| 1 Call now! Will anyone respond to you? To which of the holy ones will you appeal? | 1 "Call now; is there any one who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn? |
| 2 Nay, impatience kills the fool and indignation slays the simpleton. | 2 Surely vexation kills the fool, and jealousy slays the simple. |
| 3 I have seen a fool spreading his roots, but his household suddenly decayed. | 3 I have seen the fool taking root, but suddenly I cursed his dwelling. |
| 4 His children shall be far from safety; they shall be crushed at the gate without a rescuer. | 4 His sons are far from safety, they are crushed in the gate, and there is no one to deliver them. |
| 5 What they have reaped the hungry shall eat up; (or God shall take it away by blight;) and the thirsty shall swallow their substance. | 5 His harvest the hungry eat, and he takes it even out of thorns; and the thirsty pant after his wealth. |
| 6 For mischief comes not out of the earth, nor does trouble spring out of the ground; | 6 For affliction does not come from the dust, nor does trouble sprout from the ground; |
| 7 But man himself begets mischief, as sparks fly upward. | 7 but man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. |
| 8 In your place, I would appeal to God, and to God I would state my plea. | 8 "As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause; |
| 9 | 9 who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number: |
| 10 He gives rain upon the earth and sends water upon the fields; | 10 he gives rain upon the earth and sends waters upon the fields; |
| 11 He sets up on high the lowly, and those who mourn he exalts to safety. | 11 he sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. |
| 12 He frustrates the plans of the cunning, so that their hands achieve no success; | 12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. |
| 13 He catches the wise in their own ruses, and the designs of the crafty are routed. | 13 He takes the wise in their own craftiness; and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end. |
| 14 They meet with darkness in the daytime, and at noonday they grope as though it were night. | 14 They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope at noonday as in the night. |
| 15 But the poor from the edge of the sword and from the hand of the mighty, he saves. | 15 But he saves the fatherless from their mouth, the needy from the hand of the mighty. |
| 16 Thus the unfortunate have hope, and iniquity closes her mouth. | 16 So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth. |
| 17 Happy is the man whom God reproves! The Almighty's chastening do not reject. | 17 "Behold, happy is the man whom God reproves; therefore despise not the chastening of the Almighty. |
| 18 For he wounds, but he binds up; he smites, but his hands give healing. | 18 For he wounds, but he binds up; he smites, but his hands heal. |
| 19 Out of six troubles he will deliver you, and at the seventh no evil shall touch you. | 19 He will deliver you from six troubles; in seven there shall no evil touch you. |
| 20 In famine he will deliver you from death, and in war from the threat of the sword; | 20 In famine he will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword. |
| 21 From the scourge of the tongue you shall be hidden, and shall not fear approaching ruin. | 21 You shall be hid from the scourge of the tongue, and shall not fear destruction when it comes. |
| 22 At destruction and want you shall laugh; the beasts of the earth you need not dread. | 22 At destruction and famine you shall laugh, and shall not fear the beasts of the earth. |
| 23 You shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the wild beasts shall be at peace with you. | 23 For you shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you. |
| 24 And you shall know that your tent is secure; taking stock of your household, you shall miss nothing. | 24 You shall know that your tent is safe, and you shall inspect your fold and miss nothing. |
| 25 You shall know that your descendants are many, and your offspring as the grass of the earth. | 25 You shall know also that your descendants shall be many, and your offspring as the grass of the earth. |
| 26 You shall approach the grave in full vigor, as a shock of grain comes in at its season. | 26 You shall come to your grave in ripe old age, as a shock of grain comes up to the threshing floor in its season. |
| 27 Lo, this we have searched out; so it is! This we have heard, and you should know. | 27 Lo, this we have searched out; it is true. Hear, and know it for your good." |