Job 5
1 Call if you want, but who is going to answer you? Which angel are you going to turn to?
Call now, is there any who will answer thee? And to which of the holy ones will thou turn?
2 Surely anger slays the fool and jealousy kills the simple.
For vexation kills the foolish man, and jealousy slays the silly one.
3 I have seen a fool growing strong, but I immediately cursed his house.
I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation.
4 His sons are never safe; they are crushed in court with no one to defend them.
His sons are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate. Neither is there any to deliver them,
5 The hungry eat everything he has harvested, taking even that protected by a thorn hedge, while others look to steal 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 evil doesn't come from the dust; neither does trouble grow from the earth.
For affliction does not come forth from the dust, nor does trouble spring out of the ground,
7 But human beings are born for trouble just as certainly as sparks from a fire fly upwards.
but man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
8 If it were me, I would go to God and put my case before him.
But as for me, I would seek to God. And to God I would commit my cause,
9 He is the one who does amazing, incredible things; miracles that can't be counted!
who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number,
10 He gives rain to the earth and sends water to the fields.
who gives rain upon the earth, and sends waters upon the fields,
11 He exalts the humble, and rescues those who mourn.
so that he sets up on high those who are low, and those who mourn are exalted to safety.
12 He frustrates the plans of the cunning so that they are unsuccessful.
He frustrates the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.
13 He traps the wise in their own clever thinking, and the schemes of twisted people are cut short.
He takes the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.
14 In the daytime they're in the dark, and they stumble around at noon like it's night.
They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope at noonday as in the night.
15 But God is the one who saves from their cutting remarks, and the poor from the actions of the powerful.
But he saves from the sword of their mouth, even the needy from the hand of the mighty.
16 As a result those who are helpless have hope, and the wicked have to shut their mouths!
So a poor man has hope, and iniquity stops her mouth.
17 See how happy is the person God corrects—so don't despise the Almighty's discipline.
Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects. Therefore do not despise thou the chastening of the Almighty.
18 For he causes pain but he provides relief; he wounds but his hands heal.
For he injures, and binds up. He wounds, and his hands make whole.
19 He will save you from many disasters; a multitude of evils will not affect you.
He will deliver thee in six troubles. Yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
20 In times of famine he will rescue you from death, and in times of war he will save you from the power of the sword.
In famine he will redeem thee from death, and in war from the power of the sword.
21 You will be protected from sharp-tongued slander; and when violence comes you will not be afraid.
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 violence and famine; you won't be afraid of wild animals—
At destruction and dearth thou shall laugh, nor shall thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
23 for you will be at peace 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 be certain that your home is safe, for you will go to where you live and find nothing missing.
And thou shall know that thy tent is in peace, and thou shall visit thy fold, and shall miss nothing.
25 You will also be sure that you will have many children; your descendants will be 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 live to a ripe old age like a sheaf of grain when it is harvested.
Thou shall come to thy grave in a full age, like a shock of grain comes in its season.
27 Look, we've examined it, and it's true! Listen to what I'm saying and apply it to yourself!”
Lo this, we have searched it, so it is. Hear it, and know thou it for thy good.
