Job 5
1 “Call out if you please, but who will answer? To which of the holy ones will you turn?
Call out now; is there anyone who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 For resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.
For anger kills the foolish man; jealousy kills the silly one.
3 I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.
I have seen a foolish person taking root, but suddenly I cursed his home.
4 His sons are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender.
His children are far from safety; they are crushed in the city gate. There is no one to rescue them.
5 The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from the thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
The hungry eat up their harvest; they even take it from among the thorns. The thirsty pant for their wealth.
6 For distress does not spring from the dust, and trouble does not sprout from the ground.
For difficulties do not come out from the soil; neither does trouble sprout from the ground.
7 Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.
Instead, mankind is born for trouble, just as 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 turn to God himself; to him I would commit my cause—
9 the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.
he who does great and unsearchable things, marvelous things without number.
10 He gives rain to the earth and sends water upon the fields.
He gives rain on the earth, and sends water on the fields.
11 He sets the lowly on high, so that mourners are lifted to safety.
He does this in order to set up on high those who are low; to raise to safety those who mourn.
12 He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success.
He breaks the plans of the crafty people, so that their hands cannot achieve success.
13 He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning.
He traps wise people in their own crafty actions; the plans of twisted people are hurried to their end.
14 They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night.
They encounter darkness in the daytime, and grope at noonday as if it were night.
15 He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth and from the clutches of the powerful.
But he saves the poor person from the sword in their mouths and the needy person from the hand of mighty people.
16 So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.
So the poor person has hope, and injustice shuts her own mouth.
17 Blessed indeed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
See, blessed is the man whom God corrects; therefore, do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
18 For He wounds, but He also binds; He strikes, but His hands also heal.
For he wounds and then binds up; he wounds and then his hands heal.
19 He will rescue you from six calamities; no harm will touch you in seven.
He will rescue you out of six troubles; indeed, in seven troubles, no evil will touch you.
20 In famine He will redeem you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword.
In famine he will ransom you from death, and in war 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.
You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue; and you will not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
22 You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the beasts of the earth.
You will laugh at destruction and famine, and you will not be afraid of 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 you will have a covenant with the stones in your field, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your tent is secure, and find nothing amiss when inspecting your home.
You will know that your tent is in safety; you will visit your sheepfold and you will not miss anything.
25 You will know that your offspring will be many, your descendants like the grass of the earth.
You will also know that your seed will be great, that your offspring will be like the grass on the ground.
26 You will come to the grave in full vigor, like a sheaf of grain gathered in season.
You will come to your grave at a full age, like a stack of grain bundles that goes up at its time.
27 Indeed, we have investigated, and it is true! So hear it and know for yourself.”
See, we have examined this matter; it is like this; listen to it, and know it for yourself.”
