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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.

God Is Just

“Call now —is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones (angels) will you turn?

“For anger slays the foolish man,
And jealousy kills the simple (naive).

“I have seen the foolish taking root [and outwardly prospering],
But I cursed his dwelling immediately [for his destruction was certain].

“His children are far from safety [and included in their father’s ruin],
They are oppressed and crushed in the [court of justice in the city’s] gate,
And there is no [a]one to rescue them.

“The hungry devour his harvest
And take it even [when it grows] among the thorns;
The trap opens for [his] wealth.

“For affliction does not come forth from the dust,
Nor does trouble spring forth from the ground.

“For man is born for trouble,
[As naturally] as sparks fly upward.


“As for me, I would seek God and inquire of Him,
And I would commit my cause to God;

Who does great and unsearchable things,
Marvelous things without number.
10 
“He gives rain upon the earth
And sends waters upon the fields,
11 
So that He sets on high those who are lowly,
And He lifts to safety those who mourn.
12 
“He frustrates the devices and schemes of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot attain success or achieve anything of [lasting] worth.
13 
“He catches the [so-called] wise in their own shrewdness,
And the advice of the devious is quickly thwarted.(A)
14 
“In the daytime they meet in darkness,
And at noon they grope as in the night.
15 
“But God saves [the innocent] from the sword of the mouth of the devious,
And the poor from the hand of the mighty.
16 
“So the helpless have hope,
And injustice shuts its mouth.

17 
“Behold, how happy and fortunate is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise or reject the discipline of the Almighty [subjecting you to trial and suffering].
18 
“For He inflicts pain, but He binds up and gives relief;
He wounds, but His hands also heal.
19 
“He will rescue you from six troubles;
Even in seven, evil will not touch you.
20 
“In famine He will redeem you from death,
And in war from the power of the sword.
21 
“You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you will not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
22 
“You will laugh at violence and famine,
And you will not be afraid of the wild beasts of the earth.
23 
“For you will be in harmony with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 
“You will know also that your tent is secure and at peace,
And you will visit your dwelling and fear no loss [nor find anything amiss].
25 
“You will know also that your descendants will be many,
And your offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 
“You will come to your grave in old age,
Like the stacking of grain [on the threshing floor] in its season.
27 
“Behold this; we have investigated it, and it is true.
Hear and heed it, and know for yourself [for your own good].”

Footnotes

  1. Job 5:4 Lit deliverer.

Eliphaz: God is Correcting You

“Cry out now! Will anyone answer you?
    To which of the holy ones will you turn?
For resentment kills a fool,
    and envy slays the simple.
I myself have seen a fool taking root,
    but suddenly I cursed his dwelling.
His sons are far from safety,
    and crushed at the gate without a deliverer!
The hungry consumes his harvest,
    taking it even from among thorns,
    and the thirsty pants after their wealth.
For evil does not come from the dust,
    nor does trouble sprout from the ground.
Yet man is born for trouble,
    as surely as sparks fly upward.
But as for me, I would seek God;
    I would lay my cause before God.
Who does great things beyond comprehension,
    wonders without number.
10 Who gives rain to the earth
    and sends water over the plains.
11 Who places the lowly on high
    and lifts mourners to salvation.
12 Who frustrates the plans of the crafty,
    so that their hands attain no success.
13 Who catches the clever in their craftiness,
    and thwarts the plan of the cunning.
14 By day they encounter darkness
    and grope at noon as if it were night.
15 But He saves the needy from the sword of their mouth,
    and from the clutches of the mighty.
16 So the helpless have hope
    and injustice shuts its mouth.

17 Behold, happy is the one whom God corrects,
    so do not despise the discipline of Shaddai.
18 For He inflicts pain, but He also binds up;
He injures, yet His hands also heal.
19 From six calamities He will deliver you,
    even in seven, no harm will touch you.
20 In famine, He will redeem you from death,
    and in war, from the power of the sword.
21 You will be hidden from the lash of the tongue,
    and not fear when violence comes.
22 You will laugh at violence and famine,
    and will not fear the beasts of the earth.
23 For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field,
    and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will know shalom in your tent,
    and you will take stock of your home
    and find nothing missing.

25 “You will know that
    your descendants will be numerous
    your offspring like the grass of the earth.
26 You will come to the grave in vigor,
    like sheaves of grain in its season.
27 Behold, we have investigated this—it is true.
Hear it, and apply it to yourself!”

Eliphaz’s Response Continues

“Cry for help, but will anyone answer you?
    Which of the angels[a] will help you?
Surely resentment destroys the fool,
    and jealousy kills the simple.
I have seen that fools may be successful for the moment,
    but then comes sudden disaster.
Their children are abandoned far from help;
    they are crushed in court with no one to defend them.
The hungry devour their harvest,
    even when it is guarded by brambles.[b]
    The thirsty pant after their wealth.[c]
But evil does not spring from the soil,
    and trouble does not sprout from the earth.
People are born for trouble
    as readily as sparks fly up from a fire.

“If I were you, I would go to God
    and present my case to him.
He does great things too marvelous to understand.
    He performs countless miracles.
10 He gives rain for the earth
    and water for the fields.
11 He gives prosperity to the poor
    and protects those who suffer.
12 He frustrates the plans of schemers
    so the work of their hands will not succeed.
13 He traps the wise in their own cleverness
    so their cunning schemes are thwarted.
14 They find it is dark in the daytime,
    and they grope at noon as if it were night.
15 He rescues the poor from the cutting words of the strong,
    and rescues them from the clutches of the powerful.
16 And so at last the poor have hope,
    and the snapping jaws of the wicked are shut.

17 “But consider the joy of those corrected by God!
    Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin.
18 For though he wounds, he also bandages.
    He strikes, but his hands also heal.
19 From six disasters he will rescue you;
    even in the seventh, he will keep you from evil.
20 He will save you from death in time of famine,
    from the power of the sword in time of war.
21 You will be safe from slander
    and have no fear when destruction comes.
22 You will laugh at destruction and famine;
    wild animals will not terrify you.
23 You will be at peace with the stones of the field,
    and its wild animals will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your home is safe.
    When you survey your possessions, nothing will be missing.
25 You will have many children;
    your descendants will be as plentiful as grass!
26 You will go to the grave at a ripe old age,
    like a sheaf of grain harvested at the proper time!

27 “We have studied life and found all this to be true.
    Listen to my counsel, and apply it to yourself.”

Footnotes

  1. 5:1 Hebrew the holy ones.
  2. 5:5a The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  3. 5:5b As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads A snare snatches their wealth.

“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