Job 5
Modern English Version
Eliphaz: Job Is Chastised by God
5 “Call out now; is anyone answering you?
And to whom among the holy ones will you turn?
2 For anger slays the foolish man,
and jealousy kills the gullible.
3 Yes, I saw the foolish taking root,
and quickly I cursed his dwelling.
4 May his children be far from safety,
and may they be crushed in the gate without a deliverer;
5 whose harvest the hungry eats up,
and takes it even out of the thorns,
and the thirsty captures his wealth.
6 For affliction does not come out of the dust,
nor does trouble sprout up out of the ground;
7 but man is born to trouble,
as the sparks fly upward.
8 “Indeed, I would appeal to God,
and before God I would set forth my case,
9 who does the great and the inscrutable,
wonders without number.
10 He gives rain on the surface of the earth
and sends water on the outdoor places.
11 He sets on high those who are lowly,
and those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 He frustrates the schemes of the crafty,
so that their hands cannot perform their plans.
13 He catches the wise in their own craftiness,
and the scheme of the shrewd is swiftly stopped.
14 In the daytime they encounter darkness,
and at noontime they grope as in the night.
15 But the needy He saves from the sword,
from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.
16 So the helpless has hope,
and injustice shuts her mouth.
17 “How happy is the man whom God corrects!
Therefore do not despise the discipline of the Almighty,
18 for He wounds, but He applies the bandage;
He injures, but His hands also heal.
19 In six crises He will deliver you;
even in seven, disaster will not touch you.
20 In famine He will redeem you from death,
and in war from the power of the sword.
21 You will be hidden from the lash of the tongue,
and you will not fear violence when it comes.
22 You will laugh at devastation and famine,
and you will not fear wild animals.
23 For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field,
and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your tent is peaceful,
and you will inspect your property and find nothing missing.
25 You will know that your offspring will be many
and your descendants as the grass of the earth.
26 You go to the grave in a full age,
as stalks of grain are gathered up in season.
27 “Look! We have investigated all this, and it is so;
hear it, and know for yourself.”
Job 5
EasyEnglish Bible
Eliphaz continues to speak to Job
5 ‘Shout for help, Job! But no one will answer you.
None of the angels will come to help you.
2 Foolish people may be angry and jealous.
That is what kills them.
3 I have seen fools who seemed to be successful.
But suddenly a curse destroyed their homes.
4 Their children are never truly safe.
The judge says that they are guilty,
and nobody saves them from punishment.
5 Hungry people take their crops to eat.
They even take them from among the weeds.
Thirsty people take the fool's money for themselves.
6 Problems do not grow like plants in our fields.
Trouble does not come up from the ground.
7 But trouble comes to everyone, as soon as they are born.
It is as certain as smoke that rises from a fire.
8 I suggest that you ask God to help you.
You should tell him about your problems.
9 He does great things that nobody can understand.
He does more miracles than anyone can count.
10 He gives rain for the earth.
He sends water for the fields.
11 He gives honour to humble people.
When people are suffering, he puts them in a safe place.
12 He stops the ideas of clever people.
They cannot do what they want to do.
13 When wise people try to do clever things,
he causes those things to give them trouble.
He quickly stops their clever ideas.
14 In the middle of the day, it becomes dark for those people.
At midday, they see no better than blind people.
15 He saves poor people when wicked people attack them.
He rescues weak people from the power of strong people.
16 So poor people can hope for justice.
Wicked people have to be quiet.
17 If Almighty God warns you to do what is right,
he has blessed you.
So do not be upset when he decides to do that.
18 He may cause you to have pain,
but he will make you well again.
He may hurt you,
but he will also give you health.
19 If trouble comes to you six times, he will rescue you.
No bad thing will hurt you, as often as it happens.
20 If there is a time of famine,
he will keep you alive.
He will protect you from death in a time of war.
21 If people insult you, he will take care of you.
When people attack you, you will not be afraid.
22 In times of danger and famine, you will be brave.
You will not be afraid of wild animals.
23 The stones in your fields will not give you trouble.
The wild animals will not attack you.
24 You will know that your home is strong and safe.
When you check all your land,
you will see that all your animals are safe.
25 You will know that your children will be very many.
You will have as many descendants as the grass that grows in the ground.
26 You will not die until you are old.
You will grow with strength until you die,
like crops that grow until the time of harvest.
27 We have thought carefully about these things.
We know that they are true.
So listen to what we say.
Accept it and it will be good for you.’
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.