1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold which they refine;

1 כִּ֤י יֵ֣שׁ לַכֶּ֣סֶף מֹוצָ֑א וּ֝מָקֹ֗ום לַזָּהָ֥ב יָזֹֽקּוּ׃

2 Iron is taken out of the dust, and copper is molten out of the stone.

2 בַּ֭רְזֶל מֵעָפָ֣ר יֻקָּ֑ח וְ֝אֶ֗בֶן יָצ֥וּק נְחוּשָֽׁה׃

3 [Man] putteth an end to the darkness, and exploreth to the utmost limit, the stones of darkness and of the shadow of death.

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

4 He openeth a shaft far from the inhabitants [of the earth]: forgotten of the foot, they hang suspended; away below men they hover.

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

5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as by fire;

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

6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.

6 מְקֹום־סַפִּ֥יר אֲבָנֶ֑יהָ וְעַפְרֹ֖ת זָהָ֣ב לֹֽו׃

7 It is a path no bird of prey knoweth, and the vulture's eye hath not seen it;

7 נָ֭תִיב לֹֽא־יְדָ֣עֹו עָ֑יִט וְלֹ֥א זָפַ֗תּוּ עֵ֣ין אַיָּֽה׃

8 The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed over it.

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

9 [Man] putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.

9 בַּֽ֭חַלָּמִישׁ שָׁלַ֣ח יָדֹ֑ו הָפַ֖ךְ מִשֹּׁ֣רֶשׁ הָרִֽים׃

10 He cutteth out channels in the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing.

10 בַּ֭צּוּרֹות יְאֹרִ֣ים בִּקֵּ֑עַ וְכָל־יְ֝קָ֗ר רָאֲתָ֥ה עֵינֹֽו׃

11 He bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.

11 מִ֭בְּכִי נְהָרֹ֣ות חִבֵּ֑שׁ וְ֝תַעֲלֻמָ֗הּ יֹ֣צִא אֹֽור׃

12 But wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is the place of understanding?

12 וְֽ֭הַחָכְמָה מֵאַ֣יִן תִּמָּצֵ֑א וְאֵ֥י זֶ֝ה³ מְקֹ֣ום בִּינָֽה׃

13 Man knoweth not the value thereof; and it is not found in the land of the living.

13 לֹא־יָדַ֣ע אֱנֹ֣ושׁ עֶרְכָּ֑הּ וְלֹ֥א תִ֝מָּצֵ֗א בְּאֶ֣רֶץ הַֽחַיִּֽים׃

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

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

15 Choice gold cannot be given for it, nor silver be weighed for its price.

15 לֹא־יֻתַּ֣ן סְגֹ֣ור תַּחְתֶּ֑יהָ וְלֹ֥א יִ֝שָּׁקֵ֗ל כֶּ֣סֶף מְחִירָֽהּ׃

16 It is not set in the balance with gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, and the sapphire.

16 לֹֽא־תְ֭סֻלֶּה בְּכֶ֣תֶם אֹופִ֑יר בְּשֹׁ֖הַם יָקָ֣ר וְסַפִּֽיר׃

17 Gold and glass cannot be compared to it, nor vessels of fine gold be its exchange.

17 לֹא־יַעַרְכֶ֣נָּה זָ֭הָב וּזְכֹוכִ֑ית וּתְמ֖וּרָתָ֣הּ כְּלִי־פָֽז׃

18 Corals and crystal are no more remembered; yea, the acquisition of wisdom is above rubies.

18 רָאמֹ֣ות וְ֭גָבִישׁ לֹ֣א יִזָּכֵ֑ר וּמֶ֥שֶׁךְ חָ֝כְמָ֗ה מִפְּנִינִֽים׃

19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be compared to it, neither shall it be set in the balance with pure gold.

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

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

20 וְֽ֭הַחָכְמָה מֵאַ֣יִן תָּבֹ֑וא וְאֵ֥י זֶ֝֗ה מְקֹ֣ום בִּינָֽה׃

21 For it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowl of the heavens.

21 וְֽ֭נֶעֶלְמָה מֵעֵינֵ֣י כָל־חָ֑י וּמֵעֹ֖וף הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם נִסְתָּֽרָה׃

22 Destruction and death say, We have heard its report with our ears.

22 אֲבַדֹּ֣ון וָ֭מָוֶת אָ֣מְר֑וּ בְּ֝אָזְנֵ֗ינוּ שָׁמַ֥עְנוּ שִׁמְעָֽהּ׃

23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth its place:

23 אֱ֭לֹהִים הֵבִ֣ין דַּרְכָּ֑הּ וְ֝ה֗וּא יָדַ֥ע אֶת־מְקֹומָֽהּ׃

24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, he seeth under the whole heaven.

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

25 In making a weight for the wind, and meting out the waters by measure,

25 לַעֲשֹׂ֣ות לָר֣וּחַ מִשְׁקָ֑ל וּ֝מַ֗יִם תִּכֵּ֥ן בְּמִדָּֽה׃

26 In appointing a statute for the rain, and a way for the thunder's flash:

26 בַּעֲשׂתֹ֣ו לַמָּטָ֣ר חֹ֑ק וְ֝דֶ֗רֶךְ לַחֲזִ֥יז קֹלֹֽות׃

27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and searched it out;

27 אָ֣ז רָ֭אָהּ וַֽיְסַפְּרָ֑הּ הֱ֝כִינָ֗הּ וְגַם־חֲקָרָֽהּ׃

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

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