Job fheweth his calamity JOB. #6 How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water? 17 I will fhew thec, hear me; and that which I have feen, I will declare; 18 Which wife men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it: 19 Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger paffed among them. 20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all bis days, and the number of years is hidden to the cppreffor. 21 A dreadful found is in his ears: in profperity the deftroyer thall come upon him." 22 He believeth not that he fhall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the fword. 23 He wandereth abroad for bread, faying, Where is it? He knoweth that the day of darknefs is ready at his hand. 24 Trouble and anguifh fhall 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 ftrengtheneth himself against the Almighty. 26 He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bones of his bucklers: 27 Becaufe he covereth his face with his fatnefs, and maketh collops of fat on bis flanks. 28 And he dwelleth in defolate cities, and In houfes which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps. 29 He fhall not be rich, neither fhall his fubftance continue, neither fhall be prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth. 30 He thall not depart out of darkness; the Aame hall dry up his branches, and by the breath oft his mouth fhall he go away. 31 Let not him that is deceived truft in vanity for vanity fhall be his recompence. 32 It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch thall not be green. 33 He fhall thake off his unripe grape as the vine, and fhall caft off his flower as the olive. 34 For the congregation of hypocrites all be defolate, and fire thall confume the tabernacles of bribery. 35 They conceive mifchief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit. CHAP. XVI. Fab reproveth his friends for unmerciful- T 3 Shall vain words have an end? or wha emboldeneth thee that thou answereft ? 41 alfo could fpeak as ye do: if your foul were in my foul's ftead, I could heap up words against you, and thake mine head at you. But I would ftrengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips fhould af fuage your grief. 6 Though I fpeak, my griet is not affuaged: and though I forbear, whar am 1 cafed? But now he hath made me weary: thou ihaft made defolate all my company. 8 And thou haft filled me with wrinkles, which is a witnefs against me and my leannefs rifing up in me beareth witness to my face. 9 He teareth me in his wrath who hateth me: he gnafleth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy tharpeneth his eyes upon me, He appealeth no God. 10 They have gaped upon me with ther mouth; they have fmitten me upon the cheel 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 wick ed. 12 I was at eafe, but he hath broken me afunder: he hath alfo taken me by my neck, and thaken me to pieces, and fet me up for his mark. 13 His archers compafs me round about; he cleaveth my reins afunder, and doth not fpare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground. 14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant. 15 I have fewed fackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust. 16 My face is foul with weeping, and on mine eyelids is the fhadow of death. 17 Not for any injuftice in mine hands: alfo my prayer is pure. 18 O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place. 19 Alfo now, behold, my witness is in hea ven, and my record is on high. 20 My friends fcorn me; but mine eye poureth out fears unto God. 21 O 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 thall go the way whence I thall not return. CHAP. XVI. Fob appealeth from men to God. 6 The un. merciful dealing of men with the afflicted may afionif, but not discourage, the righ teous 11 bis hope is not in life, but in death. MY breath is corrupt, my days are exting, the graves are ready for me. 2 Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provoca tion? 3 Lay down now, put me in a furety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with met 4 For thou haft hid their heart from UR derstanding: therefore fhalt thou not exalt them. 5 He that fpeaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children thall fail. 6 He hath made me alfo a byword of the people, and afore:ime I was as a tabret. 7 Mine eye alfo is dim by reafon of forrow, and all my members are as a shadow. 8 Upright men thall be aftonied at this, and the innocent thall ftir up himself against the hypocrite. The righteous alfo fhall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger. 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 broken off, even the thoughts of my heart. 12 They change the night into day: the light is fhort 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! Bildad reproveth Fob for presumption and impatience. The calamities of the wicked. HEN anfwered Bildad the Shuhite, and faid, TH How long will it be ere ye make an end of words! mark, and afterwards we will speak. 3 Wherefore are we counted as beafts, and reputed vile in your fight! 4 He teareth himself in his anger: Shall 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 fhall not shine. 6 The light thall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him. 7 The fteps of his ftrength fhall be ftraitened, and his own counfel fhall caft him down. 8 For he is caft into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a fnare. 9 The gin fhall take bim by the heel, and the robber thall prevail against him. 10 The fnare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way. 11 Terrors fhall make him afraid on every fide, and shall drive him to his feet. 12 His ftrength thall be hungerbitten, and deftruation ball be ready at his fide. 1, It fhall devour the ftrength of his skin: even the firstborn of death fhall devour his ftrength. 14 His confidence thall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors. 15 It thall dwell in his tabernacle, becaufe it is none of his brimstone shall be fcattered upon his habitation. 16 His roots thall be dried up beneath, and above fhall his branch be cut off. 17 His remembrance fhall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street. 18 He thall be driven from light into darknefs, and chafed out of the world. 19 He shall neither have fon nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings. 20 They that come after him shall be aftonied at his day, as they that went before were affrighted. 21 Surely fuch are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God. CHAP. XIX. - Job, complaining of his friends' cruelty, fbeweth there is mifery enough in him to gratify it: 21 he calleth for pity. THEN Job anfweted, and faid, 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 yourfelves ftrange to me. 4 And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself. If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my re. proach: 6 Knew now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compaffed me with his net. 7 Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am Fob's mifery represented. not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment. 8 He hath fenced up my way that I cannot país, and he hath set darkness in my paths. 