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Life’s problems

Call out. Will anyone answer you?
    To which holy one will you turn?
Surely anger can kill the foolish;
    fury can kill the simple.
I’ve seen the foolish take root
    and promptly curse their house.
Their children are far[a] from safety,
    crushed in the gate without a deliverer.
The hungry devour[b] their crops;
    it’s taken even from the thorns,[c]
    and the thirsty pant after their yield.
Surely trouble doesn’t come from dust,
    nor does distress sprout from the ground.
Surely humans are born to distress,
    just as sparks rise up.

The answer is God

But I would seek God,
        put my case to God,
    who does great things beyond comprehension,
    wonderful things without number;
10     who provides rain over the earth’s surface,
    sends water to the open country,
11     exalts the lowly,
        raises mourners to victory;
12     who frustrates the schemes of the clever
        so that their hands achieve no success,
13     trapping the wise in their cleverness
            so that the plans of the devious don’t succeed.
14 They encounter darkness during the day,
    and at noon they fumble about as at night.
15 Yet he rescues the orphan[d] from the sword of their mouth,
    the needy from the grip of the strong;
16         so the poor have hope
        and violence shuts its mouth.

Divine favor

17 Look, happy is the person whom God corrects;
    so don’t reject the Almighty’s instruction.
18 He injures, but he binds up;
    he strikes, but his hands heal.
19 From six adversities he will deliver you;
    from seven harm won’t touch you.
20 In famine he will ransom you from death;
    in war, from the power of the sword.
21 You will be hidden from the tongue’s sting,
    and you won’t fear destruction when it comes.
22 You will laugh at destruction and hunger;
    you won’t be afraid of wild beasts;
23         for you will make an agreement with the stones of the field;
        and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your tent is secure.
    You will examine your home and miss nothing.
25 You will know that you’ll have many children.
    Your offspring will be like the grass of the earth.
26 You will come to your grave in old age
    as bundles of grain stacked up at harvesttime.
27 Look, we’ve searched this out, and so it is;
    listen and find out for yourself.

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:4 Or May their children be far from safety.
  2. Job 5:5 or May the hungry devour their crops.
  3. Job 5:5 Heb uncertain
  4. Job 5:15 Heb lacks orphan.

Eliphaz continues to speak to Job

‘Shout for help, Job! But no one will answer you.
    None of the angels will come to help you.
Foolish people may be angry and jealous.
    That is what kills them.
I have seen fools who seemed to be successful.
    But suddenly a curse destroyed their homes.
Their children are never truly safe.
The judge says that they are guilty,
    and nobody saves them from punishment.
Hungry people take their crops to eat.
    They even take them from among the weeds.
Thirsty people take the fool's money for themselves.
Problems do not grow like plants in our fields.
    Trouble does not come up from the ground.
But trouble comes to everyone, as soon as they are born.
    It is as certain as smoke that rises from a fire.

I suggest that you ask God to help you.
    You should tell him about your problems.
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.’

“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