^{1 Ref} Call now; is there any that will answer thee? And to which of the holy ones wilt thou turn?

^{2 Ref} For vexation killeth the foolish man, And jealousy slayeth the silly one.

^{3 Ref} I have seen the foolish taking root: But suddenly I cursed his habitation.

^{4 Ref} His children are far from safety, And they are crushed in the gate, Neither is there any to deliver them:

^{5 Ref} Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, And taketh it even out of the thorns; And the snare gapeth for their substance.

^{6 Ref} For affliction cometh not forth from the dust, Neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;

^{7 Ref} But man is born unto trouble, As the sparks fly upward.

^{8 Ref} But as for me, I would seek unto God, And unto God would I commit my cause;

^{9 Ref} Who doeth great things and unsearchable, Marvellous things without number:

^{10 Ref} Who giveth rain upon the earth, And sendeth waters upon the fields;

^{11 Ref} So that he setteth up on high those that are low, And those that mourn are exalted to safety.

^{12 Ref} He frustrateth the devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.

^{13 Ref} He taketh the wise in their own craftiness; And the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.

^{14 Ref} They meet with darkness in the day-time, And grope at noonday as in the night.

^{15 Ref} But he saveth from the sword of their mouth, Even the needy from the hand of the mighty.

^{16 Ref} So the poor hath hope, And iniquity stoppeth her mouth.

^{17 Ref} Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.

^{18 Ref} For he maketh sore, and bindeth up; He woundeth, and his hands make whole.

^{19 Ref} He will deliver thee in six troubles; Yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

^{20 Ref} In famine he will redeem thee from death; And in war from the power of the sword.

^{21 Ref} Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue; Neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

^{22 Ref} At destruction and dearth thou shalt laugh; Neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

^{23 Ref} For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field; And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.

^{24 Ref} And thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace; And thou shalt visit thy fold, and shalt miss nothing.

^{25 Ref} Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, And thine offspring as the grass of the earth.

^{26 Ref} Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, Like as a shock of grain cometh in in its season.

^{27 Ref} Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; Hear it, and know thou it for thy good.

^{1 Ref} Pray, call, is there any to answer thee? And unto which of the holy ones dost thou turn?

^{2 Ref} For provocation slayeth the perverse, And envy putteth to death the simple,

^{3 Ref} I -- I have seen the perverse taking root, And I mark his habitation straightway,

^{4 Ref} Far are his sons from safety, And they are bruised in the gate, And there is no deliverer.

^{5 Ref} Whose harvest the hungry doth eat, And even from the thorns taketh it, And the designing swallowed their wealth.

^{6 Ref} For sorrow cometh not forth from the dust, Nor from the ground springeth up misery.

^{7 Ref} For man to misery is born, And the sparks go high to fly.

^{8 Ref} Yet I -- I inquire for God, And for God I give my word,

^{9 Ref} Doing great things, and there is no searching. Wonderful, till there is no numbering.

^{10 Ref} Who is giving rain on the face of the land, And is sending waters on the out-places.

^{11 Ref} To set the low on a high place, And the mourners have been high `in' safety.

^{12 Ref} Making void thoughts of the subtile, And their hands do not execute wisdom.

^{13 Ref} Capturing the wise in their subtilty, And the counsel of wrestling ones was hastened,

^{14 Ref} By day they meet darkness, And as night -- they grope at noon.

^{15 Ref} And He saveth the wasted from their mouth, And from a strong hand the needy,

^{16 Ref} And there is hope to the poor, And perverseness hath shut her mouth.

^{17 Ref} Lo, the happiness of mortal man, God doth reprove him: And the chastisement of the Mighty despise not,

^{18 Ref} For He doth pain, and He bindeth up, He smiteth, and His hands heal.

^{19 Ref} In six distresses He delivereth thee, And in seven evil striketh not on thee.

^{20 Ref} In famine He hath redeemed thee from death, And in battle from the hands of the sword.

^{21 Ref} When the tongue scourgeth thou art hid, And thou art not afraid of destruction, When it cometh.

^{22 Ref} At destruction and at hunger thou mockest, And of the beast of the earth, Thou art not afraid.

^{23 Ref} (For with sons of the field `is' thy covenant, And the beast of the field Hath been at peace with thee.)

^{24 Ref} And thou hast known that thy tent `is' peace, And inspected thy habitation, and errest not,

^{25 Ref} And hast known that numerous `is' Thy seed, And thine offspring as the herb of the earth;

^{26 Ref} Thou comest in full age unto the grave, As the going up of a stalk in its season.

^{27 Ref} Lo, this -- we searched it out -- it `is' right, hearken; And thou, know for thyself!