¶ Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which¹ of the saints² wilt thou turn³?

For wrath⁴ killeth the foolish⁵ man, and envy⁶ slayeth the silly one⁷.

I have seen the foolish taking⁸ root: but suddenly I cursed⁹ his habitation.

His children¹⁰ are far from safety, and they are crushed¹¹ in the gate, neither¹² is there any to deliver them.

Whose harvest¹³ the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns¹⁴, and the robber¹⁵ swalloweth¹⁶ up their substance.

¶ Although affliction¹⁷ cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out¹⁸ of the ground;

Yet man¹⁹ is born unto trouble²⁰, as the sparks fly upward²¹.

I would seek²² unto God²³, and unto God would I commit my cause:

Which doeth²⁴ great things and unsearchable²⁵; marvellous²⁶ things without number²⁷:

¶ Who giveth²⁸ rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields²⁹:

To set up³⁰ on high those³¹ that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted³² to safety.

He disappointeth³³ the devices of the crafty, so that their hands³⁴ cannot perform their enterprise³⁵.

He taketh³⁶ the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

They meet with³⁸ darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night.

But he saveth³⁹ the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.

So the poor⁴⁰ hath hope, and⁴¹ iniquity stoppeth her mouth.

¶ Behold, happy⁴² is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:

⁴³For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.

He shall deliver thee⁴⁴ in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil⁴⁵ touch thee.

¶ In famine⁴⁶ he shall redeem⁴⁷ thee from death: and in war⁴⁸ from the power⁴⁹ of the sword.

Thou shalt be hid⁵⁰ from the scourge⁵¹ of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh⁵²: neither shalt thou be afraid⁵³ of the beasts of the earth.

For thou⁵⁴ shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts⁵⁵ of the field shall be at peace with thee.

And thou shalt know⁵⁶ that thy tabernacle⁵⁷ shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit⁵⁸ thy habitation, and shalt not sin⁵⁹.

Thou shalt know also that thy seed⁶⁰ shall be great⁶¹, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.

Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age⁶², like as a shock of corn cometh⁶³ in in his season.

Lo this, we have searched⁶⁴ it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good⁶⁵.