< איוב 28 >
כִּי יֵשׁ לַכֶּסֶף מוֹצָא וּמָקוֹם לַזָּהָב יָזֹֽקּוּ׃ | 1 |
There are silver mines and places where gold is refined.
בַּרְזֶל מֵעָפָר יֻקָּח וְאֶבֶן יָצוּק נְחוּשָֽׁה׃ | 2 |
Iron is extracted from the earth and copper is smelted from its ore.
קֵץ ׀ שָׂם לַחֹשֶׁךְ וּֽלְכָל־תַּכְלִית הוּא חוֹקֵר אֶבֶן אֹפֶל וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃ | 3 |
Miners take lamps into the darkness underground and search for ore as far as they can go in the shadows and the gloom.
פָּרַץ נַחַל ׀ מֵֽעִם־גָּר הַֽנִּשְׁכָּחִים מִנִּי־רָגֶל דַּלּוּ מֵאֱנוֹשׁ נָֽעוּ׃ | 4 |
They dig a mineshaft far from where people live or anyone ever goes. They swing from ropes that hang in the pits.
אֶרֶץ מִמֶּנָּה יֵֽצֵא־לָחֶם וְתַחְתֶּיהָ נֶהְפַּךְ כְּמוֹ־אֵֽשׁ׃ | 5 |
Bread comes from the earth, but underneath it looks as if it has been turned upside-down by fire.
מְקוֹם־סַפִּיר אֲבָנֶיהָ וְעַפְרֹת זָהָב לֽוֹ׃ | 6 |
Here the rocks contain lapis lazuli and the dust contains gold.
נָתִיב לֹֽא־יְדָעוֹ עָיִט וְלֹא שְׁזָפַתּוּ עֵין אַיָּֽה׃ | 7 |
No birds of prey can see these paths, no falcon's eye can perceive.
לֹֽא־הִדְרִיכֻהוּ בְנֵי־שָׁחַץ לֹֽא־עָדָה עָלָיו שָֽׁחַל׃ | 8 |
No wild beasts have passed that way; the lion has not walked there.
בַּֽחַלָּמִישׁ שָׁלַח יָדוֹ הָפַךְ מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ הָרִֽים׃ | 9 |
Miners attack the hard rock; they overturn the roots of mountains.
בַּצּוּרוֹת יְאֹרִים בִּקֵּעַ וְכָל־יְקָר רָאֲתָה עֵינֽוֹ׃ | 10 |
They tunnel through the rock, looking carefully for every precious stone.
מִבְּכִי נְהָרוֹת חִבֵּשׁ וְתַעֲלֻמָהּ יֹצִא אֽוֹר׃ | 11 |
They dam the sources of the rivers, and bring to light what is hidden.
וְֽהַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תִּמָּצֵא וְאֵי זֶה מְקוֹם בִּינָֽה׃ | 12 |
But where can wisdom be found? Where is the place to gain understanding?
לֹא־יָדַע אֱנוֹשׁ עֶרְכָּהּ וְלֹא תִמָּצֵא בְּאֶרֶץ הֽ͏ַחַיִּֽים׃ | 13 |
Human beings do not know the way to wisdom; it is not found among the living.
תְּהוֹם אָמַר לֹא בִי־הִיא וְיָם אָמַר אֵין עִמָּדִֽי׃ | 14 |
The deep waters say, ‘It's not here,’ and the sea says, ‘It's not here either.’
לֹא־יֻתַּן סְגוֹר תַּחְתֶּיהָ וְלֹא יִשָּׁקֵל כֶּסֶף מְחִירָֽהּ׃ | 15 |
It cannot be bought with gold; nor can it be purchased with silver.
לֹֽא־תְסֻלֶּה בְּכֶתֶם אוֹפִיר בְּשֹׁהַם יָקָר וְסַפִּֽיר׃ | 16 |
Its value cannot be measured, even with the gold of Ophir; it is more precious than onyx or lapis lazuli.
לֹא־יַעַרְכֶנָּה זָהָב וּזְכוֹכִית וּתְמוּרָתָהּ כְּלִי־פָֽז׃ | 17 |
Gold or fine glass cannot compare with wisdom; it cannot be exchanged for gold jewelry.
רָאמוֹת וְגָבִישׁ לֹא יִזָּכֵר וּמֶשֶׁךְ חָכְמָה מִפְּנִינִֽים׃ | 18 |
Coral and crystal are not worth mentioning; the price of wisdom is far above rubies.
לֹֽא־יַעַרְכֶנָּה פִּטְדַת־כּוּשׁ בְּכֶתֶם טָהוֹר לֹא תְסֻלֶּֽה׃ | 19 |
Topaz from Ethiopia can't compare with it; it cannot be bought with the purest gold.
וְֽהַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תָּבוֹא וְאֵי זֶה מְקוֹם בִּינָֽה׃ | 20 |
So where does wisdom come from? Where is the place to gain understanding?
וְֽנֶעֶלְמָה מֵעֵינֵי כָל־חָי וּמֵעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם נִסְתָּֽרָה׃ | 21 |
Wisdom is hidden from the sight of all living things, even the birds of the air cannot see it.
אֲבַדּוֹן וָמָוֶת אָמְרוּ בְּאָזְנֵינוּ שָׁמַעְנוּ שִׁמְעָֽהּ׃ | 22 |
Abaddon and Death say, ‘We've only heard a rumor of it.’
אֱלֹהִים הֵבִין דַּרְכָּהּ וְהוּא יָדַע אֶת־מְקוֹמָֽהּ׃ | 23 |
Only God understands the path to wisdom; he knows where it is found.
כִּי־הוּא לִקְצוֹת־הָאָרֶץ יַבִּיט תַּחַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמַיִם יִרְאֶֽה׃ | 24 |
For he looks to the very end of the earth; he sees everything under heaven.
לַעֲשׂוֹת לָרוּחַ מִשְׁקָל וּמַיִם תִּכֵּן בְּמִדָּֽה׃ | 25 |
He decided how strong the wind should blow, and regulated the waters.
בַּעֲשֹׂתוֹ לַמָּטָר חֹק וְדֶרֶךְ לַחֲזִיז קֹלֽוֹת׃ | 26 |
He set a limit for the rain and made a path for the lightning.
אָז רָאָהּ וַֽיְסַפְּרָהּ הֱכִינָהּ וְגַם־חֲקָרָֽהּ׃ | 27 |
Then he considered wisdom. He examined it, gave it his approval, and declared it good.
וַיֹּאמֶר ׀ לָֽאָדָם הֵן יִרְאַת אֲדֹנָי הִיא חָכְמָה וְסוּר מֵרָע בִּינָֽה׃ | 28 |
He said to humankind, ‘To reverence the Lord is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”