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

God Is Just

“Call now —is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones (angels) will you turn?

“For anger slays the foolish man,
And jealousy kills the simple (naive).

“I have seen the foolish taking root [and outwardly prospering],
But I cursed his dwelling immediately [for his destruction was certain].

“His children are far from safety [and included in their father’s ruin],
They are oppressed and crushed in the [court of justice in the city’s] gate,
And there is no [a]one to rescue them.

“The hungry devour his harvest
And take it even [when it grows] among the thorns;
The trap opens for [his] wealth.

“For affliction does not come forth from the dust,
Nor does trouble spring forth from the ground.

“For man is born for trouble,
[As naturally] as sparks fly upward.


“As for me, I would seek God and inquire of Him,
And I would commit my cause to God;

Who does great and unsearchable things,
Marvelous things without number.
10 
“He gives rain upon the earth
And sends waters upon the fields,
11 
So that He sets on high those who are lowly,
And He lifts to safety those who mourn.
12 
“He frustrates the devices and schemes of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot attain success or achieve anything of [lasting] worth.
13 
“He catches the [so-called] wise in their own shrewdness,
And the advice of the devious is quickly thwarted.(A)
14 
“In the daytime they meet in darkness,
And at noon they grope as in the night.
15 
“But God saves [the innocent] from the sword of the mouth of the devious,
And the poor from the hand of the mighty.
16 
“So the helpless have hope,
And injustice shuts its mouth.

17 
“Behold, how happy and fortunate is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise or reject the discipline of the Almighty [subjecting you to trial and suffering].
18 
“For He inflicts pain, but He binds up and gives relief;
He wounds, but His hands also heal.
19 
“He will rescue you from six troubles;
Even in seven, evil 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 scourge of the tongue,
And you will not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
22 
“You will laugh at violence and famine,
And you will not be afraid of the wild beasts of the earth.
23 
“For you will be in harmony with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 
“You will know also that your tent is secure and at peace,
And you will visit your dwelling and fear no loss [nor find anything amiss].
25 
“You will know also that your descendants will be many,
And your offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 
“You will come to your grave in old age,
Like the stacking of grain [on the threshing floor] in its season.
27 
“Behold this; we have investigated it, and it is true.
Hear and heed it, and know for yourself [for your own good].”

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:4 Lit deliverer.