Call out if you please. 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 mankind is 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 the man is God corrects;
so do not reject the discipline of the Almighty.
18 For He crushes but also binds up;
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 animals of the earth.
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. Job 5:5 Hb obscure
  2. Job 5:5 Aq, Sym, Syr, Vg; MT reads snares
  3. Job 5:12 Lit their hands
  4. Job 5:15 Lit from the sword of their mouth; Ps 55:21; 59:7
  5. Job 5:21 Lit be hidden from the whip of the tongue

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