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

1 קְֽרָא־נָ֭א הֲיֵ֣שׁ עֹונֶ֑ךָּ וְאֶל־מִ֖י מִקְּדֹשִׁ֣ים³ תִּפְנֶֽה׃

2 For vexation killeth the foolish man, And jealousy slayeth the silly one.

2 כִּֽי־לֶֽ֭אֱוִיל יַהֲרָג־כָּ֑עַשׂ וּ֝פֹתֶ֗ה תָּמִ֥ית קִנְאָֽה׃

3 I have seen the foolish taking root: But suddenly I cursed his habitation.

3 אֲ‍ֽנִי־רָ֭אִיתִי אֱוִ֣יל מַשְׁרִ֑ישׁ וָאֶקֹּ֖וב נָוֵ֣הוּ פִתְאֹֽם׃

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

4 יִרְחֲק֣וּ בָנָ֣יו מִיֶּ֑שַׁע וְיִֽדַּכְּא֥וּ בַ֝שַּׁ֗עַר וְאֵ֣ין מַצִּֽיל׃

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

5 אֲשֶׁ֤ר קְצִירֹ֨ו׀ רָ֘עֵ֤ב יֹאכֵ֗ל וְאֶֽל־מִצִּנִּ֥ים יִקָּחֵ֑הוּ וְשָׁאַ֖ף צַמִּ֣ים חֵילָֽם׃

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

6 כִּ֤י׀ לֹא־יֵצֵ֣א מֵעָפָ֣ר אָ֑וֶן וּ֝מֵאֲדָמָ֗ה לֹא־יִצְמַ֥ח עָמָֽל׃

7 But man is born unto trouble, As the sparks fly upward.

7 כִּֽי־אָ֭דָם לְעָמָ֣ל יוּלָּ֑ד וּבְנֵי־רֶ֝֗שֶׁף יַגְבִּ֥יהוּ עֽוּף׃

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

8 אוּלָ֗ם אֲ֭נִי אֶדְרֹ֣שׁ אֶל־אֵ֑ל וְאֶל־אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים אָשִׂ֥ים דִּבְרָתִֽי׃

9 Who doeth great things and unsearchable, Marvellous things without number:

9 עֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלֹות וְאֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר נִ֝פְלָאֹ֗ות עַד־אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃

10 Who giveth rain upon the earth, And sendeth waters upon the fields;

10 הַנֹּתֵ֣ן מָ֭טָר עַל־פְּנֵי־אָ֑רֶץ וְשֹׁ֥לֵֽחַ מַ֝יִם עַל־פְּנֵ֥י חוּצֹֽות׃

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

11 לָשׂ֣וּם שְׁפָלִ֣ים לְמָרֹ֑ום וְ֝קֹדְרִ֗ים שָׂ֣גְבוּ יֶֽשַׁע׃

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

12 מֵ֭פֵר מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ות עֲרוּמִ֑ים וְֽלֹא־תַעֲשֶׂ֥ינָה יְ֝דֵיהֶ֗ם תּוּשִׁיָּֽה׃

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

13 לֹכֵ֣ד חֲכָמִ֣ים בְּעָרְמָ֑ם וַעֲצַ֖ת נִפְתָּלִ֣ים נִמְהָֽרָה׃

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

14 יֹומָ֥ם יְפַגְּשׁוּ־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וְ֝כַלַּ֗יְלָה יְֽמַשְׁשׁ֥וּ בַֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם׃

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

15 וַיֹּ֣שַׁע מֵ֭חֶרֶב מִפִּיהֶ֑ם וּמִיַּ֖ד חָזָ֣ק אֶבְיֹֽון׃

16 So the poor hath hope, And iniquity stoppeth her mouth.

16 וַתְּהִ֣י לַדַּ֣ל תִּקְוָ֑ה וְ֝עֹלָ֗תָה קָ֣פְצָה פִּֽיהָ׃

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

17 הִנֵּ֤ה אַשְׁרֵ֣י אֱ֭נֹושׁ יֹוכִחֶ֣נּֽוּ אֱלֹ֑והַּ וּמוּסַ֥ר דַּ֗י אַל־תִּמְאָֽס׃

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

18 כִּ֤י ה֣וּא יַכְאִ֣יב וְיֶחְבָּ֑שׁ יִ֝מְחַ֗ץ וְיָדֹו וְיָדָ֥יו תִּרְפֶּֽינָה׃

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

19 בְּשֵׁ֣שׁ צָ֭רֹות יַצִּילֶ֑ךָּ וּבְשֶׁ֓בַע׀ לֹא־יִגַּ֖ע בְּךָ֣ רָֽע׃

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

20 בְּ֭רָעָב פָּֽדְךָ֣ מִמָּ֑וֶת וּ֝בְמִלְחָמָ֗ה מִ֣ידֵי חָֽרֶב׃

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

21 בְּשֹׁ֣וט לָ֭שֹׁון תֵּחָבֵ֑א וְֽלֹא־תִירָ֥א מִ֝שֹּׁ֗ד כִּ֣י יָבֹֽוא׃

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

22 לְשֹׁ֣ד וּלְכָפָ֣ן תִּשְׂחָ֑ק וּֽמֵחַיַּ֥ת הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ אַל־תִּירָֽא׃

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

23 כִּ֤י עִם־אַבְנֵ֣י הַשָּׂדֶ֣ה בְרִיתֶ֑ךָ וְחַיַּ֥ת הַ֝שָּׂדֶ֗ה הָשְׁלְמָה־לָֽךְ׃

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

24 וְֽ֭יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־שָׁלֹ֣ום אָהֳלֶ֑ךָ וּֽפָקַדְתָּ֥ נָ֝וְךָ וְלֹ֣א תֶחֱטָֽא׃

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

25 וְֽ֭יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־רַ֣ב זַרְעֶ֑ךָ וְ֝צֶאֱצָאֶ֗יךָ כְּעֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָֽרֶץ׃

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

26 תָּבֹ֣וא בְכֶ֣לַח אֱלֵי־קָ֑בֶר כַּעֲלֹ֖ות גָּדִ֣ישׁ בְּעִתֹּֽו׃

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

27 הִנֵּה־זֹ֭את חֲקַרְנ֥וּהָ כֶּֽן־הִ֑יא מָעֶ֗נָּה וְאַתָּ֥ה דַֽע־לָֽךְ׃