אִיּוֹב 28

1 כִּ֤י יֵ֣שׁ לַכֶּ֣סֶף מוֹצָ֑א וּ֝מָק֗וֹם לַזָּהָ֥ב יָזֹֽקּוּ׃

Truly there is a vein for silver, And a place for gold, which men refine.

2 בַּ֭רְזֶל מֵעָפָ֣ר יֻקָּ֑ח וְ֝אֶ֗בֶן יָצ֥וּק נְחוּשָֽׁה׃

Iron is obtained from earth, And stone is melted into copper.

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

Man putteth an end to darkness; He searcheth to the lowest depths For the stone of darkness and the shadow of death.

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

From the place where they dwell they open a shaft; Forgotten by the feet, They hang down, they swing away from men.

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

The earth, out of which cometh bread, Is torn up underneath, as it were by fire.

6 מְקוֹם־סַפִּ֥יר אֲבָנֶ֑יהָ וְעַפְרֹ֖ת זָהָ֣ב לֽוֹ׃

Her stones are the place of sapphires, And she hath clods of gold for man.

7 נָ֭תִיב לֹֽא־יְדָ֣עוֹ עָ֑יִט וְלֹ֥א שְׁ֝זָפַ֗תּוּ עֵ֣ין אַיָּֽה׃

The path thereto no bird knoweth, And the vulture's eye hath not seen it;

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

The fierce wild beast hath not trodden it; The lion hath not passed over it.

9 בַּֽ֭חַלָּמִישׁ שָׁלַ֣ח יָד֑וֹ הָפַ֖ךְ מִשֹּׁ֣רֶשׁ הָרִֽים׃

Man layeth his hand upon the rock; He upturneth mountains from their roots;

10 בַּ֭צּוּרוֹת יְאֹרִ֣ים בִּקֵּ֑עַ וְכָל־יְ֝קָ֗ר רָאֲתָ֥ה עֵינֽוֹ׃

He cleaveth out streams in the rocks, And his eye seeth every precious thing;

11 מִ֭בְּכִי נְהָר֣וֹת חִבֵּ֑שׁ וְ֝תַעֲלֻמָ֗הּ יֹ֣צִא אֽוֹר׃ פ

He bindeth up the streams, that they trickle not, And bringeth hidden things to light.

12 וְֽ֭הַחָכְמָה מֵאַ֣יִן תִּמָּצֵ֑א וְאֵ֥י זֶ֝ה מְק֣וֹם בִּינָֽה׃

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

13 לֹא־יָדַ֣ע אֱנ֣וֹשׁ עֶרְכָּ֑הּ וְלֹ֥א תִ֝מָּצֵ֗א בְּאֶ֣רֶץ הַֽחַיִּֽים׃

Man knoweth not the price thereof, Nor can it be found in the land of the living.

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

The deep saith, It is not in me; And the sea saith, It is not with me.

15 לֹא־יֻתַּ֣ן סְג֣וֹר תַּחְתֶּ֑יהָ וְלֹ֥א יִ֝שָּׁקֵ֗ל כֶּ֣סֶף מְחִירָֽהּ׃

It cannot be gotten for gold, Nor shall silver be weighed out as the price thereof.

16 לֹֽא־תְ֭סֻלֶּה בְּכֶ֣תֶם אוֹפִ֑יר בְּשֹׁ֖הַם יָקָ֣ר וְסַפִּֽיר׃

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

17 לֹא־יַעַרְכֶ֣נָּה זָ֭הָב וּזְכוֹכִ֑ית וּתְמ֖וּרָתָ֣הּ כְּלִי־פָֽז׃

Gold and crystal are not to be compared with it; Nor can it be purchased with jewels of fine gold.

18 רָאמ֣וֹת וְ֭גָבִישׁ לֹ֣א יִזָּכֵ֑ר וּמֶ֥שֶׁךְ חָ֝כְמָ֗ה מִפְּנִינִֽים׃

No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; For wisdom is more precious than pearls.

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

The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be purchased with pure gold.

20 וְֽ֭הַחָכְמָה מֵאַ֣יִן תָּב֑וֹא וְאֵ֥י זֶ֝֗ה מְק֣וֹם בִּינָֽה׃

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

21 וְֽ֭נֶעֶלְמָה מֵעֵינֵ֣י כָל־חָ֑י וּמֵע֖וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם נִסְתָּֽרָה׃

Since it is hidden from the eyes of all living, And kept close from the fowls of the air.

22 אֲבַדּ֣וֹן וָ֭מָוֶת אָ֣מְר֑וּ בְּ֝אָזְנֵ֗ינוּ שָׁמַ֥עְנוּ שִׁמְעָֽהּ׃

Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.

23 אֱ֭לֹהִים הֵבִ֣ין דַּרְכָּ֑הּ וְ֝ה֗וּא יָדַ֥ע אֶת־מְקוֹמָֽהּ׃

God knoweth the way to it; He knoweth its dwelling-place.

24 כִּי־ה֭וּא לִקְצוֹת־הָאָ֣רֶץ יַבִּ֑יט תַּ֖חַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם יִרְאֶֽה׃

For he seeth to the ends of the earth, And surveyeth all things under the whole heaven.

25 לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת לָר֣וּחַ מִשְׁקָ֑ל וּ֝מַ֗יִם תִּכֵּ֥ן בְּמִדָּֽה׃

When he gave the winds their weight, And meted out the waters by measure;

26 בַּעֲשֹׂת֣וֹ לַמָּטָ֣ר חֹ֑ק וְ֝דֶ֗רֶךְ לַחֲזִ֥יז קֹלֽוֹת׃

When he prescribed a law to the rain, And a path to the thunder-flash, —

27 אָ֣ז רָ֭אָהּ וַֽיְסַפְּרָ֑הּ הֱ֝כִינָ֗הּ וְגַם־חֲקָרָֽהּ׃

Then did he see it, and make it known; He established it, and searched it out.

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

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