Job 5
1 “Call out if you please, but who will answer? To which of the holy ones will you turn?
“Pray, call, is there any to answer you? And to which of the holy ones do you turn?
2 For resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.
For provocation slays the perverse, And envy puts to death the simple,
3 I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.
I have seen the perverse taking root, And I mark his habitation straight away,
4 His sons are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender.
His sons are far from safety, And they are bruised in the gate, And there is no deliverer.
5 The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from the thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
Whose harvest the hungry eat, And even take it from the thorns, And the designing swallowed their wealth.
6 For distress does not spring from the dust, and trouble does not sprout from the ground.
For sorrow does not come forth from the dust, Nor does misery spring up from the ground.
7 Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.
For man is born to misery, And the sparks go high to fly.
8 However, if I were you, I would appeal to God and lay my cause before Him—
Yet I inquire for God, And for God I give my word,
9 the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.
Doing great things, and there is no searching. Wonderful, until there is no numbering.
10 He gives rain to the earth and sends water upon the fields.
Who is giving rain on the face of the land, And is sending waters on the out-places.
11 He sets the lowly on high, so that mourners are lifted to safety.
To set the low on a high place, And the mourners have been high [in] safety.
12 He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success.
Making void thoughts of the cunning, And their hands do not execute wisdom.
13 He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning.
Capturing the wise in their subtlety, And the counsel of wrestling ones was hurried,
14 They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night.
By day they meet darkness, And as night—they grope at noon.
15 He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth and from the clutches of the powerful.
He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth, And from a strong hand,
16 So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.
And there is hope for the poor, And perverseness has shut her mouth.
17 Blessed indeed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
Behold, the blessedness of mortal man, God reproves him: And do not despise the discipline of the Mighty,
18 For He wounds, but He also binds; He strikes, but His hands also heal.
For He pains, and He binds up, He strikes, and His hands heal.
19 He will rescue you from six calamities; no harm will touch you in seven.
In six distresses He delivers you, And in seven evil does not strike on you.
20 In famine He will redeem you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword.
In famine He has redeemed you from death, And in battle from the hands of the sword.
21 You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and will not fear havoc when it comes.
When the tongue scourges you are hid, And you are not 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 at hunger you mock, And of the beast of the earth, You are not afraid.
23 For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
(For with sons of the field [is] your covenant, And the beast of the field Has been at peace with you.)
24 You will know that your tent is secure, and find nothing amiss when inspecting your home.
And you have known that your tent [is] peace, And inspected your habitation, and do not err,
25 You will know that your offspring will be many, your descendants like the grass of the earth.
And have known that your seed [is] numerous, And your offspring as the herb of the earth;
26 You will come to the grave in full vigor, like a sheaf of grain gathered in season.
You come in full age to the grave, As the going up of a stalk in its season.
27 Indeed, we have investigated, and it is true! So hear it and know for yourself.”
Behold, this—we searched it out—it [is] right, listen; And you, know for yourself!”
