أَيُّوبَ 28

١ 1 «لِأَنَّهُ يُوجَدُ لِلْفِضَّةِ مَعْدَنٌ، وَمَوْضِعٌ لِلذَّهَبِ حَيْثُ يُمَحِّصُونَهُ.

There are silver mines and places where gold is refined.

٢ 2 ٱلْحَدِيدُ يُسْتَخْرَجُ مِنَ ٱلتُّرَابِ، وَٱلْحَجَرُ يَسْكُبُ نُحَاسًا.

Iron is extracted from the earth and copper is smelted from its ore.

٣ 3 قَدْ جَعَلَ لِلظُّلْمَةِ نَهَايَةً، وَإِلَى كُلِّ طَرَفٍ هُوَ يَفْحَصُ. حَجَرَ ٱلظُّلْمَةِ وَظِلَّ ٱلْمَوْتِ.

Miners take lamps into the darkness underground and search for ore as far as they can go in the shadows and the gloom.

٤ 4 حَفَرَ مَنْجَمًا بَعِيدًا عَنِ ٱلسُّكَّانِ. بِلَا مَوْطِئٍ لِلْقَدَمِ، مُتَدَلِّينَ بَعِيدِينَ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ يَتَدَلْدَلُونَ.

They dig a mineshaft far from where people live or anyone ever goes. They swing from ropes that hang in the pits.

٥ 5 أَرْضٌ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا ٱلْخُبْزُ، أَسْفَلُهَا يَنْقَلِبُ كَمَا بِٱلنَّارِ.

Bread comes from the earth, but underneath it looks as if it has been turned upside-down by fire.

٦ 6 حِجَارَتُهَا هِيَ مَوْضِعُ ٱلْيَاقُوتِ ٱلْأَزْرَقِ، وَفِيهَا تُرَابُ ٱلذَّهَبِ.

Here the rocks contain lapis lazuli and the dust contains gold.

٧ 7 سَبِيلٌ لَمْ يَعْرِفْهُ كَاسِرٌ، وَلَمْ تُبْصِرْهُ عَيْنُ بَاشِقٍ،

No birds of prey can see these paths, no falcon's eye can perceive.

٨ 8 وَلَمْ تَدُسْهُ أَجْرَاءُ ٱلسَّبْعِ، وَلَمْ يَعْدُهُ ٱلزَّائِرُ.

No wild beasts have passed that way; the lion has not walked there.

٩ 9 إِلَى ٱلصَّوَّانِ يَمُدُّ يَدَهُ. يَقْلِبُ ٱلْجِبَالَ مِنْ أُصُولِهَا.

Miners attack the hard rock; they overturn the roots of mountains.

١٠ 10 يَنْقُرُ فِي ٱلصُّخُورِ سَرَبًا، وَعَيْنُهُ تَرَى كُلَّ ثَمِينٍ.

They tunnel through the rock, looking carefully for every precious stone.

١١ 11 يَمْنَعُ رَشْحَ ٱلْأَنْهَارِ، وَأَبْرَزَ ٱلْخَفِيَّاتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ.

They dam the sources of the rivers, and bring to light what is hidden.

١٢ 12 «أَمَّا ٱلْحِكْمَةُ فَمِنْ أَيْنَ تُوجَدُ، وَأَيْنَ هُوَ مَكَانُ ٱلْفَهْمِ؟

But where can wisdom be found? Where is the place to gain understanding?

١٣ 13 لَا يَعْرِفُ ٱلْإِنْسَانُ قِيمَتَهَا وَلَا تُوجَدُ فِي أَرْضِ ٱلْأَحْيَاءِ.

Human beings do not know the way to wisdom; it is not found among the living.

١٤ 14 ٱلْغَمْرُ يَقُولُ: لَيْسَتْ هِيَ فِيَّ، وَٱلْبَحْرُ يَقُولُ: لَيْسَتْ هِيَ عِنْدِي.

The deep waters say, ‘It's not here,’ and the sea says, ‘It's not here either.’

١٥ 15 لَا يُعْطَى ذَهَبٌ خَالِصٌ بَدَلَهَا، وَلَا تُوزَنُ فِضَّةٌ ثَمَنًا لَهَا.

It cannot be bought with gold; nor can it be purchased with silver.

١٦ 16 لَا تُوزَنُ بِذَهَبِ أُوفِيرَ أَوْ بِٱلْجَزْعِ ٱلْكَرِيمِ أَوِ ٱلْيَاقُوتِ ٱلْأَزْرَقِ.

Its value cannot be measured, even with the gold of Ophir; it is more precious than onyx or lapis lazuli.

١٧ 17 لَا يُعَادِلُهَا ٱلذَّهَبُ وَلَا ٱلزُّجَاجُ، وَلَا تُبْدَلُ بِإِنَاءِ ذَهَبٍ إِبْرِيزٍ.

Gold or fine glass cannot compare with wisdom; it cannot be exchanged for gold jewelry.

١٨ 18 لَا يُذْكَرُ ٱلْمَرْجَانُ أَوِ ٱلْبَلُّوْرُ، وَتَحْصِيلُ ٱلْحِكْمَةِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ ٱللَّآلِئِ.

Coral and crystal are not worth mentioning; the price of wisdom is far above rubies.

١٩ 19 لَا يُعَادِلُهَا يَاقُوتُ كُوشَ ٱلْأَصْفَرُ، وَلَا تُوزَنُ بِٱلذَّهَبِ ٱلْخَالِصِ.

Topaz from Ethiopia can't compare with it; it cannot be bought with the purest gold.

٢٠ 20 «فَمِنْ أَيْنَ تَأْتِي ٱلْحِكْمَةُ، وَأَيْنَ هُوَ مَكَانُ ٱلْفَهْمِ؟

So where does wisdom come from? Where is the place to gain understanding?

٢١ 21 إِذْ أُخْفِيَتْ عَنْ عُيُونِ كُلِّ حَيٍّ، وَسُتِرَتْ عَنْ طَيْرِ ٱلسَّمَاءِ.

Wisdom is hidden from the sight of all living things, even the birds of the air cannot see it.

٢٢ 22 اَلْهَلَاكُ وَٱلْمَوْتُ يَقُولَانِ: بِآذَانِنَا قَدْ سَمِعْنَا خَبَرَهَا.

Abaddon and Death say, ‘We've only heard a rumor of it.’

٢٣ 23 ٱللهُ يَفْهَمُ طَرِيقَهَا، وَهُوَ عَالِمٌ بِمَكَانِهَا.

Only God understands the path to wisdom; he knows where it is found.

٢٤ 24 لِأَنَّهُ هُوَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى أَقَاصِي ٱلْأَرْضِ. تَحْتَ كُلِّ ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ يَرَى.

For he looks to the very end of the earth; he sees everything under heaven.

٢٥ 25 لِيَجْعَلَ لِلرِّيحِ وَزْنًا، وَيُعَايِرَ ٱلْمِيَاهَ بِمِقْيَاسٍ.

He decided how strong the wind should blow, and regulated the waters.

٢٦ 26 لَمَّا جَعَلَ لِلْمَطَرِ فَرِيضَةً، وَمَذْهَبًا لِلصَّوَاعِقِ،

He set a limit for the rain and made a path for the lightning.

٢٧ 27 حِينَئِذٍ رَآهَا وَأَخْبَرَ بِهَا، هَيَّأَهَا وَأَيْضًا بَحَثَ عَنْهَا،

Then he considered wisdom. He examined it, gave it his approval, and declared it good.

٢٨ 28 وَقَالَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ: هُوَذَا مَخَافَةُ ٱلرَّبِّ هِيَ ٱلْحِكْمَةُ، وَٱلْحَيَدَانُ عَنِ ٱلشَّرِّ هُوَ ٱلْفَهْمُ».

He said to humankind, ‘To reverence the Lord is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”