Job 5
1 “Call now; is there any who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?
Give now a cry for help; is there anyone who will give you an answer? and to which of the holy ones will you make your prayer?
2 For resentment kills the foolish man, and jealousy kills the simple.
For wrath is the cause of death to the foolish, and he who has no wisdom comes to his end through passion.
3 I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation.
I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly the curse came on his house.
4 His children are far from safety. They are crushed in the gate. Neither is there any to deliver them,
Now his children have no safe place, and they are crushed before the judges, for no one takes up their cause.
5 whose harvest the hungry eat up, and take it even out of the thorns. The snare gapes for their substance.
Their produce is taken by him who has no food, and their grain goes to the poor, and he who is in need of water gets it from their spring.
6 For affliction doesn’t come out of the dust, neither does trouble spring out of the ground;
For evil does not come out of the dust, or trouble out of the earth;
7 but man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
But trouble is man's fate from birth, as the flames go up from the fire.
8 “But as for me, I would seek God. I would commit my cause to God,
But as for me, I would make my prayer to God, and I would put my cause before him:
9 who does great things that can’t be fathomed, marvellous things without number;
Who does great things outside our knowledge, wonders without number:
10 who gives rain on the earth, and sends waters on the fields;
Who gives rain on the earth, and sends water on the fields:
11 so that he sets up on high those who are low, those who mourn are exalted to safety.
Lifting up those who are low, and putting the sad in a safe place;
12 He frustrates the plans of the crafty, so that their hands can’t perform their enterprise.
Who makes the designs of the wise go wrong, so that they are unable to give effect to their purposes.
13 He takes the wise in their own craftiness; the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.
He takes the wise in their secret designs, and the purposes of the twisted are cut off suddenly.
14 They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope at noonday as in the night.
In the daytime it becomes dark for them, and in the sunlight they go feeling about as if it was night.
15 But he saves from the sword of their mouth, even the needy from the hand of the mighty.
But he keeps safe from their sword those who have no father, and the poor from the power of the strong.
16 So the poor has hope, and injustice shuts her mouth.
So the poor man has hope, and the mouth of the evil-doer is stopped.
17 “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects. Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
Truly, that man is happy who has training from the hand of God: so do not let your heart be shut to the teaching of the Ruler of all.
18 For he wounds and binds up. He injures and his hands make whole.
For after his punishment he gives comfort, and after wounding, his hands make you well.
19 He will deliver you in six troubles; yes, in seven no evil will touch you.
He will keep you safe from six troubles, and in seven no evil will come near you.
20 In famine he will redeem you from death; in war, from the power of the sword.
When there is need of food he will keep you from death, and in war from the power of the sword.
21 You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, neither will you be afraid of destruction when it comes.
He will keep you safe from the evil tongue; and you will have no fear of wasting when it comes.
22 You will laugh at destruction and famine, neither will you be afraid of the animals of the earth.
You will make sport of destruction and need, and will have no fear of the beasts of the earth.
23 For you will be allied with the stones of the field. The animals of the field will be at peace with you.
For you will be in agreement with the stones of the earth, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your tent is in peace. You will visit your fold, and will miss nothing.
And you will be certain that your tent is at peace, and after looking over your property you will see that nothing is gone.
25 You will know also that your offspring will be great, your offspring as the grass of the earth.
You will be certain that your seed will be great, and your offspring like the plants of the earth.
26 You will come to your grave in a full age, like a shock of grain comes in its season.
You will come to your last resting-place in full strength, as the grain is taken up to the crushing-floor in its time.
27 Behold, we have researched it. It is so. Hear it, and know it for your good.”
See, we have made search with care, and it is so; it has come to our ears; see that you take note of it for yourself.
