Job
Summary
Job Chapter 5 concludes Eliphaz’s opening argument, where he presents suffering as a divine correction rather than a random tragedy. He urges Job to appeal to God, who performs "unsearchable wonders" and sets the lowly in high places. Eliphaz promises that if Job accepts God’s discipline, he will be delivered from famine, war, and the "scourge of the tongue." He paints a picture of eventual peace and prosperity for the repentant man. His speech concludes with a confident assertion that his advice is proven and reliable, placing the burden of change entirely on Job.
"Call out if you like, but who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?"
"Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple."
"I myself have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed."
"His children are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender."
"The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from among thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth."
"For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground."
"Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward."
"But if I were in your place, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him."
"He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted."
"He provides rain for the earth and sends water on the countryside."
"The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety."
"He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success."
"He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the plans of the devious are swept away."
"Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night."
"He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the clutches of the powerful."
"So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth."
"Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty."
"For he wounds, but he also binds up; he strikes, but his hands also heal."
"From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will touch you."
"In famine he will deliver you from death, and in battle from the power of the sword."
"You will be protected from the lash of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes."
"You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the wild animals of the earth."
"For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you."
"You will know that your tent is secure; you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing."
"You will know that your children will be many, and your descendants like the grass of the earth."
"You will come to the grave in full vigour, like sheaves gathered in their season."
"We have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself."