CHAP. XV, XVI, 3 And doft thou open thine eyes upon fuch an one, and bringest ine into judgment with thee? 4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. 5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee; thou haft appointed his bounds that he cannot pafs; 8 Turn from him that he may rett, till he fhall accomplish, as an hireling, his day. 7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will prout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease, 8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; 9 Yet through the fcent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. 10 But man dieth, and watteth away; yea, man giveth up the gholt, and where is he? 11 As the waters fail from the fea, and the Blood decayeth and drieth up; 12 so man lieth down, and rifeth not: till the heavens be no more, they thall not awake, nor be raised out of their fleep. 13 Oh that thou wouldeft hide me in the grave, that thou wouldeft keep me fecret until thy wrath be pait, that thou wouldeft appoint me a fet time, and remember me! 14 If a man dic, thall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. 15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a defire to the work of thine hands. 16 For now thou numbereft my fteps; doft thou not watch over my fin? 17 My tranfgreffion & fealed up in a bag, and thou feweft up mine iniquity. 18 And furely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place. 19 The waters wear the ftones: thou watheft away the things which grow out of the duft of the earth; and thou destroyett the hope of man. 20 Thou prevailett for ever againtt him, and he paffeth; thou changeft his countenance, and fendeft him away. 21 His fons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. 22 But his fleth upon him fhall have pain, and his foul within him thall mourn. CHAP. XV. 1 Eliphas reproveth Fob of impiety in justifying Tand faid, 2 Should a wife man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the caft wind? 3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with tpeeches wherewith he can do no good? 4 Yea, thou casteft off fear, and reftraineit prayer before God. 5 For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choofelt the tongue of the crafty. 6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not 1: yea, thine own lips tettify againft thee. 7 Art thou the firft man that was bornt or wait thou made before the hills? 8 Halt thou heard the fecret of God! and doll thou restrain wifdom to thyfelf? 9 What knowett thou, that we know not! what underlandeft thou, which is not in us! 10 With us are both the grey-headed and very aged men, much elder than thy father. 11 Are the confolations of God finall with thee! is there any fecret thing with thee? 12 Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thine eyes wink at, 13 That thou turnett thy fpirit against God, and lettett fuch words go out of thy mouth? 14 What is man, that he thould be clean! and he tuhich is born of a woman, that he thould be righteous? 15 Behold, he putteth no truft in his faints, yea, the heavens are not clean in his fight. 16 How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water? 17 I will thew thee, hear me; and that which I have feen I will declare; 18 Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it; 19 Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no ftranger paffed among them: 10 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppreffor. 21 A dreadful found is in his ears: in profperity the destroyer thall come upon him. zz He believeth not that he thail return out of darknefs: and he is waited for of the fword. 23 He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand. 24 Trouble and anguith thall make him afraid; they thall prevail against him as a king ready to the battle. 25 For he ftretcheth out his hand againft God, and ttrengtheneth himfelf again the Almighty. 26 He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick boifes of his bucklers; 27 Because he covereth his face with his fatnefs, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks. 28 And he dwelleth in defolate cities and in houfe, which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps. 29 He thall not be rich, neither fhall his fubftance continue, neither thall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth. 30 He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame thall dry up his branclics, and by the breath of his mouth hall he go away. 31 Let not him that is deceived, truk in vanity for vanity fhall be his recompence. 32 it thall be accomplished before his time, and his branch thall not be green. the vine, and thall cait off his flower as the 33 He thall fhake off his unripe grape as olive. 3 Shall vain words have an. "ruh or whatemboldeneth thee that thou answeret? 41 alfo could peak as ye da: if your font were in my fouls tead, I could heap up words againt you, and thake mine head at you, 5 But would ftrengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips thould allwage your grief. 61hough I fpeak, my grief is not affwaged and though I forbear, what am I eated! 7 But now he hath made me weary: thou haft made defolate all my company. 8 And thou hatt filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me and my leannefs rifing up in me beareth witnels to my face. 9 He teareth me in his wrath who hateth me: he guafheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy tharpeneth his eyes upon me. 10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have fmitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me. 11 God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. 