איוב 28

1 כִּי יֵשׁ לַכֶּסֶף מוֹצָא וּמָקוֹם לַזָּהָב יָזֹֽקּוּ׃

SURELY there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.

2 בַּרְזֶל מֵֽעָפָר יֻקָּח וְאֶבֶן יָצוּק נְחוּשָֽׁה׃

Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.

3 קֵץ ׀ שָׂם לַחֹשֶׁךְ וּֽלְכׇל־תַּכְלִית הוּא חוֹקֵר אֶבֶן אֹפֶל וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃

He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.

4 פָּרַץ נַחַל ׀ מֵֽעִם־גָּר הַֽנִּשְׁכָּחִים מִנִּי־רָגֶל דַּלּוּ מֵאֱנוֹשׁ נָֽעוּ׃

The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.

5 אֶרֶץ מִמֶּנָּה יֵֽצֵא־לָחֶם וְתַחְתֶּיהָ נֶהְפַּךְ כְּמוֹ־אֵֽשׁ׃

As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.

6 מְקוֹם־סַפִּיר אֲבָנֶיהָ וְעַפְרֹת זָהָב לֽוֹ׃

The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.

7 נָתִיב לֹא־יְדָעוֹ עָיִט וְלֹא שְׁזָפַתּוּ עֵין אַיָּֽה׃

There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen:

8 לֹֽא־הִדְרִיכוּהוּ בְנֵֽי־שָׁחַץ לֹֽא־עָדָה עָלָיו שָֽׁחַל׃

The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

9 בַּחַלָּמִישׁ שָׁלַח יָדוֹ הָפַךְ מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ הָרִֽים׃

He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.

10 בַּצּוּרוֹת יְאֹרִים בִּקֵּעַ וְכׇל־יְקָר רָאֲתָה עֵינֽוֹ׃

He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.

11 מִבְּכִי נְהָרוֹת חִבֵּשׁ וְתַעֲלֻמָהּ יֹצִא אֽוֹר׃

He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

12 וְֽהַחׇכְמָה מֵאַיִן תִּמָּצֵא וְאֵי זֶה מְקוֹם בִּינָֽה׃

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

13 לֹא־יָדַע אֱנוֹשׁ עֶרְכָּהּ וְלֹא תִמָּצֵא בְּאֶרֶץ הַחַיִּֽים׃

Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

14 תְּהוֹם אָמַר לֹא בִי־הִיא וְיָם אָמַר אֵין עִמָּדִֽי׃

The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.

15 לֹֽא־יֻתַּן סְגוֹר תַּחְתֶּיהָ וְלֹא יִשָּׁקֵל כֶּסֶף מְחִירָֽהּ׃

It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

16 לֹֽא־תְסֻלֶּה בְּכֶתֶם אוֹפִיר בְּשֹׁהַם יָקָר וְסַפִּֽיר׃

It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

17 לֹא־יַעַרְכֶנָּה זָהָב וּזְכוֹכִית וּתְמוּרָתָהּ כְּלִי־פָֽז׃

The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.

18 רָאמוֹת וְגָבִישׁ לֹא יִזָּכֵר וּמֶשֶׁךְ חׇכְמָה מִפְּנִינִֽים׃

No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.

19 לֹֽא־יַעַרְכֶנָּה פִּטְדַת־כּוּשׁ בְּכֶתֶם טָהוֹר לֹא תְסֻלֶּֽה׃

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

20 וְֽהַחׇכְמָה מֵאַיִן תָּבוֹא וְאֵי זֶה מְקוֹם בִּינָֽה׃

Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

21 וְֽנֶעֶלְמָה מֵעֵינֵי כׇל־חָי וּמֵעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם נִסְתָּֽרָה׃

Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.

22 אֲבַדּוֹן וָמָוֶת אָמְרוּ בְּאׇזְנֵינוּ שָׁמַעְנוּ שִׁמְעָֽהּ׃

Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.

23 אֱלֹהִים הֵבִין דַּרְכָּהּ וְהוּא יָדַע אֶת־מְקוֹמָֽהּ׃

God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.

24 כִּי־הוּא לִקְצוֹת־הָאָרֶץ יַבִּיט תַּחַת כׇּל־הַשָּׁמַיִם יִרְאֶֽה׃

For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;

25 לַעֲשׂוֹת לָרוּחַ מִשְׁקָל וּמַיִם תִּכֵּן בְּמִדָּֽה׃

To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.

26 בַּעֲשֹׂתוֹ לַמָּטָר חֹק וְדֶרֶךְ לַחֲזִיז קֹלֽוֹת׃

When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:

27 אָז רָאָהּ וַֽיְסַפְּרָהּ הֱכִינָהּ וְגַם־חֲקָרָֽהּ׃

Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

28 וַיֹּאמֶר ׀ לָאָדָם הֵן יִרְאַת אֲדֹנָי הִיא חׇכְמָה וְסוּר מֵרָע בִּינָֽה׃

And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.