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Life’s problems

Call out. Will anyone answer you?
    To which holy one will you turn?
Surely anger can kill the foolish;
    fury can kill the simple.
I’ve seen the foolish take root
    and promptly curse their house.
Their children are far[a] from safety,
    crushed in the gate without a deliverer.
The hungry devour[b] their crops;
    it’s taken even from the thorns,[c]
    and the thirsty pant after their yield.
Surely trouble doesn’t come from dust,
    nor does distress sprout from the ground.
Surely humans are born to distress,
    just as sparks rise up.

The answer is God

But I would seek God,
        put my case to God,
    who does great things beyond comprehension,
    wonderful things without number;
10     who provides rain over the earth’s surface,
    sends water to the open country,
11     exalts the lowly,
        raises mourners to victory;
12     who frustrates the schemes of the clever
        so that their hands achieve no success,
13     trapping the wise in their cleverness
            so that the plans of the devious don’t succeed.
14 They encounter darkness during the day,
    and at noon they fumble about as at night.
15 Yet he rescues the orphan[d] from the sword of their mouth,
    the needy from the grip of the strong;
16         so the poor have hope
        and violence shuts its mouth.

Divine favor

17 Look, happy is the person whom God corrects;
    so don’t reject the Almighty’s instruction.
18 He injures, but he binds up;
    he strikes, but his hands heal.
19 From six adversities he will deliver you;
    from seven harm won’t touch you.
20 In famine he will ransom you from death;
    in war, from the power of the sword.
21 You will be hidden from the tongue’s sting,
    and you won’t fear destruction when it comes.
22 You will laugh at destruction and hunger;
    you won’t be afraid of wild beasts;
23         for you will make an agreement with the stones of the field;
        and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your tent is secure.
    You will examine your home and miss nothing.
25 You will know that you’ll have many children.
    Your offspring will be like the grass of the earth.
26 You will come to your grave in old age
    as bundles of grain stacked up at harvesttime.
27 Look, we’ve searched this out, and so it is;
    listen and find out for yourself.

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:4 Or May their children be far from safety.
  2. Job 5:5 or May the hungry devour their crops.
  3. Job 5:5 Heb uncertain
  4. Job 5:15 Heb lacks orphan.

“Call if you will, but who will answer you?(A)
    To which of the holy ones(B) will you turn?
Resentment(C) kills a fool,
    and envy slays the simple.(D)
I myself have seen(E) a fool taking root,(F)
    but suddenly(G) his house was cursed.(H)
His children(I) are far from safety,(J)
    crushed in court(K) without a defender.(L)
The hungry consume his harvest,(M)
    taking it even from among thorns,
    and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
For hardship does not spring from the soil,
    nor does trouble sprout from the ground.(N)
Yet man is born to trouble(O)
    as surely as sparks fly upward.

“But if I were you, I would appeal to God;
    I would lay my cause before him.(P)
He performs wonders(Q) that cannot be fathomed,(R)
    miracles that cannot be counted.(S)
10 He provides rain for the earth;(T)
    he sends water on the countryside.(U)
11 The lowly he sets on high,(V)
    and those who mourn(W) are lifted(X) to safety.
12 He thwarts the plans(Y) of the crafty,
    so that their hands achieve no success.(Z)
13 He catches the wise(AA) in their craftiness,(AB)
    and the schemes of the wily are swept away.(AC)
14 Darkness(AD) comes upon them in the daytime;
    at noon they grope as in the night.(AE)
15 He saves the needy(AF) from the sword in their mouth;
    he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.(AG)
16 So the poor(AH) have hope,
    and injustice shuts its mouth.(AI)

17 “Blessed is the one whom God corrects;(AJ)
    so do not despise the discipline(AK) of the Almighty.[a](AL)
18 For he wounds, but he also binds up;(AM)
    he injures, but his hands also heal.(AN)
19 From six calamities he will rescue(AO) you;
    in seven no harm will touch you.(AP)
20 In famine(AQ) he will deliver you from death,
    and in battle from the stroke of the sword.(AR)
21 You will be protected from the lash of the tongue,(AS)
    and need not fear(AT) when destruction comes.(AU)
22 You will laugh(AV) at destruction and famine,(AW)
    and need not fear the wild animals.(AX)
23 For you will have a covenant(AY) with the stones(AZ) of the field,
    and the wild animals will be at peace with you.(BA)
24 You will know that your tent is secure;(BB)
    you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing.(BC)
25 You will know that your children will be many,(BD)
    and your descendants like the grass of the earth.(BE)
26 You will come to the grave in full vigor,(BF)
    like sheaves gathered in season.(BG)

27 “We have examined this, and it is true.
    So hear it(BH) and apply it to yourself.”(BI)

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:17 Hebrew Shaddai; here and throughout Job

Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?

For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.

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

His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.

Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.

Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;

Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:

Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:

10 Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields:

11 To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.

12 He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.

13 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

14 They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope in the noonday as in the night.

15 But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.

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

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

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

19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

20 In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war 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.

22 At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

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.

24 And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.

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

26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.

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