12 I was at ease, but he hath broken me afunder he hath alfo taken me by my neck, and fhaken me to picees, and fet ine up for his inark. 13 His archers compats me round about; he cleaveth my reins afunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground. 14 He breaketh the with breach upon breach; he runneth upon me like a giant. 15 I have fewed fackcloth upon my fkin, and defiled my horn in the duit. 16 My face is foul with weeping, and on mine eyelids is the thadow of death. 17 Not for any injustice in mine hands: alfo my prayer is pure. 18 O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place. 19 Allo now behold, my witness is in heaven, and my reeerd is on high. 20 My friends fcorn me; but mine eye poureth out fears unto God. 21 Oh that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour! 22 When a few years are come, then I fhall go the way whence I thall not return. CHAP. XVII. 1 Job appealeth from men to God. 6 The unmerciful dealing of men with the affidled may aftonish, but not difcourage, the righteous: 11 his hope is not in life, but in death. Y breath is corrupt, my days are ex Mtinct, the graves are ready for me. Are there not moekers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation! 3 Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will firike hands with me? 4 For thou hatt hid their heart from undertanding: therefore ibalt thou not exalt them. 5 He that fpeaketh flattery to his riends, 6 He hath made me alfo a by-word of the 7 Mine eye alfo is dim by reason of for row, and all my members are as a shadow. 8 Upright men fhall be aftonied at this, and the innocent thall ttir up himself againt the hypocrite. 9 The righteous also thall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands fhall be stronger and ftronger. 10 But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wife man among you. 11 My days are paft, my purposes are bro. ken off, even the thoughts of my heart. 12 They change the night into day: the light is thort because of darkness. 13 If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness. 14 I have faid to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother and my fifter. 15 And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who thall fee it? 16 They thall go down to the bars of the pit, when our reff together is in the duft. CHAP. XVIII. 1 Bildad reproveth Joh for prelumption and im patience. S The calamities of the wicked. llen anfwered Bildad the Shuhite, and 2 How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak. 3 Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your tight. 4 He teareth himfelf in his anger: fhall the earth be forfaken for thee? and fhall the rock be removed out of his place? 5 Yea, the light of the wicked thall be put out, and the fpark of his fire thall not thiine. 6 The light ihall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle thall be put out with him. 7 The steps of his ftrength thall be traitened, and his own counlel fhall calt him down. 8 For he is call into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a fnare. 9 The gin hall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him. 10 The fare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way. 11 Terror fhall make him afrald on every fide, and shall drive him to his feet. 12 His ftrength thall be hunger-bitten, and deftruction Jhall be ready at his fide. 13 It thall devour the strength of his fkin; even the firft-born of death thall devour his #trength. 14 His confidence thall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors. 15 It fhall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his brimftone thall be feattered upon his habitation. 16 His roots thall be dried up beneath, and above thall his branch be cut off. 17 His remembrance hall perith from the earth, and he thall have no name in the street. 18 He shall be driven from fight into darknefs, and chafed out of the world. 19 He hall neither have fon nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings, Hen Job anfwered and said, 2 How long will ye vex my foul, and break me in pieces with words? 3 Thefe ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves ftrange to me. 4 And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself. 5 If indeed ye will magnify yourjelves against me, and plead againit me my reproach; 6 Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net. 26 And though, after my fkin, worms destroy this body, yet in my fleth thall I fee God: 27 Whom I thall fee for myself, and mine eyes thall behold, and not another; though my reins be conftimed within me. 28 But ye shall fay, Why perfecute we him? fecing the root of the matter is found in me. 29 Be ye afraid of the fword; for wrath bringeth the punishment of the word, that ye may know there is a judgment. CHAP. XX. Zophar fhereth the certain downfall and portion of the wicked. Hen anfwered Zophar the Naamathite, 2 Therefore do my thoughts caufe me to anfwer, and for this I make hafte, 3 I have heard the check of my reproach, and the fpirit of my understanding caufeth me to answer. 4 Knoweft thou not this of old, fince man was placed upon earth, 7 Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am 5 Fhat the triumphing of the wicked is not heard, I ery aloud, but there is no judg-fhort, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a ment. 8 He hath fenced up my way that I can. not pass, and he hath fet darknefs in my paths, 9 He hath ftripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head." 10 He hath deffroyed me on every fide, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed hke a tree. 11 He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him, as one of his enemies. 