“Call now; is there anyone who will answer you?
    To which of (A)the holy ones will you turn?
Surely vexation kills the fool,
    and jealousy slays the simple.
(B)I have seen the fool taking root,
    but suddenly I cursed his dwelling.
His children are (C)far from safety;
    they are crushed in (D)the gate,
    and there is no one to deliver them.
The hungry eat his harvest,
    and he takes it even out of thorns,[a]
    and the thirsty pant[b] after his[c] wealth.
For affliction does not come from the dust,
    nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
but man is (E)born to trouble
    as the sparks fly upward.

“As for me, I would seek God,
    and to God would I commit my cause,
who (F)does great things and (G)unsearchable,
    (H)marvelous things without number:
10 he gives (I)rain on the earth
    and sends waters on the fields;
11 he (J)sets on high those who are lowly,
    and those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 He (K)frustrates the devices of the crafty,
    so that their hands achieve no success.
13 He (L)catches the wise in their own craftiness,
    and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.
14 They meet with darkness in the daytime
    and (M)grope at noonday as in the night.
15 But he (N)saves the needy from the sword of their mouth
    and from the hand of the mighty.
16 So the poor have hope,
    and (O)injustice shuts her mouth.

17 “Behold, (P)blessed is the one whom God reproves;
    therefore (Q)despise not the discipline of the (R)Almighty.
18 For he wounds, but he (S)binds up;
    he (T)shatters, but his hands heal.
19 He will (U)deliver you from six troubles;
    in seven no (V)evil[d] shall touch you.
20 (W)In famine he will redeem you from death,
    and in war from the power of the sword.
21 You shall be (X)hidden from the lash of the tongue,
    and shall not fear destruction when it comes.
22 At destruction and famine you shall laugh,
    and shall not fear (Y)the beasts of the earth.
23 For you shall be in league with the stones of the field,
    and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.
24 You shall know that your (Z)tent is at peace,
    and you shall inspect your fold and miss nothing.
25 You shall know also that your (AA)offspring shall be many,
    and your descendants as (AB)the grass of the earth.
26 You shall come to your grave in (AC)ripe old age,
    like a sheaf gathered up in its season.
27 Behold, this we have (AD)searched out; it is true.
    Hear, and know it for your good.”[e]

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:5 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  2. Job 5:5 Aquila, Symmachus, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew could be read as and the snare pants
  3. Job 5:5 Hebrew their
  4. Job 5:19 Or disaster
  5. Job 5:27 Hebrew for yourself

Eliphaz: God Blesses those who Seek Him

“Cry out, won’t you!
    Is there anyone who will answer you?
        To whom will you turn among the holy ones?
For wrath will slay a fool;
    zealous anger will kill the naïve.

“I myself saw a fool becoming established,
    but I suddenly cursed where he lived.[a]
His children are far from deliverance;
    they’ll be maltreated before they leave home,[b]
        with no one to rescue them.
Then the hungry will devour his harvest,
    snatching it even from the midst of thorns,
        while the thirsty covet their wealth.
For wickedness doesn’t crop up from dust,
    nor does trouble sprout out of the ground;
But mankind is born headed for trouble,
    just as sparks soar skyward.”

God Can be Trusted in Adversity

“Now as for me, I would seek God if I were you;[c]
    I would commit my case to God.
He is always doing great things that cannot be explained,
    countless awesome deeds.
10 He sends rain on the surface of the earth,
    and waters the surface of the open country.
11 He sets the lowly on high,
    and lifts those who mourn to safety.[d]
12 He frustrates the plans of the crafty;
    so that what they work for never succeeds.
13 He captures the wise in their own craftiness,
    bringing a quick end to their cunning advice.
14 They meet with darkness in broad daylight;
    at noonday they grope around as if it were night.
15 So he delivers from the sword of their mouth—
    the poor from the power[e] of the mighty.
16 Therefore there is hope for those who are poor,
    and iniquity shuts its mouth.

17 “Indeed, how blessed is the person whom God reproves!
    So never disrespect the discipline of the Almighty,
18 because though he wounds, but then applies bandages;
    though he strikes, his hands still heal.

19 “He will deliver you through six calamities;
    and calamity won’t touch you throughout the seventh.
20 He will deliver you from death by famine;
    in war from the power[f] of the sword.
21 You’ll be protected from the accusing[g] tongue;
    you need not fear destruction when it heads your way.
22 You’ll laugh at destruction and famine;
    and you need not fear the beasts of the earth.
23 For you’ll have a pact[h] with the stones in the field;
    and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You’ll know that your home[i] is secure;
    when you search your possessions, and nothing will be missing.
25 You’ll know that you’ll have many children;
    and that your offspring will be like the grass of the earth.
26 You’ll go to your grave at a ripe old age;
    like a stack of grain that’s harvested at just the right time.

27 “Look! We have thought all this through,
    and what we’ve said is true;[j]
        So please listen and learn for your own good!”

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:3 Or dwelling place
  2. Job 5:4 Lit. be crushed in the gate
  3. Job 5:8 The Heb. lacks if I were you
  4. Job 5:11 Or deliverance
  5. Job 5:15 Lit. hand
  6. Job 5:20 Lit. mouth
  7. Job 5:21 Lit. lash of the
  8. Job 5:23 Or be in league
  9. Job 5:24 Lit. tent
  10. Job 5:27 Lit. and thus it is so