Eliphaz: Job Is Chastened by God

“Call out now;
Is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones will you turn?
For wrath kills a foolish man,
And envy slays a simple one.
(A)I have seen the foolish taking root,
But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place.
His sons are (B)far from safety,
They are crushed in the gate,
And (C)there is no deliverer.
Because the hungry eat up his harvest,
[a]Taking it even from the thorns,
[b]And a snare snatches their [c]substance.
For affliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble spring from the ground;
Yet man is (D)born to [d]trouble,
As the sparks fly upward.

“But as for me, I would seek God,
And to God I would commit my cause—
Who does great things, and unsearchable,
Marvelous things without number.
10 (E)He gives rain on the earth,
And sends waters on the fields.
11 (F)He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 (G)He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot carry out their plans.
13 He catches the (H)wise in their own craftiness,
And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them.
14 They meet with darkness in the daytime,
And grope at noontime as in the night.
15 But (I)He saves the needy from the sword,
From the mouth of the mighty,
And from their hand.
16 (J)So the poor have hope,
And injustice shuts her mouth.

17 “Behold,(K) happy is the man whom God corrects;
Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
18 (L)For He bruises, but He binds up;
He wounds, but His hands make whole.
19 (M)He shall deliver you in six troubles,
Yes, in seven (N)no evil shall touch you.
20 (O)In famine He shall redeem you from death,
And in war from the [e]power of the sword.
21 (P)You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
22 You shall laugh at destruction and famine,
And (Q)you shall not be afraid of the (R)beasts of the earth.
23 (S)For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.
24 You shall know that your tent is in peace;
You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss.
25 You shall also know that (T)your descendants shall be many,
And your offspring (U)like the grass of the earth.
26 (V)You shall come to the grave at a full age,
As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season.
27 Behold, this we have (W)searched out;
It is true.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:5 LXX They shall not be taken from evil men; Vg. And the armed man shall take him by violence
  2. Job 5:5 LXX The might shall draw them off; Vg. And the thirsty shall drink up their riches
  3. Job 5:5 wealth
  4. Job 5:7 labor
  5. Job 5:20 Lit. hand

1, 2 Eliphaz showeth the difference between the children of God and the wicked. 3 The fall of the wicked. 9 God’s power who destroyeth the wicked, and delivereth his.

Call now, if any will [a]answer thee, and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn?

Doubtless [b]anger killeth the foolish, and envy slayeth the idiot.

I have seen the [c]foolish well rooted, and suddenly I [d]cursed his habitation, saying,

His [e]children shall be far from salvation, and they shall be destroyed in the [f]gate, and none shall deliver them.

The hungry shall eat up his harvest: yea, they shall take it from among the [g]thorns, and the thirsty shall drink up their substance.

For misery cometh not forth of the dust, [h]neither doeth affliction spring out of the earth.

But man is born unto [i]travail, as the sparks fly upward.

But I would inquire at [j]God, and turn my talk unto God:

Which [k]doeth great things, and unsearchable, and marvelous things without number.

10 He [l]giveth rain upon the earth, and poureth water upon the streets,

11 And setteth up on high them that be low, that the sorrowful may be exalted to salvation.

12 He scattereth the devices of the crafty: so that their hands cannot accomplish that which they do enterprise.

13 (A)He taketh the wise in their craftiness, and the counsel of the wicked is made foolish.

14 They meet with [m]darkness in the daytime, and [n]grope at noonday, as in the night.

15 But he saveth the [o]poor from the sword, from their [p]mouth, and from the hand of the violent man,

16 So that the poor hath his hope, but iniquity shall [q]stop her mouth.

17 Behold, blessed is the man whom God correcteth: therefore refuse not thou the chastising of the Almighty.

18 For he maketh the wound, and bindeth it up: he smiteth, and his hands make whole.

19 He shall deliver thee in [r]six troubles, and in the seventh the evil shall not touch thee.

20 In famine he shall deliver thee from death: and in battle from the power of the sword.

21 Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue, and thou shalt not be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

22 But thou shalt [s]laugh at destruction and dearth, and shalt not be afraid of the beast of the earth.

23 For the stones of the field [t]shall be in league with thee, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.

24 And thou shalt know, that peace shall be in thy tabernacle, and thou shalt visit thine habitation, and shalt not [u]sin.

