< Job 5 >

1 “Pray, call, is there any to answer you? And to which of the holy ones do you turn?
“Call now; is there any who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 For provocation slays the perverse, And envy puts to death the simple,
For resentment kills the foolish man, and jealousy kills the simple.
3 I have seen the perverse taking root, And I mark his habitation straight away,
I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation.
4 His sons are far from safety, And they are bruised in the gate, And there is no deliverer.
His children are far from safety. They are crushed in the gate. Neither is there any to deliver them,
5 Whose harvest the hungry eat, And even take it from the thorns, And the designing swallowed their wealth.
whose harvest the hungry eat up, and take it even out of the thorns. The snare gapes for their substance.
6 For sorrow does not come forth from the dust, Nor does misery spring up from the ground.
For affliction doesn’t come out of the dust, neither does trouble spring out of the ground;
7 For man is born to misery, And the sparks go high to fly.
but man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
8 Yet I inquire for God, And for God I give my word,
“But as for me, I would seek God. I would commit my cause to God,
9 Doing great things, and there is no searching. Wonderful, until there is no numbering.
who does great things that can’t be fathomed, marvelous things without number;
10 Who is giving rain on the face of the land, And is sending waters on the out-places.
who gives rain on the earth, and sends waters on the fields;
11 To set the low on a high place, And the mourners have been high [in] safety.
so that he sets up on high those who are low, those who mourn are exalted to safety.
12 Making void thoughts of the cunning, And their hands do not execute wisdom.
He frustrates the plans of the crafty, so that their hands can’t perform their enterprise.
13 Capturing the wise in their subtlety, And the counsel of wrestling ones was hurried,
He takes the wise in their own craftiness; the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.
14 By day they meet darkness, And as night—they grope at noon.
They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope at noonday as in the night.
15 He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth, And from a strong hand,
But he saves from the sword of their mouth, even the needy from the hand of the mighty.
16 And there is hope for the poor, And perverseness has shut her mouth.
So the poor has hope, and injustice shuts her mouth.
17 Behold, the blessedness of mortal man, God reproves him: And do not despise the discipline of the Mighty,
“Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects. Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
18 For He pains, and He binds up, He strikes, and His hands heal.
For he wounds and binds up. He injures and his hands make whole.
19 In six distresses He delivers you, And in seven evil does not strike on you.
He will deliver you in six troubles; yes, in seven no evil will touch you.
20 In famine He has redeemed you from death, And in battle from the hands of the sword.
In famine he will redeem you from death; in war, from the power of the sword.
21 When the tongue scourges you are hid, And you are not afraid of destruction, When it comes.
You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, neither will you be afraid of destruction when it comes.
22 At destruction and at hunger you mock, And of the beast of the earth, You are not afraid.
You will laugh at destruction and famine, neither will you be afraid of the animals of the earth.
23 (For with sons of the field [is] your covenant, And the beast of the field Has been 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 And you have known that your tent [is] peace, And inspected your habitation, and do not err,
You will know that your tent is in peace. You will visit your fold, and will miss nothing.
25 And have known that your seed [is] numerous, And your offspring as the herb of the earth;
You will know also that your offspring will be great, your offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 You come in full age to the grave, As the going up of a stalk in its season.
You will come to your grave in a full age, like a shock of grain comes in its season.
27 Behold, this—we searched it out—it [is] right, listen; And you, know for yourself!”
Behold, we have researched it. It is so. Hear it, and know it for your good.”

< Job 5 >