| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1"Cry out, won't you! Is there anyone who will answer you? To whom will you turn among the holy ones? | 1Call out if you please. Will anyone answer you? Which of the holy ones will you turn to? |
| 2For wrath will slay a fool; zealous anger will kill the naive. | 2For anger kills a fool, and jealousy slays the gullible. |
| 3"I myself saw a fool becoming established, but I suddenly cursed where he lived. | 3I have seen a fool taking root, but I immediately pronounced a curse on his home. |
| 4His children are far from deliverance; they'll be maltreated before they leave home, with no one to rescue them. | 4His children are far from safety. They are crushed at the city gate, with no one to rescue them. |
| 5Then the hungry will devour his harvest, snatching it even from the midst of thorns, while the thirsty covet their wealth. | 5The hungry consume his harvest, even taking it out of the thorns. The thirsty pant for his children's wealth. |
| 6For wickedness doesn't crop up from dust, nor does trouble sprout out of the ground; | 6For distress does not grow out of the soil, and trouble does not sprout from the ground. |
| 7But mankind is born headed for trouble, just as sparks soar skyward." | 7But mankind is born for trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. |
| 8"Now as for me, I would seek God if I were you; I would commit my case to God. | 8However, if I were you, I would appeal to God and would present my case to Him. |
| 9He is always doing great things that cannot be explained, countless awesome deeds. | 9He does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number. |
| 10He sends rain on the surface of the earth, and waters the surface of the open country. | 10He gives rain to the earth and sends water to the fields. |
| 11He sets the lowly on high, and lifts those who mourn to safety. | 11He sets the lowly on high, and mourners are lifted to safety. |
| 12He frustrates the plans of the crafty; so that what they work for never succeeds. | 12He frustrates the schemes of the crafty so that they achieve no success. |
| 13He captures the wise in their own craftiness, bringing a quick end to their cunning advice. | 13He traps the wise in their craftiness so that the plans of the deceptive are quickly brought to an end. |
| 14They meet with darkness in broad daylight; at noonday they grope around as if it were night. | 14They encounter darkness by day, and they grope at noon as if it were night. |
| 15So he delivers from the sword of their mouth— the poor from the power of the mighty. | 15He saves the needy from their sharp words and from the clutches of the powerful. |
| 16Therefore there is hope for those who are poor, and iniquity shuts its mouth. | 16So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth. |
| 17"Indeed, how blessed is the person whom God reproves! So never disrespect the discipline of the Almighty, | 17See how happy the man is God corrects; so do not reject the discipline of the Almighty. |
| 18because though he wounds, but then applies bandages; though he strikes, his hands still heal. | 18For He crushes but also binds up; He strikes, but His hands also heal. |
| 19"He will deliver you through six calamities; and calamity won't touch you throughout the seventh. | 19He will rescue you from six calamities; no harm will touch you in seven. |
| 20He will deliver you from death by famine; in war from the power of the sword. | 20In famine He will redeem you from death, and in battle, from the power of the sword. |
| 21You'll be protected from the accusing tongue; you need not fear destruction when it heads your way. | 21You will be safe from slander and not fear destruction when it comes. |
| 22You'll laugh at destruction and famine; and you need not fear the beasts of the earth. | 22You will laugh at destruction and hunger and not fear the animals of the earth. |
| 23For you'll have a pact with the stones in the field; and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you. | 23For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you. |
| 24You'll know that your home is secure; when you search your possessions, and nothing will be missing. | 24You will know that your tent is secure, and nothing will be missing when you inspect your home. |
| 25You'll know that you'll have many children; and that your offspring will be like the grass of the earth. | 25You will also know that your offspring will be many and your descendants like the grass of the earth. |
| 26You'll go to your grave at a ripe old age; like a stack of grain that's harvested at just the right time. | 26You will approach the grave in full vigor, as a stack of sheaves is gathered in its season. |
| 27"Look! We have thought all this through, and what we've said is true; So please listen and learn for your own good!" | 27We have investigated this, and it is true! Hear it and understand it for yourself. |
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