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their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to 14 Therefore they say unto God, De

the grave. part from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. 15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have if we pray unto him? 16 Lo, their good is not in their hand; the counsel of the wicked is far from me. 17 How oft is the candle of the wicked put out? and how oft cometh their destruction upon them? God distributeth sorrows in his anger.

23 One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet. 24 His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow. 25 And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure. 26 They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them. 29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens? 30 That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction; they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath. 34 How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood.

CHAP. XXII. Eliphaz accuseth Job.

THEN Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, 2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? 3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him that thou makest thy ways perfect? 5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite? 7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. 9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? 16 Which were cut down

out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood; 17 Which said unto God, Depart from us; and what can the Almighty do for them? 21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. 23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. 26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. 27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy Vows. 30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.

CHAP. XXIII. Job asserteth his Innocence.

THEN Job answered and said, 3 Oh, that I knew where I might find him! that I might come, even to his seat! 4 I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. 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 see him: 10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. 11 My foot hath held his steps, 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 necessary food. 13 But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. 15 Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him

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CHAP. XXVI. God's Power infinite.

6 HELL is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering. 7 He stretcheth out the north over he empty place, and hangeth the earth upon othing. 8 He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them. 11 The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astonished at his reproof. 12 He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud. 13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens: his hand hath formed the crooked serpent. 14 Lo, these are parts of his ways but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?

CHAP. XXVII. No Hope to Hypocrites. MOREOVER, Job continued his parable, and said, 3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; 4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. 6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. 8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? 16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay: 17 He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver. 18 He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh. 20 Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night. 21 The east wind carrieth him & away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth L him out of his place. 22 For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his n hand. 23 Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.

CHAP. XXVIII. Wisdom is the gift of God. SURELY there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they find it. 5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread; and under it is turned up as it were fire. 6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold. 7 There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen: 8 The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it. 12 But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? 13 Man knoweth not the price thereof: neither is it found in the land of the living, 14 The depth saith, It is not in me and the sea saith, It is not with me. 15 It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. 16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir; with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. 17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. 18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. 19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. 23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof: 28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

CHAP. XXIX. Job's former prosperity.

MOREOVER, Job continued his parable, and said, 2 Oh, that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me: 3 When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness: 4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my taber

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nacle; 5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me; 6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil. 7 When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street! 8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up. 9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. 10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. 11. When the ear heard me, then it blessed me ; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: 12 Be cause I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. 13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. 15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. 16 1 was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out. 17 And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth. 18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand. 19 My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch. 20 My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand. 21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel. 22 After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them. 23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide, as for the latter rain. 24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down. 25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the

mourners.

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