Job 5
1 Call if you want, but who is going to answer you? Which angel are you going to turn to?
Call now, see if any will answer thee! And to which of the holy ones wilt thou look?
2 Surely anger slays the fool and jealousy kills the simple.
Verily grief destroyeth the fool, And wrath consumeth the weak man.
3 I have seen a fool growing strong, but I immediately cursed his house.
I have seen an impious man taking root, But soon 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 oppressed at the gate, and there is none 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.
His harvest the hungry devour, Carrying it even through the thorns; And a snare gapeth after his substance.
6 For evil doesn't come from the dust; neither does trouble grow from the earth.
For affliction cometh not from the dust, Nor doth trouble spring up from the ground;
7 But human beings are born for trouble just as certainly as sparks from a fire fly upwards.
Behold, 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.
I would look to God, And to God would I commit my cause,
9 He is the one who does amazing, incredible things; miracles that can't be counted!
Who doeth great things and unsearchable; Yea, marvellous things without number;
10 He gives rain to the earth and sends water to the fields.
Who giveth rain upon the earth, And sendeth water upon the fields;
11 He exalts the humble, and rescues those who mourn.
Who placeth the lowly in high places, And restoreth the afflicted to prosperity;
12 He frustrates the plans of the cunning so that they are unsuccessful.
Who disappointeth the devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot perform their enterprises;
13 He traps the wise in their own clever thinking, and the schemes of twisted people are cut short.
Who taketh the wise in their own craftiness, And bringeth to nought the counsel of the artful.
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; They grope at noon as if it were night.
15 But God is the one who saves from their cutting remarks, and the poor from the actions of the powerful.
So he saveth the persecuted from their mouth; The oppressed 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 hath hope, And iniquity stoppeth 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 correcteth; Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.
18 For he causes pain but he provides relief; he wounds but his hands heal.
For he bruiseth, and bindeth up; He woundeth, and his hands make whole.
19 He will save you from many disasters; a multitude of evils will not affect you.
In six troubles will he deliver thee; Yea, in seven 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 shalt be safe from the scourge of the tongue, And shalt not be afraid of destruction, when it cometh.
22 You will laugh at violence and famine; you won't be afraid of wild animals—
At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh, And of the wild beasts of the land shalt thou not be afraid.
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 shalt be in league with the stones of the field; Yea, the beasts of the forest 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.
Thou shalt find that thy tent is in peace; Thou shalt visit thy dwelling, and not be disappointed.
25 You will also be sure that you will have many children; your descendants will be like the grass of the earth.
Thou shalt see thy descendants numerous, 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 shalt come to thy grave in full age, As a shock of corn gathered 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 out; so it is: Hear it, and lay it up in thy mind!
