Call out! Will anyone answer you?
Which of the holy ones(A) will you turn to?
For anger kills a fool,
and jealousy slays the gullible.(B)
I have seen a fool taking root,
but I immediately pronounced a curse on his home.
His children are far from safety.
They are crushed at the city gate,(C)
with no one to rescue them.
The hungry consume his harvest,
even taking it out of the thorns.[a]
The thirsty[b] pant for his children’s wealth.
For distress does not grow out of the soil,
and trouble does not sprout from the ground.
But humans are born for trouble(D)
as surely as sparks fly upward.

However, if I were you, I would appeal to God
and would present my case to him.(E)
He does great(F) and unsearchable things,
wonders without number.(G)
10 He gives rain to the earth
and sends water to the fields.(H)
11 He sets the lowly on high,
and mourners are lifted to safety.(I)
12 He frustrates the schemes of the crafty
so that they[c] achieve no success.
13 He traps the wise in their craftiness
so that the plans of the deceptive
are quickly brought to an end.(J)
14 They encounter darkness by day,
and they grope at noon
as if it were night.(K)
15 He saves the needy from their sharp words[d](L)
and from the clutches of the powerful.
16 So the poor have hope,
and injustice shuts its mouth.(M)
17 See how happy is the person whom God corrects;
so do not reject the discipline of the Almighty.
18 For he wounds but he also bandages;
he strikes, but his hands also heal.(N)
19 He will rescue you from six calamities;
no harm will touch you in seven.
20 In famine he will redeem you from death,
and in battle, from the power of the sword.(O)
21 You will be safe from slander[e]
and not fear destruction when it comes.(P)
22 You will laugh at destruction and hunger
and not fear the land’s wild creatures.
23 For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field,
and the wild animals will be at peace with you.(Q)
24 You will know that your tent is secure,(R)
and nothing will be missing when you inspect your home.
25 You will also know that your offspring will be many
and your descendants like the grass of the earth.
26 You will approach the grave(S) in full vigor,(T)
as a stack of sheaves is gathered in its season.

27 We have investigated this, and it is true!
Hear it and understand it for yourself.

Footnotes

  1. 5:5 Hb obscure
  2. 5:5 Aq, Sym, Syr, Vg; MT reads snares
  3. 5:12 Lit their hands
  4. 5:15 Lit from the sword of their mouth; Ps 55:21; 59:7
  5. 5:21 Lit be hidden from the whip of the tongue

God Is Just

“Call now, is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the (A)holy ones will you turn?
For (B)irritation kills the fool,
And jealousy brings death to the simple.
I have seen the (C)fool taking root,
And I (D)cursed his home immediately.
His (E)sons are far from safety,
They are also [a]oppressed at the gate,
And there is no one to save them.
[b]The hungry devour his harvest
And take it to a place of thorns,
And the [c](F)schemer is eager for their wealth.
For (G)disaster does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
For (H)man is born for trouble,
As sparks fly upward.

“But as for me, I would (I)seek God,
And I would make my plea before God,
Who (J)does great and unsearchable things,
[d]Wonders without number.
10 He (K)gives rain on the earth,
And sends water on the fields,
11 So that (L)He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 He (M)frustrates the schemes of the shrewd,
So that their hands cannot attain success.
13 He (N)captures the wise by their own cleverness,
And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.
14 By day they (O)meet with darkness,
And grope at noon as in the night.
15 But He saves from (P)the sword of their mouth,
And (Q)the poor from the hand of the strong.
16 So the helpless has hope,
And (R)injustice has shut its mouth.

17 “Behold, (S)happy is the person whom God disciplines,
So do not reject the (T)discipline of [e]the Almighty.
18 For (U)He inflicts pain, and [f]gives relief;
He wounds, but His hands also heal.
19 In six troubles (V)He will save you;
Even in seven, (W)evil will not touch you.
20 In (X)famine He will redeem you from death,
And (Y)in war, from the power of the sword.
21 You will be (Z)hidden [g]from the scourge of the tongue,
(AA)And you will not be afraid of violence when it comes.
22 You will (AB)laugh at violence and hunger,
(AC)And you will not be afraid of [h]wild animals.
23 For you will be in league with the stones of the field,
And (AD)the animals of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your (AE)tent is secure,
For you will visit your home and [i]have nothing missing.
25 You will also know that your [j](AF)descendants will be many,
And (AG)your offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 You will (AH)come to the grave at a ripe age,
Like the stacking of grain in its season.
27 Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:4 Lit crushed
  2. Job 5:5 Lit Whose harvest the hungry devour
  3. Job 5:5 Ancient versions thirsty
  4. Job 5:9 Or Miracles
  5. Job 5:17 Heb Shaddai, and so throughout ch 6
  6. Job 5:18 Lit binds
  7. Job 5:21 Lit at
  8. Job 5:22 Lit animals of the earth
  9. Job 5:24 Lit not miss
  10. Job 5:25 Lit seed