1 “ Call now, is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn?

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

2 “ For anger slays the foolish man, And jealousy kills the simple.

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

3 “ I have seen the foolish taking root, And I cursed his abode immediately.

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

4 “ His sons are far from safety, They are even oppressed in the gate, And there is no deliverer.

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

5 “ His harvest the hungry devour And take it to a place of thorns, And the schemer is eager for their wealth.

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

6 “ For affliction does not come from the dust, Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,

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

7 F or man is born for trouble, As sparks fly upward.

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

8 “ But as for me, I would seek God, And I would place my cause before God;

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

9 W ho does great and unsearchable things, Wonders without number.

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

10 “ He gives rain on the earth And sends water on the fields,

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

11 S o that He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety.

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

12 “ He frustrates the plotting of the shrewd, So that their hands cannot attain success.

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

13 “ He captures the wise by their own shrewdness, And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.

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

14 “ By day they meet with darkness, And grope at noon as in the night.

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

15 “ But He saves from the sword of their mouth, And the poor from the hand of the mighty.

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

16 “ So the helpless has hope, And unrighteousness must shut its mouth.

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

17 “ Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves, So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

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

18 “ For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; He wounds, and His hands also heal.

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

19 “ From six troubles He will deliver you, Even in seven evil will not touch you.

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

20 “ In famine He will redeem you from death, And in war from the power of the sword.

In famine he shall redeem thee 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 violence when it comes.

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

22 “ You will laugh at violence and famine, And you will not be afraid of wild beasts.

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

23 “ For you will be in league with the stones of the field, And the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.

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 “ You will know that your tent is secure, For you will visit your abode and fear no loss.

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

25 “ You will know also that your descendants will be many, And your offspring as the grass of the earth.

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

26 “ You will come to the grave in full vigor, Like the stacking of grain in its season.

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

27 “ Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is. Hear it, and know for yourself.”

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