Job 5
New King James Version
Eliphaz: Job Is Chastened by God
5 “Call out now;
Is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 For wrath kills a foolish man,
And envy slays a simple one.
3 (A)I have seen the foolish taking root,
But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place.
4 His sons are (B)far from safety,
They are crushed in the gate,
And (C)there is no deliverer.
5 Because the hungry eat up his harvest,
[a]Taking it even from the thorns,
[b]And a snare snatches their [c]substance.
6 For affliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble spring from the ground;
7 Yet man is (D)born to [d]trouble,
As the sparks fly upward.
8 “But as for me, I would seek God,
And to God I would commit my cause—
9 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.”
Job 5
Easy-to-Read Version
5 “Job, call out if you want, and see if anyone answers!
But to which of the angels will you turn?
2 A fool’s anger will kill him.
His jealousy will destroy him.
3 I saw a fool who thought he was safe,
but suddenly he died.[a]
4 There was no one to help his children.
No one defended them in court.
5 Hungry people ate all his crops,
even the grain growing among the thorns,
and greedy people took all he had.
6 Bad times don’t come up from the dirt.
Trouble does not grow from the ground.
7 But people are born to have trouble,
as surely as sparks rise from a fire.
8 If I were you, I would turn to God
and tell him about my problems.
9 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.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International