Job 5
What Happens in This Chapter
Eliphaz keeps speaking to Job. He says that anger and envy destroy foolish people, and that trouble comes to every person. He tells Job to bring his case to God, who does great things, lifts up the low, and stops the plans of tricky people. He ends by saying God corrects people, and that if Job accepts it, he will be safe and live a long life.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?
1Call out now, if you want. See if anyone answers you. Which of God's holy ones will you turn to?
2For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.
2Anger kills a foolish man. Envy destroys a person who is easily fooled.
"Silly" here does not mean funny. It means someone who is simple and easy to fool.
3I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.
3I once saw a fool growing strong, like a tree with deep roots. But all at once his home was cursed.
4His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.
4His children are not safe. They lose in court, and no one stands up to help them.
In those days, the city gate was where judges met. "Crushed in the gate" means they lost their case in court.
5Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.
5Hungry people eat up the crops he grew. They even pull them out from the thorns. Others grab everything he owns.
6Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;
6Trouble does not grow up out of the dust. Hard times do not sprout from the ground on their own.
7Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
7But people are born to have trouble. It is as sure as sparks flying up from a fire.
8I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:
8If I were you, I would go to God. I would lay my whole problem in front of him.
9Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:
9God does great things that no one can figure out. He does wonderful things too many to count.
10Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields:
10He sends rain down on the earth. He sends water onto the fields.
11To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.
11He lifts up people who are low. He brings sad people up to a safe place.
12He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.
12He ruins the plans of sneaky people. Their hands never finish what they started.
13He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.
13He catches clever people in their own tricks. He sweeps away the plans of dishonest people.
14They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope in the noonday as in the night.
14In the daytime they walk in the dark. At noon they feel their way, as if it were night.
15But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.
15But God saves poor people from the sword. He saves them from cruel words and from the grip of strong men.
16So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth.
16So poor people have hope. And people who do wrong have to shut their mouths.
17Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
17Listen. The man God corrects is glad in the end. So do not hate it when God, who has all power, teaches you this way.
18For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
18He hurts, and then he wraps the wound. He strikes, and then his hands make you well.
19He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
19He will rescue you from six troubles. Even in seven, nothing bad will touch you.
20In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.
20When food runs out, he will keep you from dying. In war, he will keep you safe from the sword.
21Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
21He will hide you from words that hurt. You will not be afraid when things fall apart.
22At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
22You will laugh at ruin and hunger. You will not be afraid of wild animals.
23For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
23Even the stones in your field will be at peace with you. The wild animals will not harm you.
24And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.
24You will know that your tent is safe. You will look over your home and find nothing missing.
The old English says "shalt not sin." Here it means you will look over your home and find nothing wrong or missing.
25Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.
25You will know that you will have many children. Your family will spread out like grass on the ground.
26Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.
26You will live a long, full life before you die. You will be like grain gathered at just the right time.
"Corn" in old English meant grain of any kind, like wheat. A "shock of corn" is a bundle of grain gathered at harvest.
27Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.
27We have looked into all this, and it is true. Listen to it. Learn it for your own good.
← → to turn the page · P for plain English · click a verse to sit with it