1 Give now a cry for help; is there anyone who will give you an answer? and to which of the holy ones will you make your prayer?

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

2 For wrath is the cause of death to the foolish, and he who has no wisdom comes to his end through passion.

2 כִּֽי־לֶֽ֭אֱוִיל יַהֲרָג־כָּ֑עַשׂ וּ֝פֹתֶ֗ה תָּמִ֥ית קִנְאָֽה׃

3 I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly the curse came on his house.

3 אֲ‍ֽנִי־רָ֭אִיתִי אֱוִ֣יל מַשְׁרִ֑ישׁ וָאֶקֹּ֖וב נָוֵ֣הוּ פִתְאֹֽם׃

4 Now his children have no safe place, and they are crushed before the judges, for no one takes up their cause.

4 יִרְחֲק֣וּ בָנָ֣יו מִיֶּ֑שַׁע וְיִֽדַּכְּא֥וּ בַ֝שַּׁ֗עַר וְאֵ֣ין מַצִּֽיל׃

5 Their produce is taken by him who has no food, and their grain goes to the poor, and he who is in need of water gets it from their spring.

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

6 For evil does not come out of the dust, or trouble out of the earth;

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

7 But trouble is man's fate from birth, as the flames go up from the fire.

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

8 But as for me, I would make my prayer to God, and I would put my cause before him:

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

9 Who does great things outside our knowledge, wonders without number:

9 עֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלֹות וְאֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר נִ֝פְלָאֹ֗ות עַד־אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃

10 Who gives rain on the earth, and sends water on the fields:

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

11 Lifting up those who are low, and putting the sad in a safe place;

11 לָשׂ֣וּם שְׁפָלִ֣ים לְמָרֹ֑ום וְ֝קֹדְרִ֗ים שָׂ֣גְבוּ יֶֽשַׁע׃

12 Who makes the designs of the wise go wrong, so that they are unable to give effect to their purposes.

12 מֵ֭פֵר מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ות עֲרוּמִ֑ים וְֽלֹא־תַעֲשֶׂ֥ינָה יְ֝דֵיהֶ֗ם תּוּשִׁיָּֽה׃

13 He takes the wise in their secret designs, and the purposes of the twisted are cut off suddenly.

13 לֹכֵ֣ד חֲכָמִ֣ים בְּעָרְמָ֑ם וַעֲצַ֖ת נִפְתָּלִ֣ים נִמְהָֽרָה׃

14 In the daytime it becomes dark for them, and in the sunlight they go feeling about as if it was night.

14 יֹומָ֥ם יְפַגְּשׁוּ־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וְ֝כַלַּ֗יְלָה יְֽמַשְׁשׁ֥וּ בַֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם׃

15 But he keeps safe from their sword those who have no father, and the poor from the power of the strong.

15 וַיֹּ֣שַׁע מֵ֭חֶרֶב מִפִּיהֶ֑ם וּמִיַּ֖ד חָזָ֣ק אֶבְיֹֽון׃

16 So the poor man has hope, and the mouth of the evil-doer is stopped.

16 וַתְּהִ֣י לַדַּ֣ל תִּקְוָ֑ה וְ֝עֹלָ֗תָה קָ֣פְצָה פִּֽיהָ׃

17 Truly, that man is happy who has training from the hand of God: so do not let your heart be shut to the teaching of the Ruler of all.

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

18 For after his punishment he gives comfort, and after wounding, his hands make you well.

18 כִּ֤י ה֣וּא יַכְאִ֣יב וְיֶחְבָּ֑שׁ יִ֝מְחַ֗ץ וְיָדֹו וְיָדָ֥יו תִּרְפֶּֽינָה׃

19 He will keep you safe from six troubles, and in seven no evil will come near you.

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

20 When there is need of food he will keep you from death, and in war from the power of the sword.

20 בְּ֭רָעָב פָּֽדְךָ֣ מִמָּ֑וֶת וּ֝בְמִלְחָמָ֗ה מִ֣ידֵי חָֽרֶב׃

21 He will keep you safe from the evil tongue; and you will have no fear of wasting when it comes.

21 בְּשֹׁ֣וט לָ֭שֹׁון תֵּחָבֵ֑א וְֽלֹא־תִירָ֥א מִ֝שֹּׁ֗ד כִּ֣י יָבֹֽוא׃

22 You will make sport of destruction and need, and will have no fear of the beasts of the earth.

22 לְשֹׁ֣ד וּלְכָפָ֣ן תִּשְׂחָ֑ק וּֽמֵחַיַּ֥ת הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ אַל־תִּירָֽא׃

23 For you will be in agreement with the stones of the earth, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.

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

24 And you will be certain that your tent is at peace, and after looking over your property you will see that nothing is gone.

24 וְֽ֭יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־שָׁלֹ֣ום אָהֳלֶ֑ךָ וּֽפָקַדְתָּ֥ נָ֝וְךָ וְלֹ֣א תֶחֱטָֽא׃

25 You will be certain that your seed will be great, and your offspring like the plants of the earth.

25 וְֽ֭יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־רַ֣ב זַרְעֶ֑ךָ וְ֝צֶאֱצָאֶ֗יךָ כְּעֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָֽרֶץ׃

26 You will come to your last resting-place in full strength, as the grain is taken up to the crushing-floor in its time.

26 תָּבֹ֣וא בְכֶ֣לַח אֱלֵי־קָ֑בֶר כַּעֲלֹ֖ות גָּדִ֣ישׁ בְּעִתֹּֽו׃

27 See, we have made search with care, and it is so; it has come to our ears; see that you take note of it for yourself.

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