Job 5

5:1 “Call now!¹ Is there anyone who will answer you?²

To which of the holy ones³ will you turn?⁴

5:2 For⁵ wrath kills the foolish person,⁶

and anger⁷ slays the silly one.

5:3 I myself⁸ have seen the fool⁹ taking root,

but suddenly I cursed his place of residence.¹⁰

5:4 His children are far¹¹ from safety,

and they are crushed¹² at the place where judgment is rendered,¹³

nor is there anyone to deliver them.¹⁴

5:5 The hungry¹⁵ eat up his harvest,¹⁶

and take it even from behind the thorns,¹⁷

and the thirsty¹⁸ swallow up¹⁹ their fortune.²⁰

5:6 For evil does not come up from the dust,²¹

nor does trouble spring up from the ground,

5:7 but people²² are born²³ to trouble,

as surely as the sparks²⁴ fly²⁵ upward.²⁶

Blessings for the One Who Seeks God²⁷

5:8 “But²⁸ as for me,²⁹ I would seek³⁰ God,³¹

and to God³² I would set forth my case.³³

5:9 He does³⁴ great and unsearchable³⁵ things,

marvelous things without³⁶ number;³⁷

5:10 he gives³⁸ rain on the earth,³⁹

and sends⁴⁰ water on the fields;⁴¹

5:11 he sets⁴² the lowly⁴³ on high,

that those who mourn⁴⁴ are raised⁴⁵ to safety.

5:12 He frustrates⁴⁶ the plans⁴⁷ of the crafty⁴⁸

so that⁴⁹ their hands cannot accomplish

what they had planned!⁵⁰

5:13 He catches⁵¹ the wise in their own craftiness,⁵²

and the counsel of the cunning⁵³ is brought to a quick end.⁵⁴

5:14 They meet with darkness in the daytime,⁵⁵

and grope about⁵⁶ in the noontime as if it were night.⁵⁷

5:15 So he saves⁵⁸ from the sword that comes from their mouth,⁵⁹

even⁶⁰ the poor from the hand of the powerful.

5:16 Thus the poor have hope,

and iniquity⁶¹ shuts its mouth.⁶²

5:17 “Therefore,⁶³ blessed⁶⁴ is the man whom God corrects,⁶⁵

so do not despise the discipline⁶⁶ of the Almighty.⁶⁷

5:18 For⁶⁸ he⁶⁹ wounds,⁷⁰ but he also bandages;

he strikes, but his hands also heal.

5:19 He will deliver you⁷¹ from six calamities;

yes, in seven⁷² no evil will touch you.

5:20 In time of famine⁷³ he will redeem you from death,

and in time of war from the power of the sword.⁷⁴

5:21 You will be protected⁷⁵ from malicious gossip,⁷⁶

and will not be afraid of the destruction⁷⁷ when it comes.

5:22 You will laugh at destruction and famine⁷⁸

and need not⁷⁹ be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

5:23 For you will have a pact with the stones⁸⁰ of the field,

and the wild animals⁸¹ will be at peace⁸² with you.

5:24 And⁸³ you will know⁸⁴ that your home⁸⁵

will be secure,⁸⁶

and when you inspect⁸⁷ your domains,

you will not be missing⁸⁸ anything.

5:25 You will also know that your children⁸⁹ will be numerous,

and your descendants⁹⁰ like the grass of the earth.

5:26 You will come to your grave in a full age,⁹¹

As stacks of grain are harvested in their season.

5:27 Look, we have investigated this, so it is true.

Hear it,⁹² and apply it for your own⁹³ good.”⁹⁴

Next Chapter