9 He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head. 10 He hath destroyed me on every fide, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he remov ed like a tree. 11 He hath alfo 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 estranged from me. 14 My kinsfolk have failer, and my fa miliar friends have forgotten me. 15 They that dwell in mine houfe, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am 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 ftrange to my wife, though I entreated for the children's fake of mine own body. 18 Yea, young children defpifed me; I arose, and they fpake against me. 19 All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me. 20 My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my fleth, and I am efcaped with the skin of my teeth. 21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me. 22 Why do ye perfecute me as God, and are not fatisfied with my flesh? 23 0 that my words were now written [ oh that they were printed in a book! 24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead, in the rock for ever! 25 For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall ftand at the latter day upon the earth. 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh fhall I fee God: 27 Whom I thall fee for myfelf, and mine eyes fhall behold, and not another; though my reins be confumed within me. 28 But ye fhould fay, Why perfecute we him, feeing the root of the matter is found in me? The fate and portion of the wicked. JO 6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds: 7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung they which have feen him fhall fay, Where is he? 8 He shall fly away as a dream, and fhall not be found: yea, he shall be chafed away as a vifion of the night. The eye alfo ubich faw him fhall fee him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him. 10 His children thall feek to please the poor, and his hands fhall reftore their goods. 11 His bones are full of the fin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust. 12 Though wickednefs be fweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue; 13 Though he fpare 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 shall caft them out of his belly. 16 He thail fuck the poifon of afps: the viper's tongue shall 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 reftore, and fhall not fwallow it down: according t bis fubftance fall the reftitution be, and he fhall 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 fhall not feel quietnefs in his belly, he thall not fave of that which he defired. 21 There hall rone of his meat be left; therefore fhall no man look for his goods. 22 In the fulness of his futficiency he shall be in ftraits: every hand of the wicked fhall come upon him. 23 When he is about to fill his belly, God fhall caft the fury of his wrath upon him, and thall rain it upon him while he is eating. 24 He fhall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of fteel shall ftrike him through. 23 It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering fword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him. 26 All darkness shall be hid in his fecret places: a fire not blown thall confume him; it fhall go ill with him that is left in his .sabernacle. 27 The heaven fhall reveal his iniquity; and the earth fhall rife up against him. 28 The increase of his houfe thall depart, and bis goods thall flow away in the day of his wrath. 29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God. CHAP. XXI. Fob fereth that even in the judgment of man be bath reason to be grieved. 7 Some times the wicked do so profper as they defpife God: 16 fometimes their deftruction is manifeft. BUT UT Job anfwered and said, 2 Hear diligently my fpeech, and let his be your confolations. 3 Suffer me that I may speak; and after i have spoken, mock ou, B. Fob fbeweth caufe for is grief. 4 As for me, is my complaint to man and if it were so, why should not my fpiri 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 flesh. 7 Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? 8 Their feed is established 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 cafteth not her calf. 11 They fend forth their little ones like a flock, 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 counsel of the wicked is far from me." 17 How oft is the candle of the wicked put out? and how oft cometh their deftruction upon them? God diftributeth 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 chil dren: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it. 20 His eyes fhall see his destruction, and he fhall drink of the wrath of the Almighty. 21 For what pleasure bath he in his houfe after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst ! 22 Shall any teach God knowledge? fee. ing he judgeth thofe that are high. 23 One dieth in his full ftrength, being wholly at eate and quiet. 24 His breafts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow. 25 And another dieth in the bitterness of his foul, and never eateth with pleasure. 26 They fhall 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 house 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 shall be brought forth to the day of wrath. 31 Who shall declare his way to his face? and who thall repay him what he hath done? 32 Yet fhalt he be brought to the grave, and thall remain in the tomb. 33 The clods of the valley fhall be fweet unto him, and every man fhall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him. 34 How then comfort ye me in vain, foeing in your answers there remaine falfehood! Fob accused of divers fins, Chap. xxii, xx}}}, xxiv. He is exhorted to repentance. CHAP. XXII. 1 Eliphaz fheweth that mon's goodness profiteth not God: 5 be accufeth Job of divers fins, to which he imputeth his calamities. THEN Eliphaz the Temanite answered and faid, 2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wife 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 makeйt thy ways perfect? 4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee Will he enter with thee into judgment? SIs not thy wickedness great? and thine Iniquities infinite? 6 For thou haft taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and tripped the naked of their clothing. 7 Thou haft not given water to the weary to drink, and thou haft withholden bread from the hungry. 8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it. 9 Thou haft 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 darknefs, that thou canst not fee; and abundance of waters cover thee. 12 Is not God in the height of heaven! and, behold, the height of the stars, how high they are! 13 And thou fayeft, How doth God know? Can he judge through the dark cloud? 