Where Can Wisdom Be Found?

1  כִּ֤י (Surely) יֵ֣שׁ (there is) לַכֶּ֣סֶף (for silver) מוֹצָ֑א (a mine),

וּ֝מָק֗וֹם (and a place) לַזָּהָ֥ב (for the gold) יָזֹֽקּוּ׃ (they refine).

2  בַּ֭רְזֶל (Iron) מֵעָפָ֣ר (from the dust) יֻקָּ֑ח (is taken),

וְ֝אֶ֗בֶן (and from rock) יָצ֥וּק (is smelted) נְחוּשָֽׁה׃ (copper).

3  קֵ֤ץ׀ (An end) שָׂ֤ם (he has set) לַחֹ֗שֶׁךְ (for the darkness),

וּֽלְכָל־ (and to every) תַּ֭כְלִית (limit) ה֣וּא (he) חוֹקֵ֑ר (is searching out)

אֶ֖בֶן (a stone) אֹ֣פֶל (in darkness) וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃ (and the shadow of death).

4  פָּ֤רַץ (He opens) נַ֨חַל׀ (a shaft) מֵֽעִם־ (away from) גָּ֗ר (habitation),

הַֽנִּשְׁכָּחִ֥ים (those forgotten) מִנִּי־ (by) רָ֑גֶל (the foot);

דַּ֖לּוּ (they hang down) מֵאֱנ֣וֹשׁ (away from man) נָֽעוּ׃ (and they sway).

5  אֶ֗רֶץ (The earth), מִמֶּ֥נָּה (from which) יֵֽצֵא־ (comes forth) לָ֑חֶם (bread),

וְ֝תַחְתֶּ֗יהָ (and underneath) נֶהְפַּ֥ךְ (is turned) כְּמוֹ־ (as by) אֵֽשׁ׃ (fire).

6  מְקוֹם־ (A place) סַפִּ֥יר (of sapphire) אֲבָנֶ֑יהָ (are its stones)

וְעַפְרֹ֖ת (and dust) זָהָ֣ב (of gold) לֽוֹ׃ (is unto it).

7  נָ֭תִיב (That path) לֹֽא־ (not) יְדָ֣עוֹ (does know) עָ֑יִט (the bird of prey),

וְלֹ֥א (and not) שְׁ֝זָפַ֗תּוּ (has seen it) עֵ֣ין (the eye) אַיָּֽה׃ (of the falcon).

8  לֹֽא־ (Not) הִדְרִיכֻ֥הוּ (have trodden it) בְנֵי־ (the sons) שָׁ֑חַץ (of pride),

לֹֽא־ (and not) עָדָ֖ה (has passed) עָלָ֣יו (over it) שָֽׁחַל׃ (the lion).

9  בַּֽ֭חַלָּמִישׁ (Against the flinty rock) שָׁלַ֣ח (he stretched out) יָד֑וֹ (his hand);

הָפַ֖ךְ (he overturns) מִשֹּׁ֣רֶשׁ (from the root) הָרִֽים׃ (the hills).

10  בַּ֭צּוּרוֹת (In the rocks) יְאֹרִ֣ים (channels) בִּקֵּ֑עַ (he cuts out),

וְכָל־ (and every) יְ֝קָ֗ר (precious thing) רָאֲתָ֥ה (sees) עֵינֽוֹ׃ (his eye).

11  מִ֭בְּכִי (From weeping) נְהָר֣וֹת (the rivers) חִבֵּ֑שׁ (he has bound),

וְ֝תַעֲלֻמָ֗הּ (and a hidden thing) יֹ֣צִא (he brings) אֽוֹר׃פ (to light).

12  וְֽ֭הַחָכְמָה (And wisdom), מֵאַ֣יִן (from where) תִּמָּצֵ֑א (is it found)?

וְאֵ֥י (And where) זֶ֝ה (is this), מְק֣וֹם (place) בִּינָֽה׃ (of understanding)?

13  לֹא־ (Not) יָדַ֣ע (does know) אֱנ֣וֹשׁ (man) עֶרְכָּ֑הּ (its value),

וְלֹ֥א (and not) תִ֝מָּצֵ֗א (is it found) בְּאֶ֣רֶץ (in the land) הַֽחַיִּֽים׃ (of the living).

14  תְּה֣וֹם (The deep) אָ֭מַר (says), לֹ֣א (Not) בִי־ (in me) הִ֑יא (it is),

וְיָ֥ם (and the sea) אָ֝מַ֗ר (says), אֵ֣ין (Not) עִמָּדִֽי׃ (it is with me).

