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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.

“Job, call out if you want, and see if anyone answers!
    But to which of the angels will you turn?
A fool’s anger will kill him.
    His jealousy will destroy him.
I saw a fool who thought he was safe,
    but suddenly he died.[a]
There was no one to help his children.
    No one defended them in court.
Hungry people ate all his crops,
    even the grain growing among the thorns,
    and greedy people took all he had.
Bad times don’t come up from the dirt.
    Trouble does not grow from the ground.
But people are born to have trouble,
    as surely as sparks rise from a fire.
If I were you, I would turn to God
    and tell him about my problems.
People cannot understand the wonderful things God does.
    His miracles are too many to count.
10 He sends rain all over the earth
    and waters the fields.
11 He raises up the humble
    and makes sad people happy.
12 He spoils the plans of even the smartest people
    so that they will not succeed.
13 He catches those who think they are wise in their own clever traps
    and brings to an end their evil plans.
14 Daylight will be like darkness for them.
    Even at noon they will have to feel their way as in the dark.
15 God saves the poor from the hurtful words of the wicked.
    He saves them from those who are powerful.
16 So the poor have hope;
    God shuts the mouths of those who would cause them harm.

17 “You are fortunate when God corrects you.
    So don’t complain when God All-Powerful punishes you.
18 God might injure you, but he will bandage those wounds.
    He might hurt you, but his hands also heal.
19 He will save you again and again.
    No evil will harm you.[b]
20 God will save you from death
    when there is famine.
He will protect you from the sword
    when there is war.
21 People might say bad things about you with their sharp tongues.
    But God will protect you.
    You will not be afraid when bad things happen!
22 You will laugh at destruction and famine.
    You will not be afraid of wild animals!
23 It is as if you have a peace treaty
    with the wild animals and the rocks in the field.
24 You will live in peace because your tent is safe.
    You will count your property and find nothing missing.
25 You will have many children.
    They will be as many as the blades of grass on the earth.
26 You will be like the wheat that grows until harvest time.
    Yes, you will live to a ripe old age.

27 “We have studied this and know it is true.
    So listen to us, and learn for yourself.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:3 suddenly he died Or “suddenly his home was cursed.”
  2. Job 5:19 Literally, “In six troubles, he will rescue you, and in seven, evil will not touch 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