5 Call out! Is there anyone there to answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 It’s true, the fool is killed by resentment,
and the gullible are put to death by jealousy.
3 I myself have seen a fool putting down roots,
but immediately I pronounced a curse on his home.[a]
4 His children are far from safety.
They are crushed at the city gate without a defender.
5 His harvest is eaten by the hungry,
who snatch it away, even from among the thorns,
and the thirsty[b] swallow his children’s wealth.
6 Disaster does not just spring up from the dust,
nor does trouble sprout from the soil.
7 No, mankind is born for[c] trouble as surely as flames fly upward.
8 But I want to appeal to God.
I want to present my case to him.[d]
9 He does great things that are beyond investigation,
and miracles that are too many to be counted.
10 He provides rain for the earth.
He waters the fields in the countryside.
11 He raises the lowly to the heights,
and he lifts those who mourn to safety.
12 He foils the plots of clever schemers,
so that their hands achieve no success.
13 He traps the wise in their schemes,
and the plans of the devious come to a swift end.
14 By day they encounter darkness,
and at noon they grope around as if it were night.
15 He saves the poor from mouths that cut like a sword
and from the hand of the strong.
16 He does this so that the helpless will have hope,
and injustice will shut its mouth.
17 Consider this:
How blessed is the man whom God corrects!
Do not reject the discipline of the Almighty!
18 For though he may inflict wounds, he also bandages them.
Though he may strike, his hands also heal.
19 From six calamities he will rescue you.
In seven no harm will touch you.
20 In famine he will redeem you from death,
and in battle he will redeem you from the power of the sword.
21 You will be hidden from the lash of the tongue,
and you will not be afraid of devastation when it comes.
22 You will laugh at devastation and hunger.
You will not be afraid of the wild animals of the countryside,
23 because there will be a covenant between you and the stones in the field,
and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your tent is secure,
and when you inspect your property, you will find nothing missing.
25 You will know that your offspring will be many,
and your descendants will be like grass from the earth.
26 You will come to the grave at a ripe old age,
like a stack of sheaves that is gathered in season.
27 Consider this:
We have investigated this carefully, and it is true!
Pay close attention and apply it to yourself!