1 Call out now. Is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn?2 For anger kills a foolish man, and jealousy slays a simple one.3 I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his dwelling place.4 His sons are far from safety, they are crushed in the gate, and there is no one to rescue them.5 The hungry eat up his harvest, taking it even from the thorns, and a snare snatches their wealth.6 For affliction does not come forth from the dust, nor does trouble spring up out of the ground;7 yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.8 But indeed, I would seek the Mighty God, and before God I would lay out my case;9 who does great things, and unsearchable, marvelous things without number:10 He gives rain upon the face of the earth, and sends waters abroad;11 He sets the lowly on high, and those who mourn are exalted to safety;12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot bring about their success;13 He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the twisted is precipitated.14 They meet with darkness by day, and grope at midday as in the night.15 But He saves the needy from the sword, from the mouth of the mighty, and from their hand.16 So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth.17 Behold, blessed is the man whom God corrects; therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.18 For He bruises, but He binds up; He shatters, but His hands heal.19 He will deliver you in six troubles; yea, in seven no evil shall touch you:20 In famine He shall redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword.21 You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and you shall not be afraid of devastation when it comes.22 You shall laugh at devastation and famine, and you shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.23 For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.24 You shall know that your tent is in peace; you shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss.25 You shall also know that your seed shall be many, and your offspring like the grass of the earth.26 You shall come to the grave in full vigor, as a sheaf of grain springs up in its season.27 Behold, this we have searched out; it is true. Hear and know it for yourself.

1 Therfor clepe thou, if `ony is that schal answere thee, and turne thou to summe of seyntis.2 Wrathfulnesse sleeth `a fonned man, and enuye sleeth a litil child.3 Y siy a fool with stidefast rote, and Y curside his feirnesse anoon.4 Hise sones schulen be maad fer fro helthe, and thei schulen be defoulid in the yate, and `noon schal be that schal delyuere hem.5 Whos ripe corn an hungri man schal ete, and an armed man schal rauysche hym, and thei, that thirsten, schulen drynke hise richessis.6 No thing is doon in erthe with out cause, and sorewe schal not go out of the erthe.7 A man is borun to labour, and a brid to fliyt.8 Wherfor Y schal biseche the Lord, and Y schal sette my speche to my God.9 That makith grete thingis, and that moun not be souyt out, and wondurful thingis with out noumbre.10 Which yyueth reyn on the face of erthe, and moistith alle thingis with watris.11 Which settith meke men an hiy, and reisith with helthe hem that morenen.12 Which distrieth the thouytis of yuel willid men, that her hondis moun not fille tho thingis that thei bigunnen.13 Which takith cautelouse men in the felnesse `of hem, and distrieth the counsel of schrewis.14 Bi dai thei schulen renne in to derknessis, and as in nyyt so thei schulen grope in myddai.15 Certis God schal make saaf a nedi man fro the swerd of her mouth, and a pore man fro the hond of the violent, `ethir rauynour.16 And hope schal be to a nedi man, but wickidnesse schal drawe togidere his mouth.17 Blessid is the man, which is chastisid of the Lord; therfor repreue thou not the blamyng of the Lord.18 For he woundith, and doith medicyn; he smytith, and hise hondis schulen make hool.19 In sixe tribulaciouns he schal delyuere thee, and in the seuenthe tribulacioun yuel schal not touche thee.20 In hungur he schal delyuere thee fro deeth, and in batel fro the power of swerd.21 Thou schalt be hid fro the scourge of tunge, and thou schalt not drede myseiste, `ethir wretchidnesse, whanne it cometh.22 In distriyng maad of enemyes and in hungur thou schalt leiye, and thou schalt not drede the beestis of erthe.23 But thi couenaunt schal be with the stonys of erthe, and beestis of erthe schulen be pesible to thee.24 And thou schalt wite, that thi tabernacle hath pees, and thou visitynge thi fairnesse schalt not do synne.25 And thou schalt wite also, that thi seed schal be many fold, and thi generacioun schal be as an erbe of erthe.26 In abundaunce thou schalt go in to the sepulcre, as an heep of wheete is borun in his tyme.27 Lo! this is so, as we han souyt; which thing herd, trete thou in minde.