטָר חֹק וְדֶרֶךְ לַחֲזִיז קֹלֽוֹת׃ |
27 Then he saw and explained it, and he made ready and examined it.
| אָז רָאָהּ וַֽיְסַפְּרָהּ הֱכִינָהּ וְגַם־חֲקָרָֽהּ׃ |
28 And he said to man, “Behold the fear of the Lord. Such is wisdom. And to withdraw from evil, this is understanding.”
| וַיֹּאמֶר ׀ לָֽאָדָם הֵן יִרְאַת אֲדֹנָי הִיא חָכְמָה וְסוּר מֵרָע בִּינָֽה׃ |
