1“Call now, is there anyone who will answer you?

And to which of the holy ones will you turn?

2“For irritation kills the fool,

And jealousy brings death to the simple.

3“I have seen the fool taking root,

And I cursed his home immediately.

4“His sons are far from safety,

They are also [a]oppressed at the gate,

And there is no one to save them.

5“[b]The hungry devour his harvest

And take it to a place of thorns,

And the [c]schemer is eager for their wealth.

6“For disaster does not come from the dust,

Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,

7For man is born for trouble,

As sparks fly upward.

8“But as for me, I would seek God,

And I would make my plea before God,

9Who does great and unsearchable things,

[d]Wonders without number.

10“He gives rain on the earth,

And sends water on the fields,

11So that He sets on high those who are lowly,

And those who mourn are lifted to safety.

12“He frustrates the schemes of the shrewd,

So that their hands cannot attain success.

13“He captures the wise by their own cleverness,

And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.

14“By day they meet with darkness,

And grope at noon as in the night.

15“But He saves from the sword of their mouth,

And the poor from the hand of the strong.

16“So the helpless has hope,

And injustice has shut its mouth.

17“Behold, happy is the person whom God disciplines,

So do not reject the discipline of [e]the Almighty.

18“For He inflicts pain, and [f]gives relief;

He wounds, but His hands also heal.

19“In six troubles He will save you;

Even in seven, evil will not touch you.

20“In famine He will redeem you from death,

And in war, from the power of the sword.

21“You will be hidden [g]from the scourge of the tongue,

And you will not be afraid of violence when it comes.

22“You will laugh at violence and hunger,

And you will not be afraid of [h]wild animals.

23“For you will be in league with the stones of the field,

And the animals of the field will be at peace with you.

24“You will know that your tent is secure,

For you will visit your home and [i]have nothing missing.

25“You will also know that your [j]descendants will be many,

And your offspring as the grass of the earth.

26“You will come to the grave at a ripe age,

Like the stacking of grain in its season.

27“Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.

Hear it, and know for yourself.”