אִיּוֹב 28

1 כִּ֤י יֵ֣שׁ לַכֶּ֣סֶף מֹוצָ֑א וּ֝מָקֹ֗ום לַזָּהָ֥ב יָזֹֽקּוּ׃

There are silver mines and places where gold is refined.

2 בַּ֭רְזֶל מֵעָפָ֣ר יֻקָּ֑ח וְ֝אֶ֗בֶן יָצ֥וּק נְחוּשָֽׁה׃

Iron is extracted from the earth and copper is smelted from its ore.

3 קֵ֤ץ ׀ שָׂ֤ם לַחֹ֗שֶׁךְ וּֽלְכָל־תַּ֭כְלִית ה֣וּא חֹוקֵ֑ר אֶ֖בֶן אֹ֣פֶל וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃

Miners take lamps into the darkness underground and search for ore as far as they can go in the shadows and the gloom.

4 פָּ֤רַץ נַ֨חַל ׀ מֵֽעִם־גָּ֗ר הַֽנִּשְׁכָּחִ֥ים מִנִּי־רָ֑גֶל דַּ֖לּוּ מֵאֱנֹ֣ושׁ נָֽעוּ׃

They dig a mineshaft far from where people live or anyone ever goes. They swing from ropes that hang in the pits.

5 אֶ֗רֶץ מִמֶּ֥נָּה יֵֽצֵא־לָ֑חֶם וְ֝תַחְתֶּ֗יהָ נֶהְפַּ֥ךְ כְּמֹו־אֵֽשׁ׃

Bread comes from the earth, but underneath it looks as if it has been turned upside-down by fire.

6 מְקֹום־סַפִּ֥יר אֲבָנֶ֑יהָ וְעַפְרֹ֖ת זָהָ֣ב לֹֽו׃

Here the rocks contain lapis lazuli and the dust contains gold.

7 נָ֭תִיב לֹֽא־יְדָ֣עֹו עָ֑יִט וְלֹ֥א שְׁ֝זָפַ֗תּוּ עֵ֣ין אַיָּֽה׃

No birds of prey can see these paths, no falcon's eye can perceive.

8 לֹֽא־הִדְרִיכֻ֥הוּ בְנֵי־שָׁ֑חַץ לֹֽא־עָדָ֖ה עָלָ֣יו שָֽׁחַל׃

No wild beasts have passed that way; the lion has not walked there.

9 בַּֽ֭חַלָּמִישׁ שָׁלַ֣ח יָדֹ֑ו הָפַ֖ךְ מִשֹּׁ֣רֶשׁ הָרִֽים׃

Miners attack the hard rock; they overturn the roots of mountains.

10 בַּ֭צּוּרֹות יְאֹרִ֣ים בִּקֵּ֑עַ וְכָל־יְ֝קָ֗ר רָאֲתָ֥ה עֵינֹֽו׃

They tunnel through the rock, looking carefully for every precious stone.

11 מִ֭בְּכִי נְהָרֹ֣ות חִבֵּ֑שׁ וְ֝תַעֲלֻמָ֗הּ יֹ֣צִא אֹֽור׃ פ

They dam the sources of the rivers, and bring to light what is hidden.

12 וְֽ֭הַחָכְמָה מֵאַ֣יִן תִּמָּצֵ֑א וְאֵ֥י זֶ֝ה מְקֹ֣ום בִּינָֽה׃

But where can wisdom be found? Where is the place to gain understanding?

13 לֹא־יָדַ֣ע אֱנֹ֣ושׁ עֶרְכָּ֑הּ וְלֹ֥א תִ֝מָּצֵ֗א בְּאֶ֣רֶץ הֽ͏ַחַיִּֽים׃

Human beings do not know the way to wisdom; it is not found among the living.

14 תְּהֹ֣ום אָ֭מַר לֹ֣א בִי־הִ֑יא וְיָ֥ם אָ֝מַ֗ר אֵ֣ין עִמָּדִֽי׃

The deep waters say, ‘It's not here,’ and the sea says, ‘It's not here either.’