15  לֹא־ (Not) יֻתַּ֣ן (can be given) סְג֣וֹר (gold) תַּחְתֶּ֑יהָ (for it),

וְלֹ֥א (and not) יִ֝שָּׁקֵ֗ל (can be weighed) כֶּ֣סֶף (silver) מְחִירָֽהּ׃ (for its price).

16  לֹֽא־ (Not) תְ֭סֻלֶּה (it is valued) בְּכֶ֣תֶם (with the gold) אוֹפִ֑יר (of Ophir),

בְּשֹׁ֖הַם (with onyx) יָקָ֣ר (precious) וְסַפִּֽיר׃ (or sapphire).

17  לֹא־ (Not) יַעַרְכֶ֣נָּה (equal it) זָ֭הָב (gold) וּזְכוֹכִ֑ית (and glass),

וּתְמ֖וּרָתָ֣הּ (or is its exchange) כְּלִי־ (a vessel) פָֽז׃ (of fine gold).

18  רָאמ֣וֹת (Coral) וְ֭גָבִישׁ (and quartz) לֹ֣א (are not) יִזָּכֵ֑ר (to be mentioned),

וּמֶ֥שֶׁךְ (and the acquisition) חָ֝כְמָ֗ה (of wisdom) מִפְּנִינִֽים׃ (is more than rubies).

19  לֹֽא־ (Not) יַ֭עַרְכֶנָּה (equal it) פִּטְדַת־ (the topaz) כּ֑וּשׁ (of Cush);

בְּכֶ֥תֶם (in gold) טָ֝ה֗וֹר (pure) לֹ֣א (not) תְסֻלֶּֽה׃פ (it is valued).

20  וְֽ֭הַחָכְמָה (And the wisdom) מֵאַ֣יִן (from where) תָּב֑וֹא (does it come)?

וְאֵ֥י (And where is) זֶ֝֗ה (this), מְק֣וֹם (place) בִּינָֽה׃ (of understanding)?

21  וְֽ֭נֶעֶלְמָה (And is it hidden) מֵעֵינֵ֣י (from the eyes) כָל־ (of every) חָ֑י (living thing),

וּמֵע֖וֹף (and from the birds) הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם (of the heavens) נִסְתָּֽרָה׃ (it is concealed).

22  אֲבַדּ֣וֹן (Abaddon) וָ֭מָוֶת (and Death) אָ֣מְר֑וּ (say),

בְּ֝אָזְנֵ֗ינוּ (With our ears) שָׁמַ֥עְנוּ (we have heard) שִׁמְעָֽהּ׃ (a report of it).

23  אֱ֭לֹהִים (God) הֵבִ֣ין (has understood) דַּרְכָּ֑הּ (its way)

וְ֝ה֗וּא (and He) יָדַ֥ע (has known) אֶת־ (-) מְקוֹמָֽהּ׃ (its place).

24  כִּי־ (For) ה֭וּא (He) לִקְצוֹת־ (to the ends) הָאָ֣רֶץ (of the earth) יַבִּ֑יט (looks);

תַּ֖חַת (and under) כָּל־ (all) הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם (the heavens) יִרְאֶֽה׃ (He sees),

25  לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת (to make) לָר֣וּחַ (for the wind) מִשְׁקָ֑ל (a weight);

וּ֝מַ֗יִם (and the waters) תִּכֵּ֥ן (He portioned out) בְּמִדָּֽה׃ (by measure),

26  בַּעֲשֹׂת֣וֹ (in His making) לַמָּטָ֣ר (for the rain) חֹ֑ק (a limit)

וְ֝דֶ֗רֶךְ (and a path) לַחֲזִ֥יז (for the flash) קֹלֽוֹת׃ (of the thunders).

27  אָ֣ז (Then) רָ֭אָהּ (He saw) וַֽיְסַפְּרָ֑הּ (and recounted it);

הֱ֝כִינָ֗הּ (He established it) וְגַם־ (and also) חֲקָרָֽהּ׃ (searched it out).

28  וַיֹּ֤אמֶר׀ (And He said) לָֽאָדָ֗ם (to the man), הֵ֤ן (Behold),

יִרְאַ֣ת (the fear) אֲ֭דֹנָי (of the Lord), הִ֣יא (that is) חָכְמָ֑ה (wisdom),

וְס֖וּר (and the turning aside) מֵרָ֣ע (from evil) בִּינָֽה׃ס (that is understanding).