28:1

כִּי יֵשׁ לַכֶּסֶף מוֹצָא וּמָקוֹם לַזָּהָב יָזֹקּוּ׃

For there is a mine for silver, And a place for gold which they refine.

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28:2

בַּרְזֶל מֵעָפָר יֻקָּח וְאֶבֶן יָצוּק נְחוּשָׁה׃

Iron is taken out of the dust, And brass is molten out of the stone.

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28:3

קֵץ שָׂם לַחֹשֶׁךְ וּלְכָל־תַּכְלִית הוּא חוֹקֵר אֶבֶן אֹפֶל וְצַלְמָוֶת׃

Man setteth an end to darkness, And searcheth out to the furthest bound The stones of thick darkness and of the shadow of death.

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28:4

פָּרַץ נַחַל מֵעִם־גָּר הַנִּשְׁכָּחִים מִנִּי־רָגֶל דַּלּוּ מֵאֱנוֹשׁ נָעוּ׃

He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn; They are forgotten of the foot that passeth by; They hang afar from men, they swing to and fro.

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28:5

אֶרֶץ מִמֶּנָּה יֵצֵא־לָחֶם וְתַחְתֶּיהָ נֶהְפַּךְ כְּמוֹ־אֵשׁ׃

As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, And underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.

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28:6

מְקוֹם־סַפִּיר אֲבָנֶיהָ וְעַפְרֹת זָהָב לוֹ׃

The stones thereof are the place of sapphires, And it hath dust of gold.

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28:7

נָתִיב לֹא־יְדָעוֹ עָיִט וְלֹא שְׁזָפַתּוּ עֵין אַיָּה׃

That path no bird of prey knoweth, Neither hath the falcon’s eye seen it;

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28:8

לֹא־הִדְרִיכֻהוּ בְנֵי־שָׁחַץ לֹא־עָדָה עָלָיו שָׁחַל׃

The proud beasts have not trodden it, Nor hath the lion passed thereby.

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28:9

בַּחַלָּמִישׁ שָׁלַח יָדוֹ הָפַךְ מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ הָרִים׃

He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock; He overturneth the mountains by the roots.

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28:10

בַּצּוּרוֹת יְאֹרִים בִּקֵּעַ וְכָל־יְקָר רָאֲתָה עֵינוֹ׃

He cutteth out channels among the rocks; And his eye seeth every precious thing. .

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28:11

מִבְּכִי נְהָרוֹת חִבֵּשׁ וְתַעֲלֻמָהּ יֹצִא אוֹר׃

He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; And the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

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28:12

וְהַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תִּמָּצֵא וְאֵי זֶה מְקוֹם בִּינָה׃

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

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28:13

לֹא־יָדַע אֱנוֹשׁ עֶרְכָּהּ וְלֹא תִמָּצֵא בְּאֶרֶץ הַחַיִּים׃

Man knoweth not the price thereof; Neither is it found in the land of the living.

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28:14

תְּהוֹם אָמַר לֹא בִי־הִיא וְיָם אָמַר אֵין עִמָּדִי׃

The deep saith: ‘It is not in me’; And the sea saith: ‘It is not with me.’

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28:15

לֹא־יֻתַּן סְגוֹר תַּחְתֶּיהָ וְלֹא יִשָּׁקֵל כֶּסֶף מְחִירָהּ׃

It cannot be gotten for gold, Neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

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28:16

לֹא־תְסֻלֶּה בְּכֶתֶם אוֹפִיר בְּשֹׁהַם יָקָר וְסַפִּיר׃

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

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28:17

לֹא־יַעַרְכֶנָּה זָהָב וּזְכוֹכִית וּתְמוּרָתָהּ כְּלִי־פָז׃

Gold and glass cannot equal it; Neither shall the exchange thereof be vessels of fine gold.

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28:18

רָאמוֹת וְגָבִישׁ לֹא יִזָּכֵר וּמֶשֶׁךְ חָכְמָה מִפְּנִינִים׃

No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies.

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28:19

לֹא־יַעַרְכֶנָּה פִּטְדַת־כּוּשׁ בְּכֶתֶם טָהוֹר לֹא תְסֻלֶּה׃

The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, Neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

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28:20

וְהַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תָּבוֹא וְאֵי זֶה מְקוֹם בִּינָה׃

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

28:21

וְנֶעֶלְמָה מֵעֵינֵי כָל־חָי וּמֵעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם נִסְתָּרָה׃

Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, And kept close from the fowls of the air.

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28:22

אֲבַדּוֹן וָמָוֶת אָמְרוּ בְּאָזְנֵינוּ שָׁמַעְנוּ שִׁמְעָהּ׃

Destruction and Death say: ‘We have heard a rumor thereof with our ears.’

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28:23

אֱלֹהִים הֵבִין דַּרְכָּהּ וְהוּא יָדַע אֶת־מְקוֹמָהּ׃

God understandeth the way thereof, And He knoweth the place thereof.

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28:24

כִּי־הוּא לִקְצוֹת־הָאָרֶץ יַבִּיט תַּחַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמַיִם יִרְאֶה׃

For He looketh to the ends of the earth, And seeth under the whole heaven;

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28:25

לַעֲשׂוֹת לָרוּחַ מִשְׁקָל וּמַיִם תִּכֵּן בְּמִדָּה׃

When He maketh a weight for the wind, And meteth out the waters by measure.

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28:26

בַּעֲשֹׂתוֹ לַמָּטָר חֹק וְדֶרֶךְ לַחֲזִיז קֹלוֹת׃

When He made a decree for the rain, And a way for the storm of thunders;

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28:27

אָז רָאָהּ וַיְסַפְּרָהּ הֱכִינָהּ וְגַם־חֲקָרָהּ׃

Then did He see it, and declare it; He established it, yea, and searched it out.

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28:28

וַיֹּאמֶר לָאָדָם הֵן יִרְאַת אֲדֹנָי הִיא חָכְמָה וְסוּר מֵרָע בִּינָה׃

And unto man He said: ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.’

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