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 you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 Surely anger slays the fool and jealousy kills the simple.
For resentment kills the foolish man, and jealousy kills the simple.
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 children are far from safety. 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 take it even out of the thorns. 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 out of the dust, neither 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 God. I would commit my cause to God,
9 He is the one who does amazing, incredible things; miracles that can't be counted!
who does great things that cannot be fathomed, marvelous things without number;
10 He gives rain to the earth and sends water to the fields.
who gives rain on the earth, and sends waters on the fields;
11 He exalts the humble, and rescues those who mourn.
so that he sets up on high those who are low, those who mourn are exalted to safety.
12 He frustrates the plans of the cunning so that they are unsuccessful.
He frustrates the plans 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; 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 day time, 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 the poor has hope, and injustice shuts 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 the chastening of the Almighty.
18 For he causes pain but he provides relief; he wounds but his hands heal.
For he wounds and binds up. He injures and his hands make whole.
19 He will save you from many disasters; a multitude of evils will not affect you.
He will deliver you in six troubles; yes, in seven no evil will touch you.
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 you from death; 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.
You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, neither will you be afraid of destruction when it comes.
22 You will laugh at violence and famine; you won't be afraid of wild animals—
You will laugh at destruction and famine, neither will you be afraid of the animals 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 you will be allied with the stones of the field. The animals of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will be certain that your home is safe, for you will go to where you live and find nothing missing.
You will know that your tent is in peace. You will visit your fold, and will miss nothing.
25 You will also be sure that you will have many children; your descendants will be like the grass of the earth.
You will know also that your offspring will be great, your 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.
You will come to your 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!”
Behold, we have researched it. It is so. Hear it, and know it for your good.”
