Job 5
English Standard Version
5 “Call now; is there anyone who will answer you?
To which of (A)the holy ones will you turn?
2 Surely vexation kills the fool,
and jealousy slays the simple.
3 (B)I have seen the fool taking root,
but suddenly I cursed his dwelling.
4 His children are (C)far from safety;
they are crushed in (D)the gate,
and there is no one to deliver them.
5 The hungry eat his harvest,
and he takes it even out of thorns,[a]
and the thirsty pant[b] after his[c] wealth.
6 For affliction does not come from the dust,
nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
7 but man is (E)born to trouble
as the sparks fly upward.
8 “As for me, I would seek God,
and to God would I commit my cause,
9 who (F)does great things and (G)unsearchable,
(H)marvelous things without number:
10 he gives (I)rain on the earth
and sends waters on the fields;
11 he (J)sets on high those who are lowly,
and those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 He (K)frustrates the devices of the crafty,
so that their hands achieve no success.
13 He (L)catches the wise in their own craftiness,
and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.
14 They meet with darkness in the daytime
and (M)grope at noonday as in the night.
15 But he (N)saves the needy from the sword of their mouth
and from the hand of the mighty.
16 So the poor have hope,
and (O)injustice shuts her mouth.
17 “Behold, (P)blessed is the one whom God reproves;
therefore (Q)despise not the discipline of the (R)Almighty.
18 For he wounds, but he (S)binds up;
he (T)shatters, but his hands heal.
19 He will (U)deliver you from six troubles;
in seven no (V)evil[d] shall touch you.
20 (W)In famine he will redeem you from death,
and in war from the power of the sword.
21 You shall be (X)hidden from the lash of the tongue,
and shall not fear destruction when it comes.
22 At destruction and famine you shall laugh,
and shall not fear (Y)the beasts of the earth.
23 For you shall be in league with the stones of the field,
and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.
24 You shall know that your (Z)tent is at peace,
and you shall inspect your fold and miss nothing.
25 You shall know also that your (AA)offspring shall be many,
and your descendants as (AB)the grass of the earth.
26 You shall come to your grave in (AC)ripe old age,
like a sheaf gathered up in its season.
27 Behold, this we have (AD)searched out; it is true.
Hear, and know it for your good.”[e]
Job 5
Expanded Bible
5 “Call if you want to, Job, ·but no one [L is there anyone who…?] will answer you.
·You can’t [L Can you…?] turn to any of the holy ones [C angels].
2 ·Anger [Irritation] kills the fool,
and jealousy slays the ·stupid [or naïve; simpleminded; C these emotions can lead to death; Prov. 14:30; 27:4].
3 I have seen a fool ·succeed [L taking root],
but I cursed his ·home [household; pasturage] ·immediately [suddenly].
4 His children are far from safety
and are crushed in court with no ·defense [or rescuer].
5 The hungry eat his harvest,
even taking what grew among the thorns,
and thirsty people ·want [L pant after] his wealth.
6 ·Hard times do [Misery does] not come up from the ·ground [dust],
and trouble does not ·grow [sprout] from the earth [C they come from anger and jealousy].
7 People ·produce [L are born for] trouble
as surely as sparks fly upward.
8 “But if I were you, I would ·call on [L seek] God
and ·bring my problem [L commit my thoughts/cause] before him [C argues that Job needs to repent].
9 God does wonders that cannot be understood;
he does so many ·miracles [marvelous acts] they cannot be counted.
10 He gives rain to the earth
and sends water on the fields.
11 He makes the ·humble [lowly] person important [Ps. 113]
and lifts ·the sad [mourners] to places of safety.
12 He ruins the ·plans [pretensions; strategies] of those who ·trick others [are crafty]
so ·they [L their hands] have no success.
13 He catches the ·wise [crafty; clever] in their own ·clever traps [craftiness]
and ·sweeps away [ends; finishes off] the ·plans [advice; schemes] of those who ·try to trick others [are wily].
14 Darkness ·covers them up [or encounters them] in the daytime;
even at noon they ·feel [grope] around in the dark.
15 God saves the needy from their lies
and from the harm done by powerful people.
16 So the poor have hope,
while those who are ·unfair [unjust] ·are silenced [L shut their mouth].
17 “The one whom God ·corrects [reproves] is ·happy [blessed],
so do not ·hate being corrected by [L reject/despise the instruction of] the Almighty [Prov. 3:11–12].
18 God ·hurts [wounds], but he also bandages up;
he ·injures [strikes], but his hands also heal.
19 He will ·save [rescue] you from six ·troubles [dangers];
even seven ·troubles [or evils] will not ·harm [L touch] you [C “six…seven” is a poetic way of saying “all troubles”].
20 God will ·buy you back [redeem/ransom you] from death in times of ·hunger [famine],
and in ·battle [war] he will save you from the sword.
21 You will be ·protected [hidden] from the ·tongue that strikes like a whip [lash of the tongue],
and you will not be afraid when destruction comes.
22 You will laugh at destruction and hunger [Ps. 112:7],
and you will not fear the wild animals,
23 because you will have an ·agreement [treaty; alliance; covenant] with the stones in the field,
and the wild animals will be at peace with you [C describes a peaceful relationship with all nature].
24 You will know that your tent is safe,
because you will ·check [visit] ·the things you own [your pasturage/home] and find nothing missing.
25 You will know that you will have many ·children [descendants],
and your ·descendants [offspring] will be like the grass on the earth.
26 You will come to the grave ·with all your strength [or at a ripe old age],
like bundles of grain gathered at the right time.
27 “We have ·checked [examined] this, and it is true,
so hear it and ·decide what it means to you [know it yourself].”
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.