1 “ Call out now; Is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn?

Pray, call, is there any to answer thee? And unto which of the holy ones dost thou turn?

2 F or wrath kills a foolish man, And envy slays a simple one.

For provocation slayeth the perverse, And envy putteth to death the simple,

3 I have seen the foolish taking root, But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place.

I -- I have seen the perverse taking root, And I mark his habitation straightway,

4 H is sons are far from safety, They are crushed in the gate, And there is no deliverer.

Far are his sons from safety, And they are bruised in the gate, And there is no deliverer.

5 B ecause the hungry eat up his harvest, Taking it even from the thorns, And a snare snatches their substance.

Whose harvest the hungry doth eat, And even from the thorns taketh it, And the designing swallowed their wealth.

6 F or affliction does not come from the dust, Nor does trouble spring from the ground;

For sorrow cometh not forth from the dust, Nor from the ground springeth up misery.

7 Y et man is born to trouble, As the sparks fly upward.

For man to misery is born, And the sparks go high to fly.

8 “ But as for me, I would seek God, And to God I would commit my cause—

Yet I -- I inquire for God, And for God I give my word,

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

Doing great things, and there is no searching. Wonderful, till there is no numbering.

10 H e gives rain on the earth, And sends waters on the fields.

Who is giving rain on the face of the land, And is sending waters on the out-places.

11 H e sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety.

To set the low on a high place, And the mourners have been high safety.

12 H e frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot carry out their plans.

Making void thoughts of the subtile, And their hands do not execute wisdom.

13 H e catches the wise in their own craftiness, And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them.

Capturing the wise in their subtilty, And the counsel of wrestling ones was hastened,

14 T hey meet with darkness in the daytime, And grope at noontime as in the night.

By day they meet darkness, And as night -- they grope at noon.

15 B ut He saves the needy from the sword, From the mouth of the mighty, And from their hand.

And He saveth the wasted from their mouth, And from a strong hand the needy,

16 S o the poor have hope, And injustice shuts her mouth.

And there is hope to the poor, And perverseness hath shut her mouth.

17 “ Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.

Lo, the happiness of mortal man, God doth reprove him: And the chastisement of the Mighty despise not,

18 F or He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole.

For He doth pain, and He bindeth up, He smiteth, and His hands heal.

19 H e shall deliver you in six troubles, Yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.

In six distresses He delivereth thee, And in seven evil striketh not on thee.

20 I n famine He shall redeem you from death, And in war from the power of the sword.

In famine He hath redeemed thee from death, And in battle from the hands of the sword.

21 Y ou shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes.

When the tongue scourgeth thou art hid, And thou art not afraid of destruction, When it cometh.

22 Y ou shall laugh at destruction and famine, And you shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

At destruction and at hunger thou mockest, And of the beast of the earth, Thou art not afraid.

23 F or you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field, And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.

(For with sons of the field thy covenant, And the beast of the field Hath been at peace with thee.)

24 Y ou shall know that your tent is in peace; You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss.

And thou hast known that thy tent peace, And inspected thy habitation, and errest not,

25 Y ou shall also know that your descendants shall be many, And your offspring like the grass of the earth.

And hast known that numerous Thy seed, And thine offspring as the herb of the earth;

26 Y ou shall come to the grave at a full age, As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season.

Thou comest in full age unto the grave, As the going up of a stalk in its season.

27 B ehold, this we have searched out; It is true. Hear it, and know for yourself.”

Lo, this -- we searched it out -- it right, hearken; And thou, know for thyself!