12 His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle. 13 He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily cftranged from me. 14 My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me. 15 They that dwell in mine houfe, and my maids, count me for a ftranger: 1 an an alien in their fight. 16 I called my fervant, and he gave me no anfwer: I entreated him with my mouth. 17 My breath is strange to my wife, though I entreated for the childrens fake of mine own body. 18 Yea, young children despised me; I arofe, and they fpake againft me. 19 All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned againft me. moment? 6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; 7 Yet he thall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have feen him thall fay, Where is he? 8 He fall fly away as a dream, and thall not be found; yea, he thall be chafed away as a vition of the night. 9 The eye alfo which faw him thall fee him no more; neither thall his place any more behold him. 10 His children thall feek to please the poor, and his hands fhall rettore their goods. 11 His bones are full of the fin of his youth, which thall lie down with him in the duft. 12 Though wickednefs be fweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue; 13 Though he spare it, and forfake it not, but keep it ftill within his mouth; 14 Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of afps within him. 15 He hath fwallowed down riches, and he thall vomit them up again: God fhall caft them out of his belly. 16 He thall fuck the poifon of afps: the vipers tongue thall flay him. 17 He fhall not fee the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter. 18 That which he laboured for, fhall he rettore, and thall not fwallow it down; according to his fubftance fhall the reflitution be, and he thall not rejoice therein. 19 Because he hath oppreffed and hath forfaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an houfe which he builded not; 20 Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not fave of that which he defired. 21 There (hall none of his meat be left; therefore fhall no man look for his goods. 22 In the fulness of his fufficiency he thall be in traits: every hand of the wicked fhail come upon him. 23 when he is about to fill his belly, God hall catt the fury of his wrath upon him, and fhall rain it upon him while he is cating. Job fhewelh that even in the judgment of man he hath reafon to be grieved. Sometimes the wicked fo profper as they deSpife God: 16 Sometimes their deftruction is manifeft. Β' Ut Job anfwered and faid, 2 Hear diligently my fpeech; and let this be your confolations. 3 Suffer me that I may fpeak; and after that I have spoken, mock on. 4 As for me, is my complaint to man! and if it were so, why should not my fpirit be troubled? 5 Mark me, and be aftonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth. 6 Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my fleth. 7 Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? 8 their feed is eftablished in their fight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. 9 Their houfes are fafe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. 10 Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and caffeth not her calf. 11 They fend forth their little ones like a Bock, and their children dance. 12 They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the found of the organ. 13 They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. 14 Therefore they fay unto God, Depart from us; for we defire not the knowledge of thy ways. 15 What is the Almighty, that we should ferve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? 16 Lo, their good is not in their hand; the counfel of the wicked is far from me. 17 How oft is the candle of the wicked put out? and how off cometh their destruction upon them? God dittributeth forrows in his anger. 18 They are as ftubble before the wind, and as chaff that the ftorm carrieth away, 19 God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he thall know it. 20 His eyes fhall fee his detraction, and he fball drink of the wrath of the Almighty. 21 For what pleasure hath be in his houfe after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midЛt? 12 Shall any teach God knowledge! feeing he judgeth thee that are high. 23 One dieth in his full ftrength, being wholly at cafe and quiet: 24 His breafts are full of milk, and his bones are moiltened with marrow. 25 And another dieth in the bitterness of his foul, and never eateth with pleasure. 26 They hall lie down alike in the duft, and the worms thall cover them. 27 Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me. 28 For ye fay, Where is the houfe of the prince? and where are the dwelling-places of the wicked! 29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens, 30 That the wicked is referved to the day of deftruction? they thall be brought forth to the day of wrath. 31 Who fhall declare his way to his face? and who fhall repay him what he hath done? 32 Yet thall he be brought to the grave, and fhall remain in the tomb. 33 The clods of the valley fhall be sweet unto him, and every man thall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him. 34 How then comfort ye me in vain, feeing in your anfwers there remaineth falfehood? CHAP ххи 1 Eliphaz ferveth that mans goodness profiteth not God: 5 he accufeth J of divers fins, to which he imputeth his calamities. Hen Eliphaz the Temanite answered Tand faid, 2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wife may be profitable unto hunself? 3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him that thou makelt thy ways perfect? 4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee! will he enter with thee into judgment? SI not thy wickednefs great? and thine iniquities infinite? 