אִיּוֹב 28

1 כִּ֤י יֵ֣שׁ לַכֶּ֣סֶף מֹוצָ֑א וּ֝מָקֹ֗ום לַזָּהָ֥ב יָזֹֽקּוּ׃

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

2 בַּ֭רְזֶל מֵעָפָ֣ר יֻקָּ֑ח וְ֝אֶ֗בֶן יָצ֥וּק נְחוּשָֽׁה׃

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

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

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

4 פָּ֤רַץ נַ֨חַל ׀ מֵֽעִם־גָּ֗ר הַֽנִּשְׁכָּחִ֥ים מִנִּי־רָ֑גֶל דַּ֖לּוּ מֵאֱנֹ֣ושׁ 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 אֶ֗רֶץ מִמֶּ֥נָּה יֵֽצֵא־לָ֑חֶם וְ֝תַחְתֶּ֗יהָ נֶהְפַּ֥ךְ כְּמֹו־אֵֽשׁ׃

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

6 מְקֹום־סַפִּ֥יר אֲבָנֶ֑יהָ וְעַפְרֹ֖ת זָהָ֣ב לֹֽו׃

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

7 נָ֭תִיב לֹֽא־יְדָ֣עֹו עָ֑יִט וְלֹ֥א שְׁ֝זָפַ֗תּוּ עֵ֣ין אַיָּֽה׃

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

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

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

9 בַּֽ֭חַלָּמִישׁ שָׁלַ֣ח יָדֹ֑ו הָפַ֖ךְ מִשֹּׁ֣רֶשׁ הָרִֽים׃

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

10 בַּ֭צּוּרֹות יְאֹרִ֣ים בִּקֵּ֑עַ וְכָל־יְ֝קָ֗ר רָאֲתָ֥ה עֵינֹֽו׃

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

11 מִ֭בְּכִי נְהָרֹ֣ות חִבֵּ֑שׁ וְ֝תַעֲלֻמָ֗הּ יֹ֣צִא אֹֽור׃ פ

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

12 וְֽ֭הַחָכְמָה מֵאַ֣יִן תִּמָּצֵ֑א וְאֵ֥י זֶ֝ה מְקֹ֣ום בִּינָֽה׃

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

13 לֹא־יָדַ֣ע אֱנֹ֣ושׁ עֶרְכָּ֑הּ וְלֹ֥א תִ֝מָּצֵ֗א בְּאֶ֣רֶץ הֽ͏ַחַיִּֽים׃

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

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

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

15 לֹא־יֻתַּ֣ן סְגֹ֣ור תַּחְתֶּ֑יהָ וְלֹ֥א יִ֝שָּׁקֵ֗ל כֶּ֣סֶף מְחִירָֽהּ׃

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

16 לֹֽא־תְ֭סֻלֶּה בְּכֶ֣תֶם אֹופִ֑יר בְּשֹׁ֖הַם יָקָ֣ר וְסַפִּֽיר׃

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

17 לֹא־יַעַרְכֶ֣נָּה זָ֭הָב וּזְכֹוכִ֑ית וּתְמ֖וּרָתָ֣הּ כְּלִי־פָֽז׃

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

18 רָאמֹ֣ות וְ֭גָבִישׁ לֹ֣א יִזָּכֵ֑ר וּמֶ֥שֶׁךְ חָ֝כְמָ֗ה מִפְּנִינִֽים׃

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

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

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

20 וְֽ֭הַחָכְמָה מֵאַ֣יִן תָּבֹ֑וא וְאֵ֥י זֶ֝֗ה מְקֹ֣ום בִּינָֽה׃

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

21 וְֽ֭נֶעֶלְמָה מֵעֵינֵ֣י כָל־חָ֑י וּמֵעֹ֖וף הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם נִסְתָּֽרָה׃

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

22 אֲבַדֹּ֣ון וָ֭מָוֶת אָ֣מְר֑וּ בְּ֝אָזְנֵ֗ינוּ שָׁמַ֥עְנוּ שִׁמְעָֽהּ׃

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

23 אֱ֭לֹהִים הֵבִ֣ין דַּרְכָּ֑הּ וְ֝ה֗וּא יָדַ֥ע אֶת־מְקֹומָֽהּ׃

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

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

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

25 לַעֲשֹׂ֣ות לָר֣וּחַ מִשְׁקָ֑ל וּ֝מַ֗יִם תִּכֵּ֥ן בְּמִדָּֽה׃

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

26 בַּעֲשׂתֹ֣ו לַמָּטָ֣ר חֹ֑ק וְ֝דֶ֗רֶךְ לַחֲזִ֥יז קֹלֹֽות׃

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

27 אָ֣ז רָ֭אָהּ וַֽיְסַפְּרָ֑הּ הֱ֝כִינָ֗הּ וְגַם־חֲקָרָֽהּ׃

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

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

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