25 Thou shalt perceive also that thy seed shall be great, and thy posterity as the grass of the earth.

26 Thou shalt go to thy grave in [v]a full age, as a rick of corn cometh in due season into the barn.

27 Lo, [w]thus have we inquired of it, and so it is: hear this and know it for thyself.

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:1 He willeth Job to consider the example of all them that have lived or do live godly, whether any of them be like unto him in raging against God as he doth.
  2. Job 5:2 Murmuring against God in afflictions increaseth the pain, and uttered man’s folly.
  3. Job 5:3 That is, the sinner that hath not the fear of God.
  4. Job 5:3 I was not moved with his prosperity, but knew that God had cursed him and his.
  5. Job 5:4 Though God sometimes suffer the fathers to pass in this world, yet his judgments will light upon their wicked children.
  6. Job 5:4 By public judgment they shall be condemned, and none shall pity them.
  7. Job 5:5 Though there be but two or three ears left in the hedges, yet these shall be taken from him.
  8. Job 5:6 That is, the earth is not the cause of barrenness and man’s misery, but his own sin.
  9. Job 5:7 Which declareth that sin is ever in our corrupt nature: for before sin it was not subject to pain and affliction.
  10. Job 5:8 If I suffered as thou doest, I would seek unto God.
  11. Job 5:9 He counselleth Job to humble himself unto God to whom all creatures are subject and whose works declare that man is inexcusable except he glorify God in all his works.
  12. Job 5:10 He showeth by particular examples, what the works of God are.
  13. Job 5:14 In things plain and evident they show themselves fools instead of wise men.
  14. Job 5:14 This declareth that God punisheth the worldly wise, as he threatened, Deut. 28:29.
  15. Job 5:15 That is, he that humbleth himself before God.
  16. Job 5:15 He compareth the slander of the wicked to sharp swords.
  17. Job 5:16 If the wicked be compelled at God’s works to stop their mouths, much more they that profess God.
  18. Job 5:19 He will send trouble after trouble that his children may not for one time, but continually trust in him: but they shall have a comfortable issue, even in the greatest and the last, which is here called the seventh.
  19. Job 5:22 Whereas the wicked lament in their troubles, thou shalt have occasion to rejoice.
  20. Job 5:23 When we are in God’s favor, all creatures shall serve us.
  21. Job 5:24 God shall so bless thee, that thou shalt have occasion to rejoice in all things, and not to be offended.
  22. Job 5:26 Though the children of God have not always this promise performed, yet God doth recompense it otherwise to their advantage.
  23. Job 5:27 We have learned these points by experience, that God punisheth not the innocent, that man cannot compare in justice with him, that the hypocrites shall not long prosper, and that the affliction which man sustaineth, cometh for his own sin.

“Call if you will, but who will answer you?(A)
    To which of the holy ones(B) will you turn?
Resentment(C) kills a fool,
    and envy slays the simple.(D)
I myself have seen(E) a fool taking root,(F)
    but suddenly(G) his house was cursed.(H)
His children(I) are far from safety,(J)
    crushed in court(K) without a defender.(L)
The hungry consume his harvest,(M)
    taking it even from among thorns,
    and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
For hardship does not spring from the soil,
    nor does trouble sprout from the ground.(N)
Yet man is born to trouble(O)
    as surely as sparks fly upward.

“But if I were you, I would appeal to God;
    I would lay my cause before him.(P)
He performs wonders(Q) that cannot be fathomed,(R)
    miracles that cannot be counted.(S)
10 He provides rain for the earth;(T)
    he sends water on the countryside.(U)
11 The lowly he sets on high,(V)
    and those who mourn(W) are lifted(X) to safety.
12 He thwarts the plans(Y) of the crafty,
    so that their hands achieve no success.(Z)
13 He catches the wise(AA) in their craftiness,(AB)
    and the schemes of the wily are swept away.(AC)
14 Darkness(AD) comes upon them in the daytime;
    at noon they grope as in the night.(AE)
15 He saves the needy(AF) from the sword in their mouth;
    he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.(AG)
16 So the poor(AH) have hope,
    and injustice shuts its mouth.(AI)

17 “Blessed is the one whom God corrects;(AJ)
    so do not despise the discipline(AK) of the Almighty.[a](AL)
18 For he wounds, but he also binds up;(AM)
    he injures, but his hands also heal.(AN)
19 From six calamities he will rescue(AO) you;
    in seven no harm will touch you.(AP)
20 In famine(AQ) he will deliver you from death,
    and in battle from the stroke of the sword.(AR)
21 You will be protected from the lash of the tongue,(AS)
    and need not fear(AT) when destruction comes.(AU)
22 You will laugh(AV) at destruction and famine,(AW)
    and need not fear the wild animals.(AX)
23 For you will have a covenant(AY) with the stones(AZ) of the field,
    and the wild animals will be at peace with you.(BA)
24 You will know that your tent is secure;(BB)
    you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing.(BC)
25 You will know that your children will be many,(BD)
    and your descendants like the grass of the earth.(BE)
26 You will come to the grave in full vigor,(BF)
    like sheaves gathered in season.(BG)

27 “We have examined this, and it is true.
    So hear it(BH) and apply it to yourself.”(BI)

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:17 Hebrew Shaddai; here and throughout Job