Job 5

1 “Call out if you please, but who will answer? To which of the holy ones will you turn?

1 “Call now; is there any who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?

2 For resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.

2 For resentment kills the foolish man, and jealousy kills the simple.

3 I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.

3 I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

4 His sons are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender.

4 His children are far from safety. They are crushed in the gate. Neither is there any to deliver them,

5 The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from the thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth.

5 whose harvest the hungry eat up, and take it even out of the thorns. The snare gapes for their substance.

6 For distress does not spring from the dust, and trouble does not sprout from the ground.

6 For affliction doesn’t come out of the dust, neither does trouble spring out of the ground;

7 Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.

7 but man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

8 However, if I were you, I would appeal to God and lay my cause before Him—

8 “But as for me, I would seek God. I would commit my cause to God,

9 the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.

9 who does great things that can’t be fathomed, marvelous things without number;

10 He gives rain to the earth and sends water upon the fields.

10 who gives rain on the earth, and sends waters on the fields;

11 He sets the lowly on high, so that mourners are lifted to safety.

11 so that he sets up on high those who are low, those who mourn are exalted to safety.

12 He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success.

12 He frustrates the plans of the crafty, so that their hands can’t perform their enterprise.

13 He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning.

13 He takes the wise in their own craftiness; the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.

14 They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night.

14 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 the clutches of the powerful.

15 But he saves from the sword of their mouth, even the needy from the hand of the mighty.

16 So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.

16 So the poor has hope, and injustice shuts her mouth.

17 Blessed indeed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

17 “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects. Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.

18 For He wounds, but He also binds; He strikes, but His hands also heal.

18 For he wounds and binds up. He injures and his hands make whole.

19 He will rescue you from six calamities; no harm will touch you in seven.

19 He will deliver you in six troubles; yes, in seven no evil will touch you.

20 In famine He will redeem you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword.

20 In famine he will redeem you from death; in war, from the power of the sword.

21 You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and will not fear havoc when it comes.

21 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 destruction and famine, and need not fear the beasts of the earth.

22 You will laugh at destruction and famine, neither will you be afraid of the animals of the earth.

23 For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.

23 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 know that your tent is secure, and find nothing amiss when inspecting your home.

24 You will know that your tent is in peace. You will visit your fold, and will miss nothing.

25 You will know that your offspring will be many, your descendants like the grass of the earth.

25 You will know also that your offspring will be great, your offspring as the grass of the earth.

26 You will come to the grave in full vigor, like a sheaf of grain gathered in season.

26 You will come to your grave in a full age, like a shock of grain comes in its season.

27 Indeed, we have investigated, and it is true! So hear it and know for yourself.”

27 Behold, we have researched it. It is so. Hear it, and know it for your good.”