< Job 5 >
1 Call if you want, but who is going to answer you? Which angel are you going to turn to?
But call, if any one will listen to you, or if you shall see any of the holy angels.
2 Surely anger slays the fool and jealousy kills the simple.
For wrath destroys the foolish one, and envy slays him that has gone astray.
3 I have seen a fool growing strong, but I immediately cursed his house.
And I have seen foolish ones taking root: but suddenly their habitation was devoured.
4 His sons are never safe; they are crushed in court with no one to defend them.
Let their children be far from safety, and let them be crushed at the doors of vile men, and let there be no deliverer.
5 The hungry eat everything he has harvested, taking even that protected by a thorn hedge, while others look to steal his wealth.
For what they have collected, the just shall eat; but they shall not be delivered out of calamities: let their strength be utterly exhausted.
6 For evil doesn't come from the dust; neither does trouble grow from the earth.
For labour can’t by any means come out of the earth, nor shall trouble spring out of the mountains:
7 But human beings are born for trouble just as certainly as sparks from a fire fly upwards.
yet man is born to labour, and [even so] the vulture's young seek the high places.
8 If it were me, I would go to God and put my case before him.
Nevertheless I will beseech the Lord, and will call upon the Lord, the sovereign of all;
9 He is the one who does amazing, incredible things; miracles that can't be counted!
who does great things and untraceable, glorious things also, and marvellous, of which there is no number:
10 He gives rain to the earth and sends water to the fields.
who gives rain upon the earth, sending water on the earth:
11 He exalts the humble, and rescues those who mourn.
who exalts the lowly, and raises up them that are lost:
12 He frustrates the plans of the cunning so that they are unsuccessful.
frustrating the counsels of the crafty, and their hands shall not perform the truth:
13 He traps the wise in their own clever thinking, and the schemes of twisted people are cut short.
who takes the wise in their wisdom, and subverts the counsel of the crafty
14 In the daytime they're in the dark, and they stumble around at noon like it's night.
In the day darkness shall come upon them, and let them grope in the noon-day even 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.
and let them perish in war, and let the weak escape from the hand of the mighty.
16 As a result those who are helpless have hope, and the wicked have to shut their mouths!
And let the weak have hope, but the mouth of the unjust be stopped.
17 See how happy is the person God corrects—so don't despise the Almighty's discipline.
But blessed [is] the man whom the Lord has reproved; and reject not you the chastening of the Almighty.
18 For he causes pain but he provides relief; he wounds but his hands heal.
for he causes [a man] to be in pain, and restores [him] again: he smites, and his hands heal.
19 He will save you from many disasters; a multitude of evils will not affect you.
Six time he shall deliver you out of distresses: and in the seventh harm shall not 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 shall deliver you from death: and in war he shall free you from the power of the sword.
21 You will be protected from sharp-tongued slander; and when violence comes you will not be afraid.
He shall hide you from the scourge of the tongue: and you shall not be afraid of coming evils.
22 You will laugh at violence and famine; you won't be afraid of wild animals—
You shall laugh at the unrighteous and the lawless: and you shall not be afraid of wild beasts.
23 for you will be at peace with the stones of the field and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
For the wild beasts of the field shall 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.
Then shall you know that your house shall be at peace, and the provision for your tabernacle shall not fail.
25 You will also be sure that you will have many children; your descendants will be like the grass of the earth.
And you shall know that your seed [shall be] abundant; and your children shall be like the herbage of the field.
26 You will live to a ripe old age like a sheaf of grain when it is harvested.
And you shall come to the grave like ripe corn reaped in its season, or as a heap of the corn-flour collected in proper time.
27 Look, we've examined it, and it's true! Listen to what I'm saying and apply it to yourself!”
Behold, we have thus sought out these matters; these are what we have heard: but do you reflect with yourself, if you have done anything [wrong].