6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and ftripped the naked of their clothing. Thou hatt not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast with-holden bread from the hungry. 8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it. 9 Thou hast fent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken: 10 'Therefore fnares are round about thee, and fudden fear troubleth thee; 11 Or darkness that thou canst not fee; and abundance of waters cover thee. 12 I not God in the height of heaven! and behold, the height of the itars, how high are they! 13 And thou sayes, How doth God know! can he judge through the dark cloud? 14 Thick clunds are a covering to him that he feeth not, and he walketh in the circuit of beaven. 15 Haft thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden; 16 Which were cut down out of time, whole foundation was overflown with food; 17 Which faid unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them? 18 Yet he filled their houfes with good things: but the counfel of the wicked is far from me. 19 The righteous fee it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to fcorn." 20 Whereas our fubitance is not cut down; but the remnant of them the fire confumeth. 21 Acquaint now thyfelf with him, and be at peace; thereby good thall come unto thee. 22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. 13 If thou return to the Almighty thou fhalt be built up, thou fhalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. 24 Then fhalt thou lay up gold as duft, and the gold of Ophir as the ftones of the brooks. 25 Yea, the Almighty fhall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of filver. 26 For then thalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and fhalt lift up thy face unto God. 27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he thall hear thee, and thou fhalt pay thy vows. 28 Thou shalt alfo decree a thing, and it fhall be eftablished unto thee; and the light thall thine upon thy ways. 29 When men are caft down, then thou thalt fay, There is lifting up; and he thall fave the humble perfon. 30 He thall deliver the ifland of the innocent: and it is delivered by the purcnefs of thine hands. CHAP. XXIII Job longeth to appear before God, 6 in confidence of his mercy. 8 Gad, ruho is invifible, obferveth our ways, 11 Jobs innocency. 13 Gods decree is immutable. Hen Job anfwered and fald, TH 4 1 would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. 5 I would know the words which he would anfwer me, and understand what he would fay unto me. 6 Will he plead againtt me with his great power? No; but he would put ftrength in me. 7 There the righteous might difpute with him: fo fhould I be delivered for ever from my judge. 8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: 9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot fee him: to But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I thall come forth as gold. 11 My foot bath held his fteps; his way have I kept, and not declined. 12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my neceffary food. 13 But her in one mind, and who can turn him and what his foul desireth, even that he doeth. 14 For he performeth the thing that is ap pointed for me; and many fuch things are with him. 15 Therefore am I troubled at his prefence; 17 Because I was not cut off before the I wickedness goeth often unpunished. 17 There is a fecret judgment for the quicked. the Almighty, do they that know him Hy, fecing times are not hidden from not fee his days? 2 Some remove the land-marks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof; 3 They drive away the afs of the fatherlets; they take the widows ox for a pledge; 4 They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themfeives together. 5 Behold, as wild affes in the defert go they forth to their work, riting betimes for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children; 6 They reap every one his corn in the field; and they gather the vintage of the wicked; 7 They caufe the naked to lodge without cloathing, that they have no covering in the cold; 8 They are wet with the fhowers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter; 9'They pluck the fatherless from the breat, and take a pledge of the poor: 10 They caule him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the theaf from the hungry; 11 which make oil within their walls, and tread their wine-prefes, and fufler thirit. 12 Men groan from out of the city, and the foul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them. 13 They are of thofe that rebel againft the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof. 14 The murderer, rifing with the light, killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief. 15 The eye alfo of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, faying, No eye thall fee me : and difguifeth his face. 16 in the dark they dig through honfes, which they had marked for themselves in the day-tirne: they know not the light. 17 For the morning is to them even as the fhadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the fhadow of death. 18 He is fwift as the waters; their portion is curfed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards. 19 Drought and heat confume the fnowwaters: fo doth the grave thofe which have finned. 20 The womb fhall forget him; the worm fhall feed fweetly on him: he thall be no more remembered; and wickednefs fhall be broken as a tree, 21 He evil-entreateth the barren that beareth not, and doeth not good to the widow. 22 He draweth alfo the mighty with his power: he rifeth up, and no man is fure of life. |