5:1 Call now;¹ is there are any who will answer you,²
and to which of the holy ones³ will you turn?⁴
5:2 For⁵ wrath kills the foolish person,⁶
and anger⁷ slays the silly one.
5:3 I myself⁸ have seen the fool⁹ taking root,
but suddenly I cursed his habitation.¹⁰
5:4 His children are far¹¹ from safety,
and they are crushed¹² in the gate,¹³
neither is there any to deliver them.¹⁴
5:5 Whose harvest¹⁵ the hungry¹⁶ eat up,
and takes it even out of the thorns,¹⁷
and the thirsty¹⁸ swallow up¹⁹ their fortune.²⁰
5:6 For evil does not come up from the dust,²¹
neither does trouble spring up from the ground,
5:7 but man is born²² to trouble,
as the sparks²³ fly²⁴ upward.²⁵

Blessings for the One Who Seeks God²⁶

5:8 But²⁷ as for me,²⁸ I would seek²⁹ God,³⁰
and to God³¹ I would set forth my case,³²
5:9 who does³³ great and unsearchable³⁴ things,
marvelous things without³⁵ number;³⁶
5:10 who gives³⁷ rain upon the earth,³⁸
and sends³⁹ water upon the fields;⁴⁰
5:11 setting⁴¹ the lowly⁴² on high,
that those who mourn⁴³ are raised⁴⁴ to safety.
5:12 He frustrates⁴⁵ the plans⁴⁶ of the crafty⁴⁷
so that⁴⁸ their hands do not accomplish
what they had planned!⁴⁹
5:13 He catches⁵⁰ the wise in their own craftiness,⁵¹
and the counsel of the wily⁵² is brought to a quick end.⁵³
5:14 They meet with darkness in the daytime,⁵⁴
and grope⁵⁵ in the noonday as in the night.⁵⁶
5:15 So he saves⁵⁷ from the sword, from their mouth,⁵⁸
even⁵⁹ the poor from the hand of the mighty.
5:16 Thus the poor have hope,
and iniquity shuts her mouth.⁶⁰
5:17 Therefore,⁶¹ blessed⁶² is the man whom God corrects,⁶³
so do not despise the chastening⁶⁴
of the Almighty.⁶⁵
5:18 For⁶⁶ he⁶⁷ wounds,⁶⁸ and he binds up;
he strikes, and his hands heal.
5:19 In six calamities he will deliver you,⁶⁹
yes, in seven⁷⁰ no evil will touch you.
5:20 In famine⁷¹ he will redeem you from death,
and in war from the power of the sword.⁷²
5:21 You will be protected⁷³ from the lash⁷⁴ of the tongue,⁷⁵
neither will you be afraid of the destruction⁷⁶
when it comes.
5:22 At destruction and famine⁷⁷ you will laugh,
and neither need⁷⁸ you be afraid of the beasts of the field.
5:23 For you will have a pact with the stones⁷⁹ of the field,
and the animals of the field will be at peace⁸⁰
with you.
5:24 And⁸¹ you will know⁸² that your dwelling⁸³
will be secure,⁸⁴
and when you inspect⁸⁵ your dwelling,
you will not be missing⁸⁶ anything.
5:25 You will know also that your seed will be great
and your offspring⁸⁷ as the grass of the earth.
5:26 You will come to your grave in a full age,⁸⁸
As a shock of corn rises in its season.
5:27 Look, we have searched it, so it is.
Hear it,⁸⁹ and know it for your own⁹⁰ good.⁹¹