1“For there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
2Iron is taken out of the dust, and brass is molten out of the stone.
3Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out to the furthest bound the stones of thick darkness and of Tzal-Mavet.
4He breaks open a shaft away from where men sojourn; they are forgotten of the foot that passes by; they hang afar from men, they swing to and fro.
5As for the earth, out of it comes bread, and underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6The stones thereof are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold.
7That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it;
8The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor has the lion passed thereby.
9He puts forth his hand upon the flinty rock; He overturns the mountains by the roots.
10He cuts out channels among the rocks; and his eye sees every precious thing.
11He binds the streams, that they trickle not; and the thing that is hidden he brings forth to light.
12But wisdom, where shall it be found? And where is the place of understanding?
13Man knows not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
14The deep says, ‘It is not in me’; and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
16It cannot be valued with the gold of Ofir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17Gold and glass cannot equal it; neither shall the exchange thereof be vessels of fine gold.
18No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19The topaz of Kush shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
20From where then comes wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?
21Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
22Abadon and Mavet say, “We have heard a rumor thereof with our ears.”
23Elohim understands the way thereof, and He knows the place thereof.
24For He looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven;
25When He makes a weight for the wind, and measures out the waters by measure.
26When He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the storm of thunders;
27Then did He see it, and declare it; He established it, yes, and searched it out.
28And unto man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of Adonai, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.'”
אכִּי יֵשׁ לַכֶּסֶף מוֹצָא; וּמָקוֹם לַזָּהָב יָזֹקּוּ.
בבַּרְזֶל מֵעָפָר יֻקָּח; וְאֶבֶן יָצוּק נְחוּשָׁה.
גקֵץ שָׂם לַחֹשֶׁךְ וּלְכָל תַּכְלִית הוּא חוֹקֵר: אֶבֶן אֹפֶל וְצַלְמָוֶת.
דפָּרַץ נַחַל מֵעִם גָּר הַנִּשְׁכָּחִים מִנִּי רָגֶל; דַּלּוּ מֵאֱנוֹשׁ נָעוּ.
האֶרֶץ מִמֶּנָּה יֵצֵא לָחֶם; וְתַחְתֶּיהָ נֶהְפַּךְ כְּמוֹ אֵשׁ.
ומְקוֹם סַפִּיר אֲבָנֶיהָ; וְעַפְרֹת זָהָב לוֹ.
זנָתִיב לֹא יְדָעוֹ עָיִט; וְלֹא שְׁזָפַתּוּ עֵין אַיָּה.
חלֹא הִדְרִיכוּהוּ בְנֵי שָׁחַץ; לֹא עָדָה עָלָיו שָׁחַל.
טבַּחַלָּמִישׁ שָׁלַח יָדוֹ; הָפַךְ מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ הָרִים.
יבַּצּוּרוֹת יְאֹרִים בִּקֵּעַ; וְכָל יְקָר רָאֲתָה עֵינוֹ.
יאמִבְּכִי נְהָרוֹת חִבֵּשׁ; וְתַעֲלֻמָהּ יֹצִא אוֹר.
יבוְהַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תִּמָּצֵא; וְאֵי זֶה מְקוֹם בִּינָה.
יגלֹא יָדַע אֱנוֹשׁ עֶרְכָּהּ; וְלֹא תִמָּצֵא בְּאֶרֶץ הַחַיִּים.
ידתְּהוֹם אָמַר לֹא בִי הִיא; וְיָם אָמַר אֵין עִמָּדִי.
טולֹא יֻתַּן סְגוֹר תַּחְתֶּיהָ; וְלֹא יִשָּׁקֵל כֶּסֶף מְחִירָהּ.
טזלֹא תְסֻלֶּה בְּכֶתֶם אוֹפִיר; בְּשֹׁהַם יָקָר וְסַפִּיר.
יזלֹא יַעַרְכֶנָּה זָהָב וּזְכוֹכִית; וּתְמוּרָתָהּ כְּלִי פָז.
יחרָאמוֹת וְגָבִישׁ לֹא יִזָּכֵר; וּמֶשֶׁךְ חָכְמָה מִפְּנִינִים.
יטלֹא יַעַרְכֶנָּה פִּטְדַת כּוּשׁ; בְּכֶתֶם טָהוֹר לֹא תְסֻלֶּה.
כוְהַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תָּבוֹא; וְאֵי זֶה מְקוֹם בִּינָה.
כאוְנֶעֶלְמָה מֵעֵינֵי כָל חָי; וּמֵעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם נִסְתָּרָה.
כבאֲבַדּוֹן וָמָוֶת אָמְרוּ; בְּאָזְנֵינוּ שָׁמַעְנוּ שִׁמְעָהּ.
כגאֱלֹהִים הֵבִין דַּרְכָּהּ; וְהוּא יָדַע אֶת מְקוֹמָהּ.
כדכִּי הוּא לִקְצוֹת הָאָרֶץ יַבִּיט; תַּחַת כָּל הַשָּׁמַיִם יִרְאֶה.
כהלַעֲשׂוֹת לָרוּחַ מִשְׁקָל; וּמַיִם תִּכֵּן בְּמִדָּה.
כובַּעֲשֹׂתוֹ לַמָּטָר חֹק; וְדֶרֶךְ לַחֲזִיז קֹלוֹת.
כזאָז רָאָהּ וַיְסַפְּרָהּ; הֱכִינָהּ וְגַם חֲקָרָהּ.
כחוַיֹּאמֶר לָאָדָם הֵן יִרְאַת אֲדֹנָי הִיא חָכְמָה; וְסוּר מֵרָע בִּינָה.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 