5:1   Job, call out for help and see if an angel comes!

5:2   Envy and jealousy will kill a stupid fool.

5:3   I have seen fools take root. But God sends a curse, suddenly uprooting them

5:4   and leaving their children helpless in court.

5:5   Then hungry and greedy people gobble down their crops and grab up their wealth.

5:6   Our suffering isn't caused by the failure of crops;

5:7   it's all part of life, like sparks shooting skyward.

5:8   Job, if I were you, I would ask God for help.

5:9   His miracles are marvelous, more than we can count.

5:10   God sends showers on earth and waters the fields.

5:11   He protects the sorrowful and lifts up those who have been disgraced.

5:12   God swiftly traps the wicked

5:13   in their own evil schemes, and their wisdom fails.

5:14   Darkness is their only companion, hiding their path at noon.

5:15   God rescues the needy from the words of the wicked and the fist of the mighty.

5:16   The poor are filled with hope, and injustice is silenced.

5:17   Consider yourself fortunate if God All-Powerful chooses to correct you.

5:18   He may cause injury and pain, but he will bandage and heal your cuts and bruises.

5:19   God will protect you from harm, no matter how often trouble may strike.

5:20   In times of war and famine, God will keep you safe.

5:21   You will be sheltered, without fear of hurtful words or any other weapon.

5:22   You will laugh at the threat of destruction and famine. And you won't be afraid of wild animals--

5:23   they will no longer be fierce, and your rocky fields will become friendly.

5:24   Your home will be secure, and your sheep will be safe.

5:25   You will have more descendants than there are blades of grass on the face of the earth.

5:26   You will live a long life, and your body will be strong until the day you die.

5:27   Our experience has proven these things to be true, so listen and learn.