Job 5

1 Call now; is there any that will answer thee? And to which of the holy ones wilt thou turn?

Call if you want, but who is going to answer you? Which angel are you going to turn to?

2 For vexation killeth the foolish man, And jealousy slayeth the silly one.

Surely anger slays the fool and jealousy kills the simple.

3 I have seen the foolish taking root: But suddenly I cursed his habitation.

I have seen a fool growing strong, but I immediately cursed his house.

4 His children are far from safety, And they are crushed in the gate, Neither is there any to deliver them:

His sons are never safe; they are crushed in court with no one to defend them.

5 Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, And taketh it even out of the thorns; And the snare gapeth for their substance.

The hungry eat everything he has harvested, taking even that protected by a thorn hedge, while others look to steal his wealth.

6 For affliction cometh not forth from the dust, Neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;

For evil doesn't come from the dust; neither does trouble grow from the earth.

7 But man is born unto trouble, As the sparks fly upward.

But human beings are born for trouble just as certainly as sparks from a fire fly upwards.

8 But as for me, I would seek unto God, And unto God would I commit my cause;

If it were me, I would go to God and put my case before him.

9 Who doeth great things and unsearchable, Marvellous things without number:

He is the one who does amazing, incredible things; miracles that can't be counted!

10 Who giveth rain upon the earth, And sendeth waters upon the fields;

He gives rain to the earth and sends water to the fields.

11 So that he setteth up on high those that are low, And those that mourn are exalted to safety.

He exalts the humble, and rescues those who mourn.

12 He frustrateth the devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.

He frustrates the plans of the cunning so that they are unsuccessful.

13 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness; And the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.

He traps the wise in their own clever thinking, and the schemes of twisted people are cut short.

14 They meet with darkness in the day-time, And grope at noonday as in the night.

In the daytime they're in the dark, and they stumble around at noon like it's night.

15 But he saveth from the sword of their mouth, Even the needy from the hand of the mighty.

But God is the one who saves from their cutting remarks, and the poor from the actions of the powerful.

16 So the poor hath hope, And iniquity stoppeth her mouth.

As a result those who are helpless have hope, and the wicked have to shut their mouths!

17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.

See how happy is the person God corrects—so don't despise the Almighty's discipline.

18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up; He woundeth, and his hands make whole.

For he causes pain but he provides relief; he wounds but his hands heal.

19 He will deliver thee in six troubles; Yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

He will save you from many disasters; a multitude of evils will not affect you.

20 In famine he will redeem thee from death; And in war from the power of the sword.

In times of famine he will rescue you from death, and in times of war he will save you from the power of the sword.

21 Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue; Neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

You will be protected from sharp-tongued slander; and when violence comes you will not be afraid.

22 At destruction and dearth thou shalt laugh; Neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

You will laugh at violence and famine; you won't be afraid of wild animals—

23 For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field; And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.

for you will be at peace with the stones of the field and the wild animals will be at peace with you.

24 And thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace; And thou shalt visit thy fold, and shalt miss nothing.

You will be certain that your home is safe, for you will go to where you live and find nothing missing.

25 Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, And thine offspring as the grass of the earth.

You will also be sure that you will have many children; your descendants will be like the grass of the earth.

26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, Like as a shock of grain cometh in in its season.

You will live to a ripe old age like a sheaf of grain when it is harvested.

27 Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; Hear it, and know thou it for thy good.

Look, we've examined it, and it's true! Listen to what I'm saying and apply it to yourself!”