Job 5

¹Give 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?

²For wrath is the cause of death to the foolish, and he who has no wisdom comes to his end through passion.

³I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly the curse came on his house.

⁴Now his children have no safe place, and they are crushed before the judges, for no one takes up their cause.

⁵Their 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.

⁶For evil does not come out of the dust, or trouble out of the earth;

⁷But trouble is man's fate from birth, as the flames go up from the fire.

⁸But as for me, I would make my prayer to God, and I would put my cause before him:

⁹Who does great things outside our knowledge, wonders without number:

¹⁰Who gives rain on the earth, and sends water on the fields:

¹¹Lifting up those who are low, and putting the sad in a safe place;

¹²Who makes the designs of the wise go wrong, so that they are unable to give effect to their purposes.

¹³He takes the wise in their secret designs, and the purposes of the twisted are cut off suddenly.

¹⁴In the daytime it becomes dark for them, and in the sunlight they go feeling about as if it was night.

¹⁵But he keeps safe from their sword those who have no father, and the poor from the power of the strong.

¹⁶So the poor man has hope, and the mouth of the evil-doer is stopped.

¹⁷Truly, 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.

¹⁸For after his punishment he gives comfort, and after wounding, his hands make you well.

¹⁹He will keep you safe from six troubles, and in seven no evil will come near you.

²⁰When there is need of food he will keep you from death, and in war from the power of the sword.

²¹He will keep you safe from the evil tongue; and you will have no fear of wasting when it comes.

²²You will make sport of destruction and need, and will have no fear of the beasts of the earth.

²³For you will be in agreement with the stones of the earth, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.

²⁴And you will be certain that your tent is at peace, and after looking over your property you will see that nothing is gone.

²⁵You will be certain that your seed will be great, and your offspring like the plants of the earth.

²⁶You will come to your last resting-place in full strength, as the grain is taken up to the crushing-floor in its time.

²⁷See, 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.

Job 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹²He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands can't perform their enterprise.

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

¹⁴They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope at noonday as in the night.

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

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

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

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

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

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

²¹You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, neither shall you be afraid of destruction when it comes.

²²At destruction and famine you shall laugh, neither shall you be afraid of the animals of the earth.

²³For you shall be in league with the stones of the field. The animals of the field shall be at peace with you.

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

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

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

²⁷Look this, we have searched it, so it is. Hear it, and know it for your good."