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The Discipline of the Almighty

“Call now, is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the (A)holy ones will you turn?
For (B)vexation kills the ignorant fool,
And jealousy puts to death the simple.
I have seen the (C)ignorant fool taking root,
And I (D)cursed his abode suddenly.
His (E)sons are far from salvation,
They are even crushed in the gate,
And there is no deliverer.
[a]His harvest the hungry devour
And take it to a place of thorns,
And the [b](F)schemer pants after their wealth.
For (G)wickedness does not come out from the dust,
Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
For (H)man is born for trouble,
As [c]sparks fly upward.

“But as for me, I would (I)seek God,
And I would set my cause 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 outside,
11 So that (L)He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to salvation.
12 He (M)frustrates the thoughts of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot attain success of sound wisdom.
13 He (N)catches the wise by their own craftiness,
And the counsel of the twisted 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 needy from the hand of the strong.
16 So the poor has hope,
And (R)unrighteousness must shut its mouth.

17 “Behold, how (S)blessed is the man whom God reproves,
So do not reject the (T)discipline of the [e]Almighty.
18 For (U)He inflicts pain and [f]gives relief;
He [g]wounds, and His hands also heal.
19 [h]From six distresses (V)He will deliver 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 hands with swords.
21 You will be (Z)hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
(AA)And you will not be afraid of devastation when it comes.
22 You will (AB)laugh at devastation and starvation,
(AC)And you will not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
23 For your covenant will be with the stones of the field,
And (AD)the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your (AE)tent is at peace,
For you will visit your abode and fear no loss.
25 You will know also that your (AF)seed will be many,
And (AG)your offspring as the vegetation of the land.
26 You will (AH)come to the grave in full vigor,
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 5:5 Lit Whose
  2. Job 5:5 Ancient versions thirsty
  3. Job 5:7 Or sons of Reseph
  4. Job 5:9 Or Miracles
  5. Job 5:17 Heb Shaddai, so in Job
  6. Job 5:18 Lit binds
  7. Job 5:18 Or crushes
  8. Job 5:19 Lit In

Call out! Is there anyone there to answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?

It’s true, the fool is killed by resentment,
and the gullible are put to death by jealousy.
I myself have seen a fool putting down roots,
but immediately I pronounced a curse on his home.[a]
His children are far from safety.
They are crushed at the city gate without a defender.
His harvest is eaten by the hungry,
    who snatch it away, even from among the thorns,
    and the thirsty[b] swallow his children’s wealth.

Disaster does not just spring up from the dust,
nor does trouble sprout from the soil.
No, mankind is born for[c] trouble as surely as flames fly upward.

But I want to appeal to God.
I want to present my case to him.[d]
He does great things that are beyond investigation,
and miracles that are too many to be counted.
10 He provides rain for the earth.
He waters the fields in the countryside.
11 He raises the lowly to the heights,
and he lifts those who mourn to safety.
12 He foils the plots of clever schemers,
    so that their hands achieve no success.

13 He traps the wise in their schemes,
and the plans of the devious come to a swift end.
14 By day they encounter darkness,
and at noon they grope around as if it were night.

15 He saves the poor from mouths that cut like a sword
and from the hand of the strong.
16 He does this so that the helpless will have hope,
and injustice will shut its mouth.

17 Consider this:
How blessed is the man whom God corrects!
Do not reject the discipline of the Almighty!
18 For though he may inflict wounds, he also bandages them.
Though he may strike, his hands also heal.
19 From six calamities he will rescue you.
In seven no harm will touch you.
20 In famine he will redeem you from death,
and in battle he will redeem you from the power of the sword.
21 You will be hidden from the lash of the tongue,
and you will not be afraid of devastation when it comes.
22 You will laugh at devastation and hunger.
You will not be afraid of the wild animals of the countryside,
23 because there will be a covenant between you and the stones in the field,
and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your tent is secure,
and when you inspect your property, you will find nothing missing.
25 You will know that your offspring will be many,
and your descendants will be like grass from the earth.
26 You will come to the grave at a ripe old age,
    like a stack of sheaves that is gathered in season.
27 Consider this:
We have investigated this carefully, and it is true!
Pay close attention and apply it to yourself!

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:3 Or his house was cursed
  2. Job 5:5 The translation thirsty follows the ancient versions. The Hebrew reads snares. The line is difficult.
  3. Job 5:7 Or gives birth to
  4. Job 5:8 This verse may also be read as Eliphaz’s advice to Job. I would appeal to God.