B737 FLC ENCOUNTERS SEVERE TURB.

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CRUISING FL390; .78 MACH; ON DIRECT COURSE BTWN JAN AND AEX; APPROX 80 NM NE OF AEX. WE WERE IN IMC IN A HAZE LAYER. AIR WAS SMOOTH AND THE FLT HAD BEEN SMOOTH THE ENTIRE FLT. THERE WERE NO ECHOES ON RADAR OTHER THAN AN OCCASIONAL LIGHT (GREEN) RETURN DURING THE FLT. WE HAD NO INDICATIONS VISUALLY OR ON RADAR OF ANY MAJOR TSTMS OR BUILDUPS ALONG OUR RTE OF FLT. THE ONLY DEVS FOR WX WERE FOR SOME SMALL DEVELOPMENTS EARLIER; WITH DEVS NEVER EXCEEDING 10-20 DEGS AND WERE NOT LONG IN DURATION. DURING THE FLT AND PRIOR TO THE TURB ENCOUNTER; WE HAD THE RADAR ON IN WX/T MODE. I HAD EXERCISED THE TILT AND VARIED THE RANGE BTWN 40-160 MI. NO MAJOR RETURNS WERE DISPLAYED AND NO LINE OF DEVELOPED OR INCREASING TSTMS WERE INDICATED. THERE WERE NO PIREPS OR ATC RPTS OF TURB IN THE AREA. WE WERE FLYING IN A HAZE LAYER; AND SMOOTH AIR. AS THE LAYER THINNED; WE NOTICED A SMALL BUILDUP DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US; WHICH DID NOT APPEAR LARGE OR WELL DEVELOPED. ITS TOPS APPEARED TO BE AT OUR ALT; BUT HAD NOT GENERATED A RADAR RETURN. THERE WAS NO WAY TO MANEUVER AROUND THE BUILDUP. WE ENTERED THE CLOUD AND ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB WITH STRONG UPDRAFTS. THE ACFT GAINED ABOUT 500 FT AND ROLLED APPROX 30 DEGS R. THE FO; WHO WAS THE PF; DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF MAINTAINING POSITIVE CTL OF THE ACFT WITHOUT RADICAL CTL OR THROTTLE INPUT. THE DURATION OF THE ENCOUNTER WAS LESS THAN 5 SECONDS. WE RETURNED TO FL390. THE AIR ON THE OTHER SIDE WAS CLR WITH FAIRLY GOOD VISIBILITY AND SMOOTH. IT CONTINUED SMOOTH FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT. WE RPTED SEVERE TURB TO ATC. I CHKED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO SEE IF EVERYONE WAS OK. THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT INDICATED THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE STANDING IN THE AISLE WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED THE TURB AND THERE WERE SOME INJURIES AND THAT THEY WERE TENDING TO THEM. I REQUESTED A CALL BACK WITH MORE INFO AND THE SEVERITY OF THE INJURIES WHEN ABLE. I CALLED BACK IN A FEW MINS TO DETERMINE EXTENT OF INJURIES. SHE INDICATED SOME PAIN; BRUISES; CUTS (4-5 PAX). SHE INDICATED 1 PAX WAS IN THE LAVATORY AT THE TIME OF THE TURB. I ASKED HER OPINION IF EXTENT OF INJURIES WERE SERIOUS ENOUGH TO WARRANT A DIVERT. SHE SAID SHE DIDN'T THINK SO; AND INDICATED THE SIT WAS STABILIZED. (WE WERE ABOUT 25 MINS OUT OF ZZZ.) I CONFERRED WITH THE FO AND WE AGREED DIVERSION WAS UNNECESSARY AS TO OUR CLOSE PROX TO ZZZ. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH INJURIES ON BOARD. WE WERE CLRED DIRECT ZZZ. I CALLED DISPATCH ON THE AIR PHONE AND ADVISED THEM OF SIT; AND REQUESTED PARAMEDICS MEET THE ACFT AT GATE; AND A CUSTOMER SVC SUPVR. I CHKED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS AGAIN AS TO STATUS OF PAX AND CREW. THEY INDICATED PAX HAVE ICE PACKS. NOSE INJURY TO 1 PAX; POSSIBLE CUTS; BRUISES; ETC. I CONTACTED OPS AND VERIFIED PARAMEDICS TO MEET THE ACFT. LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. PARAMEDICS MET ACFT AND ATTENDED TO PAX. WE TALKED TO MAINT AT THE GATE FOR LOGBOOK WRITE-UP AND AGAIN LATER BY PHONE. OVERALL; THE TURB ENCOUNTER WAS UNAVOIDABLE; AND RECOVERY AND CTL OF THE EVENT WAS EXCELLENT. OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE WAS CTL OF THE ACFT; ASSESS THE SIT; AND COORDINATE THE RESPONSE. THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB CARING FOR THE PAX AND STABILIZING THE SIT. THE COM WITH ME WAS EXCELLENT. THE COORD WITH ATC AND DISPATCH ALSO WENT VERY WELL AND ALL SVCS MET US PROMPTLY.