14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he feeth not; and he walketh in the circuit o me righteous Feb 2 the innocent laugh then 20 Whereas our fubf and cut down but the remnant of them the fire confumeth. 21 Acquaint now thyfelf with him, and be at peace: thereby good fhall come unto thee. 22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. 23 if thou return to the Almighty, thou fhalt be built up, thou fhalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. 24 Then thalt thou lay up gold as duft, and the gold of Ophir as the ftones of the brooks. 25 Yea, the Almighty thall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of filver." 26 For then halt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and thalt lift up thy face unto God. 27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he fhall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. 28 Thou shalt alfo decree a thing, and it fhall be established unto thee: and the light fhall shine upon thy ways. 29 When men are catt down, then thou falt fay, There is lifting up; and he shall fave the humble perfon. 30 He thall deliver the inland of the in Job longeth to appear before God, 6 in con fidence of bis mercy. 8 God, who is invifible, obferveth our ways. 11 Fob's innocen cy. 13 God's decree is immutable. ΤΗ 2 Even to day is my complaint bitter; my ftroke is heavier than my groaning. HEN Job anfwered and said, 3 Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his feat! 4 I would order my caufe 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 against me with his great power? No; but he would put frength in me. 7 There the righteous might difpute with him; fo should 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 fhall come forth as gold. My foot hath 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 ne ceffary food. 13 But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his foul defireth, even that he doeth. 14 For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me; and many fuch things are with him. 15 Therefore am I troubled at his prefence: when I confider, I am afraid of him 16 For God maketh my heart foft, and the Almighty troubleth me: 17 Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darknefs from my face. CHAP. XXIV. 1 Wickedness goeth often unpunished. 17 There is a fecret judgment for the wicked. WHY, fecing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not fee his days! 2 Some remove the landmarks; they vio lently take away flocks and feed thereof. 3 They drive away the afs of the fa. therless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge. 4 They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themfelves to. gether. 5 Behold, as wild affes in the defert, go they forth to their work; rifing 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 cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold. 8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter. A judgment for the wicked. Fob protefleth his fincerity. no wisdom? and how haft thou plentifully declared the thing as it is? JOB. 9 They pluck the fatherlefs from the breaft, and take a pledge of the poor. 10 They caufe 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 winepreffes, and fuffer thirst. 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 against 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 houses, which they had marked for themselves in the day time: 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 fnow waters: fo doth the grave those which have finned. 20 The womb fhall forget him; the worm fhall feed sweetly on him; he fhall be no more remembered; and wickedness thall be broken as a 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 fife. 23 Though it be given him to be in fafety, whereon he refteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways. 24 They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn. 25 And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my fpeech thing worth? no CHAP. XXV. Bildad feeweth that man cannot be juflified before God. THEN aufwered Bildad the Shuhite, and faid, 2 Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places. 3 Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arife? 4 How then can man be juftified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? 5 Behold even to the moon, and it thineth Bot; yea, the ftars are not pure in his fight. 6 How much lefs man, that is a worm; and the fon of man, which is a worm? CHAP. XXVI. a Job, reproving the uncharitable Spirit of 2 How haft thou counselled him that bath 4 To whom haft thou uttered words? and whofe fpirit came from thee? 5 Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof. 6 Hell is naked before him, and destruc. tion hath no covering. 7 He ftretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. 8 He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them. 9 He holdeth back the face of his throne, and fpreadeth his cloud upon it. to He hath compaffed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end. 11 The villars of heaven tremble and are aftonished at his reproof. 12 He divideth the fea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud. 13 By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens; is hand hath formed the crook. ed ferpent. 14 Lo, thefe 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. Fob protefleth his fincerity. 8 The hypocrite is without hope. 11 The bleffings which the wicked have are often turned into curfes. MOREOVER Job continued his para. ble, and faid, 2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my foul; 3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my noftrils; 4 My lips fall not fpeak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. 5 God forbid that I fhould juftify you: till! die I will not remove mine integrity from me. 6 My righteoufnefs I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart thall not reproach me fo long as I live, Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that rifeth up against me as the unrighteous. 8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his foul? 9 Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? 10 Will he delight himself in the Almigh ty? will he always call upon God? III will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal. 12 Behold, all ye yourfelves have feen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain! 13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppreffors, which they shall receive of the Almighty. 14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the fword; and is offspring fhall not be fatisfied with bread. 15 Thofe that remain of him fhall be buried in death: and his widows thall not weep. 16 Though he heap up Silver as the duft, and prepare raiment as the clay; 17 He may prepare it, but the juft shall put it on, and the innocent fhall divide the filver. 18 He buildeth his houfe as a moth, and as a booth thar the keeper maketa. |