Read the Bible

¹ Job, call out for help
    and see if an angel comes!

² Envy and jealousy
    will kill a stupid fool.
³ I have seen fools take root.
But God sends a curse,
    suddenly uprooting them
⁴ and leaving their children
    helpless in court.
⁵ Then hungry and greedy people
gobble down their crops
    and grab up their wealth.^[a]
6 Our suffering isn't caused
    by the failure of crops;
⁷ it's all part of life,
    like sparks shooting skyward.

⁸ Job, if I were you,
    I would ask God for help.
⁹ His miracles are marvelous,
    more than we can count.
¹⁰ God sends showers on earth
    and waters the fields.
¹¹ He protects the sorrowful
and lifts up those
    who have been disgraced.
¹² God swiftly traps the wicked
¹³ in their own evil schemes,
    and their wisdom fails.
¹⁴ Darkness is their only companion,
    hiding their path at noon.
¹⁵ God rescues the needy
from the words of the wicked
    and the fist of the mighty.
¹⁶ The poor are filled with hope,
    and injustice is silenced.

¹⁷ Consider yourself fortunate
if God All-Powerful
    chooses to correct you.
¹⁸ He may cause injury and pain,
but he will bandage and heal
    your cuts and bruises.
¹⁹ God will protect you from harm,
no matter how often
    trouble may strike.

²⁰ In times of war and famine,
    God will keep you safe.
²¹ You will be sheltered,
without fear of hurtful words
    or any other weapon.
²² You will laugh at the threat
    of destruction and famine.
And you won't be afraid
    of wild animals—
²³ they will no longer be fierce,
and your rocky fields
    will become friendly.
²⁴ Your home will be secure,
    and your sheep will be safe.
²⁵ You will have more descendants
than there are blades of grass
    on the face of the earth.
²⁶ You will live a long life,
and your body will be strong
    until the day you die.
²⁷ Our experience has proven
these things to be true,
    so listen and learn.