Job 5
1 “Call out if you please, but who will answer? To which of the holy ones will you turn?
Call now, is there any who will answer thee? And to which of the holy ones will thou turn?
2 For resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.
For vexation kills the foolish man, and jealousy slays the silly one.
3 I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.
I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation.
4 His sons are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender.
His sons are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate. Neither is there any to deliver them,
5 The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from the thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
whose harvest the hungry eat up, and takes it even out of the thorns, and the snare gapes for their substance.
6 For distress does not spring from the dust, and trouble does not sprout from the ground.
For affliction does not come forth from the dust, nor does trouble spring out of the ground,
7 Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.
but man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
8 However, if I were you, I would appeal to God and lay my cause before Him—
But as for me, I would seek to God. And to God I would commit my cause,
9 the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.
who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number,
10 He gives rain to the earth and sends water upon the fields.
who gives rain upon the earth, and sends waters upon the fields,
11 He sets the lowly on high, so that mourners are lifted to safety.
so that he sets up on high those who are low, and those who mourn are exalted to safety.
12 He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success.
He frustrates the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.
13 He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning.
He takes the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.
14 They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night.
They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope at noonday as in the night.
15 He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth and from the clutches of the powerful.
But he saves from the sword of their mouth, even the needy from the hand of the mighty.
16 So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.
So a poor man has hope, and iniquity stops her mouth.
17 Blessed indeed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects. Therefore do not despise thou the chastening of the Almighty.
18 For He wounds, but He also binds; He strikes, but His hands also heal.
For he injures, and binds up. He wounds, and his hands make whole.
19 He will rescue you from six calamities; no harm will touch you in seven.
He will deliver thee in six troubles. Yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
20 In famine He will redeem you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword.
In famine he will redeem thee from death, and in war from the power of the sword.
21 You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and will not fear havoc when it comes.
Thou shall be hid from the scourge of the tongue. Neither shall thou be afraid of destruction when it comes.
22 You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the beasts of the earth.
At destruction and dearth thou shall laugh, nor shall thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
23 For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
For thou shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
24 You will know that your tent is secure, and find nothing amiss when inspecting your home.
And thou shall know that thy tent is in peace, and thou shall visit thy fold, and shall miss nothing.
25 You will know that your offspring will be many, your descendants like the grass of the earth.
Thou shall know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 You will come to the grave in full vigor, like a sheaf of grain gathered in season.
Thou shall come to thy grave in a full age, like a shock of grain comes in its season.
27 Indeed, we have investigated, and it is true! So hear it and know for yourself.”
Lo this, we have searched it, so it is. Hear it, and know thou it for thy good.
