Job 5

God Is Just

1 “Call now, is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the ^aholy ones will you turn?
2 “For ^banger slays the foolish man,
And jealousy kills the simple.
3 “I have seen the ^cfoolish taking root,
And I ^dcursed his abode immediately.
4 “His ^esons are far from safety,
They are even ^{▼▼ Lit crushed}oppressed in the gate,
And there is no deliverer.
5 ^{▼▼ Lit Whose}“His harvest the hungry devour
And take it to a place of thorns,
And the ^{▼▼ Ancient versions read thirsty
,} ⁱschemer is eager for their wealth.
6 “For ^jaffliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
7 For ^kman is born for trouble,
As sparks fly upward.

8 “But as for me, I would ^lseek God,
And I would place my cause before God;
9 Who ^mdoes great and unsearchable things,
^{▼▼ Or Miracles}Wonders without number.
10 “He ^ogives rain on the earth
And sends water on the fields,
11 So that ^pHe sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 “He ^qfrustrates the plotting of the shrewd,
So that their hands cannot attain success.
13 “He ^rcaptures the wise by their own shrewdness,
And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.
14 “By day they ^smeet with darkness,
And grope at noon as in the night.
15 “But He saves from ^tthe sword of their mouth,
And ^uthe poor from the hand of the mighty.
16 “So the helpless has hope,
And ^vunrighteousness must shut its mouth.

17 “Behold, how ^whappy is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise the ^xdiscipline of ^{▼▼ Heb Shaddai, and so throughout ch 6}the Almighty.
18 “For ^zHe inflicts pain, and ^{▼▼ Lit binds}gives relief;
He wounds, and His hands also heal.
19 ^{▼▼ Lit In}“From six troubles ^acHe will deliver you,
Even in seven ^adevil will not touch you.
20 “In ^aefamine He will redeem you from death,
And ^afin war from the power of the sword.
21 “You will be ^aghidden from the scourge of the tongue,
^ahAnd you will not be afraid of violence when it comes.
22 “You will ^ailaugh at violence and famine,
^ajAnd you will not be afraid of ^{▼▼ Lit beasts of the earth}wild beasts.
23 “For you will be in league with the stones of the field,
And ^althe beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 “You will know that your ^amtent is secure,
For you will visit your abode and fear no loss.
25 “You will know also that your ^{▼▼ Lit seed
,} ^aodescendants will be many,
And ^apyour offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 “You will ^aqcome to the grave in full vigor,
Like the stacking of grain in its season.
27 “Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”