Job 5
Living Bible
5 “They cry for help but no one listens; they turn to their gods, but none gives them aid. 2 They die in helpless frustration, overcome by their own anger. 3 Those who turn from God may be successful for the moment, but then comes sudden disaster. 4 Their children are cheated, with no one to defend them. 5 Their harvests are stolen, and their wealth slakes the thirst of many others, not themselves! 6 Misery comes upon them to punish them for sowing seeds of sin. 7 Mankind heads for sin and misery as predictably as flames shoot upwards from a fire.
8 “My advice to you is this: Go to God and confess your sins to him.[a] 9 For he does wonderful miracles, marvels without number. 10 He sends the rain upon the earth to water the fields, 11 and gives prosperity to the poor and humble, and takes sufferers to safety.
12 “He frustrates the plans of crafty men. 13 They are caught in their own traps; he thwarts their schemes. 14 They grope like blind men in the daylight; they see no better in the daytime than at night.
15 “God saves the fatherless and the poor from the grasp of these oppressors. 16 And so at last the poor have hope, and the fangs of the wicked are broken.
17 “How enviable the man whom God corrects! Oh, do not despise the chastening of the Lord when you sin. 18 For though he wounds, he binds and heals again. 19 He will deliver you again and again so that no evil can touch you.
20 “He will keep you from death in famine and from the power of the sword in time of war.
21 “You will be safe from slander; no need to fear the future.
22 “You shall laugh at war and famine; wild animals will leave you alone. 23 Dangerous animals will be at peace with you.
24 “You need not worry about your home while you are gone; nothing shall be stolen from your barns.
25 “Your sons shall become important men; your descendants shall be as numerous as grass! 26 You shall live a long, good life; like standing grain, you’ll not be harvested until it’s time! 27 I have found from experience that all of this is true. For your own good, listen to my counsel.”
Footnotes
- Job 5:8 Go to God and confess your sins to him, literally, “I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause.”
Job 5
Complete Jewish Bible
5 “Call if you like, but will anyone answer?
To which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 For anger kills the fool,
and envy slays the silly.
3 I watch as a fool establishes roots,
but I curse his home with sudden [destruction] —
4 his children are far from help,
publicly humiliated, with no one to rescue;
5 the hungry eat up his harvest,
taking it even from among thorns,
while the thirsty are panting,
eager to swallow his wealth.
6 For misery does not come from the dust
or trouble spring from the ground.
7 No, people are born for trouble
as surely as sparks fly upward.
8 “If I were you, I would seek God;
I would make my plea to him.
9 For God does great deeds beyond investigation,
wonders beyond all reckoning.
10 He gives rain to the earth,
pours water down on the fields.
11 He raises the lowly on high
and lifts mourners to safety.
12 He frustrates the schemes of the cunning,
so that they achieve no success;
13 trapping the crafty in their own tricks
and foiling quickly the plans of the false.
14 They meet with darkness during the day,
groping at noon like at night.
15 But he saves the poor from the sword, their mouth,
and from the clutches of the strong;
16 so the poor can hope again;
and injustice shuts its mouth.
17 “How happy the person whom God corrects!
So don’t despise Shaddai’s discipline.
18 For he wounds, but he bandages the sore;
his hands may strike, but they also heal.
19 He will rescue you from six disasters;
yes, in seven no harm will touch you.
20 In famine, he will save you from death,
and in war, from the power of the sword.
21 You will be shielded from the lash of the tongue,
and you won’t have to fear destruction when it comes —
22 you’ll be able to laugh at destruction and famine.
Also you won’t have to fear wild animals,
23 for you will be in league with the stones in the field,
and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your tent is safe;
you will look round your home and miss nothing.
25 You will know that your descendants are many,
your offspring like grass [growing thick] in the fields.
26 You will come to your grave at a ripe old age,
like a pile of grain that arrives in season.
27 “We’ve looked into this, and that’s how it is;
listen, and know that it’s for your own good.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.