15 לֹא־יֻתַּ֣ן סְגֹ֣ור תַּחְתֶּ֑יהָ וְלֹ֥א יִ֝שָּׁקֵ֗ל כֶּ֣סֶף מְחִירָֽהּ׃

It cannot be bought with gold; nor can it be purchased with silver.

16 לֹֽא־תְ֭סֻלֶּה בְּכֶ֣תֶם אֹופִ֑יר בְּשֹׁ֖הַם יָקָ֣ר וְסַפִּֽיר׃

Its value cannot be measured, even with the gold of Ophir; it is more precious than onyx or lapis lazuli.

17 לֹא־יַעַרְכֶ֣נָּה זָ֭הָב וּזְכֹוכִ֑ית וּתְמ֖וּרָתָ֣הּ כְּלִי־פָֽז׃

Gold or fine glass cannot compare with wisdom; it cannot be exchanged for gold jewelry.

18 רָאמֹ֣ות וְ֭גָבִישׁ לֹ֣א יִזָּכֵ֑ר וּמֶ֥שֶׁךְ חָ֝כְמָ֗ה מִפְּנִינִֽים׃

Coral and crystal are not worth mentioning; the price of wisdom is far above rubies.

19 לֹֽא־יַ֭עַרְכֶנָּה פִּטְדַת־כּ֑וּשׁ בְּכֶ֥תֶם טָ֝הֹ֗ור לֹ֣א תְסֻלֶּֽה׃ פ

Topaz from Ethiopia can't compare with it; it cannot be bought with the purest gold.

20 וְֽ֭הַחָכְמָה מֵאַ֣יִן תָּבֹ֑וא וְאֵ֥י זֶ֝֗ה מְקֹ֣ום בִּינָֽה׃

So where does wisdom come from? Where is the place to gain understanding?

21 וְֽ֭נֶעֶלְמָה מֵעֵינֵ֣י כָל־חָ֑י וּמֵעֹ֖וף הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם נִסְתָּֽרָה׃

Wisdom is hidden from the sight of all living things, even the birds of the air cannot see it.

22 אֲבַדֹּ֣ון וָ֭מָוֶת אָ֣מְר֑וּ בְּ֝אָזְנֵ֗ינוּ שָׁמַ֥עְנוּ שִׁמְעָֽהּ׃

Abaddon and Death say, ‘We've only heard a rumor of it.’

23 אֱ֭לֹהִים הֵבִ֣ין דַּרְכָּ֑הּ וְ֝ה֗וּא יָדַ֥ע אֶת־מְקֹומָֽהּ׃

Only God understands the path to wisdom; he knows where it is found.

24 כִּי־ה֖וּא לִקְצֹות־הָאָ֣רֶץ יַבִּ֑יט תַּ֖חַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם יִרְאֶֽה׃

For he looks to the very end of the earth; he sees everything under heaven.

25 לַעֲשֹׂ֣ות לָר֣וּחַ מִשְׁקָ֑ל וּ֝מַ֗יִם תִּכֵּ֥ן בְּמִדָּֽה׃

He decided how strong the wind should blow, and regulated the waters.

26 בַּעֲשׂתֹ֣ו לַמָּטָ֣ר חֹ֑ק וְ֝דֶ֗רֶךְ לַחֲזִ֥יז קֹלֹֽות׃

He set a limit for the rain and made a path for the lightning.

27 אָ֣ז רָ֭אָהּ וַֽיְסַפְּרָ֑הּ הֱ֝כִינָ֗הּ וְגַם־חֲקָרָֽהּ׃

Then he considered wisdom. He examined it, gave it his approval, and declared it good.

28 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ׀ לָֽאָדָ֗ם הֵ֤ן יִרְאַ֣ת אֲ֭דֹנָי הִ֣יא חָכְמָ֑ה וְס֖וּר מֵרָ֣ע בִּינָֽה׃ ס

He said to humankind, ‘To reverence the Lord is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”