Job 5-6

Job 5

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

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

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

⁴His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.

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

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

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

⁸But as for me, I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:

⁹Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvelous things without number:

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

¹¹So that he setteth up on high those that be low; and those which mourn are exalted to safety.

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

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

¹⁴They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope at noonday as in the night.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Job 6

¹Then Job answered and said,

²Oh that my vexation were but weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!

³For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas: therefore have my words been rash.

⁴For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof my spirit drinketh up: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.

⁵Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?

⁶Can that which hath no savour be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

⁷My soul refuseth to touch them; they are as loathsome meat to me.

⁸Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for.

⁹Even that it would please God to crush me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!

¹⁰Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would exult in pain that spareth not: for I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

¹¹What is my strength, that I should wait? and what is mine end, at I should be patient?

¹²Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass?

¹³Is it not that I have no help in me, and that effectual working is driven quite from me?

¹⁴To him that is ready to faint kindness should be shewed from his friend; even to him that forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.

¹⁵My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, as the channel of brooks that pass away;

¹⁶Which are black by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow hideth itself:

¹⁷What time they wax warm, they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.

¹⁸The caravans that travel by the way of them turn aside; they go up into the waste, and perish.

¹⁹The caravans of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.

²⁰They were ashamed because they had hoped; they came thither, and were confounded.

²¹For now ye are nothing; ye see a terror, and are afraid.

²²Did I say, Give unto me? or, offer a present for me of your substance?

²³Or, Deliver me from the adversary’s hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the oppressors?

²⁴Teach me, and I will hold my peace: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.

²⁵How forcible are words of uprightness! but what doth your arguing reprove?

²⁶Do ye imagine to reprove words? seeing that the speeches of one that is desperate are as wind.

²⁷Yea, ye would cast lots upon the fatherless, and make merchandise of your friend.

²⁸Now therefore be pleased to look upon me; for surely I shall not lie to your face.

²⁹Return, I pray you, let there be no injustice; yea, return again, my cause is righteous.

³⁰Is there injustice on my tongue? cannot my taste discern mischievous things?