Job 5

1 “Job, [it is okay that you] continue to cry out for someone to help you, but [I am certain that] [RHQ] no angel will come to help you!

Call out now; is there anyone who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?

2 Foolish people die because of being (resentful/very angry at someone); people who are easily deceived are destroyed by their being jealous [of others].

For anger kills the foolish man; jealousy kills the silly one.

3 I have seen foolish people who seemed to be successful/prosperous, but suddenly [they experienced disaster/trouble because] someone cursed their home.

I have seen a foolish person taking root, but suddenly I cursed his home.

4 Their sons are never safe; they (lose their case/are condemned) when someone (takes them to court/sues them), because there is no one to defend them.

His children are far from safety; they are crushed in the city gate. There is no one to rescue them.

5 Hungry people [steal] the crops that foolish people harvest, [and] eat [those crops]; they even steal the crops that grow among thorns, and greedy people take away the wealth of foolish people.

The hungry eat up their harvest; they even take it from among the thorns. The thirsty pant for their wealth.

6 But evil circumstances/sufferings are not produced by the soil; troubles do not grow up from the ground.

For difficulties do not come out from the soil; neither does trouble sprout from the ground.

7 People have troubles from the time that they are born just as surely as sparks shoot up [from a fire].

Instead, mankind is born for trouble, just as sparks fly upward.

8 [“If I were suffering like you are, ] I would ask God [for help] and tell him (what I am complaining about/about my suffering).

But as for me, I would turn to God himself; to him I would commit my cause—

9 He does great things, things that we cannot understand; we cannot even count the marvelous things that he does.

he who does great and unsearchable things, marvelous things without number.

10 He sends rain on the ground; he sends water on our fields.

He gives rain on the earth, and sends water on the fields.

11 He exalts those who are humble, and causes those who mourn to be joyful (OR, safe, prosperous).

He does this in order to set up on high those who are low; to raise to safety those who mourn.

12 He causes crafty/cunning people to not be able to do what they plan to do, with the result that they achieve nothing.

He breaks the plans of the crafty people, so that their hands cannot achieve success.

13 He causes people who [think that they] [IRO] are wise to be trapped by the cunning things they try to do, with the result that they do not succeed.

He traps wise people in their own crafty actions; the plans of twisted people are hurried to their end.

14 [It is as though] even in the daytime they are covered by darkness, and grope around [trying to find the road] at noontime like people do at night.

They encounter darkness in the daytime, and grope at noonday as if it were night.

15 But God saves helpless people from being harmed by what [wicked people] say [MTY], he saves needy people from being injured by [MTY] powerful people.

But he saves the poor person from the sword in their mouths and the needy person from the hand of mighty people.

16 So, poor people confidently expect [that good things will happen to them] but God causes wicked [people] to stop talking.

So the poor person has hope, and injustice shuts her own mouth.

17 “But those whom God corrects/rebukes are happy; so do not despise/dislike it when [God] who is all-powerful disciplines you.

See, blessed is the man whom God corrects; therefore, do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.

18 He wounds people, but then he puts bandages on those wounds; he hurts people, but he [SYN] also heals them.

For he wounds and then binds up; he wounds and then his hands heal.

19 He will rescue you many times from your troubles, with the result that nothing evil will happen to you.

He will rescue you out of six troubles; indeed, in seven troubles, no evil will touch you.

20 When there is a famine, he will not allow you to die, and when there is a war, you will not be killed [MTY].

In famine he will ransom you from death, and in war from the hands of the sword.

21 God will protect you when people slander [MTY] you; you will not be afraid when many things [around you] are destroyed.

You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue; and you will not be afraid of destruction when it comes.

22 You will [be able to] laugh/scoff when things are destroyed and when there is famine, and you will not be afraid of wild animals.

You will laugh at destruction and famine, and you will not be afraid of beasts of the earth.

23 You will not worry about [having big] rocks in your fields [that will make plowing difficult], and you will not worry about [being attacked by] wild animals there.

For you will have a covenant with the stones in your field, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.

24 In your tent, you will know that things will go well for you, and when you look at your livestock, you will see that (they are all there/none of them is missing).

You will know that your tent is in safety; you will visit your sheepfold and you will not miss anything.

25 You will be sure that you will have many descendants, who will be as numerous as blades of grass.

You will also know that your seed will be great, that your offspring will be like the grass on the ground.

26 You will become very old before you die, like sheaves of grain continue to grow until it is time to harvest them.

You will come to your grave at a full age, like a stack of grain bundles that goes up at its time.

27 [“My friends and I] have thought carefully about these things, and [we know that] they are true, so pay attention to what I have said!”

See, we have examined this matter; it is like this; listen to it, and know it for yourself.”