The wicked sometimes prosper.

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 1520.

c ch. 12.6. Ps. 17. 10, 14. & 73. 3, 12.

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 seed is established in their Hab. 1. 10. sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.

Jer. 12. 1.

g ch. 22. 17.

h Ex. 5. 2. ch. 34. 9.

i ch. 35. 3. Mal. 3. 14.

keh. 22.18.

Ps. 1. 1.

Prov. 1. 10.

1 ch. 18. 6.

11 They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. 12 They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ. 13 They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.

f

3

14 & Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

15h 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 Or, lamp. wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God m distributeth sorrows in his anger. 18 They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm 5 carrieth away.

m Luke 12. 46.

n Ps. 1. 4. & 35.5.

Is. 17. 13.

& 29.5. Hos. 13. 3. 5 Heb.stealeth away. 6 That is, the punishment of his iniquity. • Ex. 20.5.

P Pa. 75.8.

Is. 51. 17. Jer. 25. 15. Rev. 14. 10. & 19. 15.

n

19 God layeth up his iniquity ⚫ for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.

20 His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

The judgment of the wicked.

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. 31 Who shall declare his way " to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?

32 Yet shall he be brought to the 3 grave, and shall remain in the tomb. 33 The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and ▾ every man shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.

34 How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth 5 falsehood?

CHAPTER XXII.

1 Eliphaz sheweth that man's goodness profiteth not God. 5 He accuseth Job of divers sins. 21 He exhorteth him to repentance, with promises of mercy.

T

HEN 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 thouart righteous? or is it gain to him, that thoumakest thy ways perfect? 4. Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?

5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

7

6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing. 7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast with-stripped the holden bread from the hungry.

8

9

8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.

7 Heb.

clothes of the naked. • See ch. 31. 17.

Deut. 15.7,

&c. Is. 58.7.

16.

Ezek. 18.7, Matt. 25.42.

8 Heb. the man

of arm.

9 Heb. eminent, or, accepted for countenance.

d ch. 31. 21. Is. 10. 2. Ezek. 22.7.

14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walk-1. & 94.7. eth in the circuit of heaven.

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

h Ps. 139.11, 12.

ch. 15.32.
102. 24.

Ps. 55. 23.

Eccles.7.17.

Job's confidence in God.

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 1520.

2 Heb. & flood was poured upon their foundation. Gen. 7. 11. 2 Pet. 2. 5.

2

17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and 'what can the Almighty do 3 for them?

18 Yet he filled their houses with good things: but m the counsel of kch. 21.14. the wicked is far from me.

1 Ps. 4. 6.

3 Or,

to them? m ch. 21. 16.

n Ps. 58. 10.

& 107.42.

19 The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them

to scorn.

20 Whereas our substance is not 4 Or, estate. cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.

6 Or, their excellency.

6 That is, with God. • Ig. 27.5.

6

21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good

shall come unto thee.

sch. 27.10. Is. 58. 14.

t ch. 11. 15.

u Ps. 50. 14,

15.

Is. 58.9.

* Prov. 29. 23. Jam. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5.5. 2 Heb. him that hath low eyes. 8 Or, The innocent shall deliver the island,

Gen. 18. 26,

&C.

4 Heb. my hand.

a ch. 13. 3. & 16. 21.

b Is. 27.4, 8. & 57.16.

25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.

8

26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and 'shalt lift up thy face unto God.

Ps. 17.3. 66. 10. Ps. 44. 18. Heb. 7 or, laid up. & John 4. Or, my appointed

have hid,

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; 38 | 3 have esteemed the words of his mouth more than 'my necessary food. 13 But he is in one mind, and h who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.'

14 For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

15 Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him.

32, 34.

portion.
h ch. 9. 12,
13. & 12. 14.

Rom. 9.19.
Ps. 115.3.

k1 Thess.3.

3.

16 For God maketh my heart 1 Ps. 22. 14. soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:

17 Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my face. CHAPTER XXIV.

often unpunished here.

BEFORE CHRIST

cir. 1520.

g Ps. 10. 8.

h Prov. 7.9.

Ps. 10. 11.
The

2 Heb. set

in secret.

16 In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for John 3.20. themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.

8 Heb. violently take.

k

17 For the morning is to them

even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

18 He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards. 19 Drought and heat the snow waters: so doth the grave

those which have sinned.

3

consume

20 The womb shall forget him; the 1 Prov.10.7. worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.

4 Or, he trusteth not his own life.

m Ps. 11. 4. Prov. 15. 3.

6 Heb. are not.

6 Heb. closed up.

21 He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good

to the widow.

22 He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.

4

23 Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet TM 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 speech nothing worth?

CHAPTER XXV.

Job reproveth Bildad.

4 b How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?

5 Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.

a

6 How much less man, that is worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

CHAPTER XXVI.

1 Job, reproving the uncharitable spirit of

Bildad, 5 acknowledgeth the power of God to be infinite and unsearchable.

BUT Job answered and said,

2 How hast thou helped him thou the arm that hath no strength? that is without power? how savest

3 How hast thou counselled him that

hath no wisdom? and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is? 4 To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 1520.

b ch.4. 17,

&c.

& 15. 14, &c.

Ps. 130.3.

& 143. 2.

Ps. 22. 6.

6 a Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.

7 b He stretcheth out the north the earth upon nothing. over the empty place, and hangeth

his thick clouds; and the cloud is 8 He bindeth up the waters in

not rent under them.

9 He holdeth back the face of

his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it.

with bounds, 3 until the day and 10 He hath compassed the waters night come to an end.

and are astonished at his reproof. 11 The pillars of heaven tremble

12 He divideth the sea with his Power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud.

the inhabitants.

Job's honour is turned

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 1520.

h Ps. 135.7.

1 ch. 38. 25.

2 Or, number it.

25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.

26 When he 'made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:

27 Then did he see it, and 2declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

28 And unto man he said, Behold, Deut. 1. 6. the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Pa. 111. 10.. Prov.1.7. & 9. 10. Eccles. 12. 13.

8 Heb. added to take up.

• See ch.7.3.

b ch. 18. 6. 4 Or, lamp, Pa. 18.28.

M his parable, and said,

OREOVER Job 3 continued

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 Ps. 25. 14. youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle ;

d Gen.49.11. Deut. 32.13. & 33. 24.

ch. 20. 17.

• Ps. 81. 16.

5 Heb. with me.

f ch. 21. 5. 6 Heb. The voice of the nobles was hid.

& Ps. 137. 6.

h Ps. 72. 12. Prov. 21. 13, & 24. 11.

1 Deut. 24.
13.

Ps. 132.9.
Is. 59. 17.

& 61. 10.

Ephes. 6.14,

&c.

1 Thess. 5.8.

k Num. 10.

81.

me,

5 When the Almighty was yet with when my children were about me; 6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

5

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 Because 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 k eyes to the blind, and

feet was I to the lame.

16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I search

into extreme contempt.

19 My root was spread out the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.

20 My glory was 3 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 mouth wide as for the latter rain. the rain; and they opened their

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.

CHAPTER XXX.

1 Job's honour is turned into extreme contempt. 15 His prosperity into culamity. OUT now they that are younger

5

opened. PPs. 1. 3.

Jer. 17.8. Heb. new. Gen. 49. Heb.

21.

changed.

Zech.10.1.

6 Heb. of fewer days

BUT now they that arn derision, the whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.

2 Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?

3 For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness 7 in former time desolate and waste.

4 Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their

meat.

5 They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)

Or, dark

as the night.

Heb

yesternight.

6 To dwell in the cliffs of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and Heb. in the rocks.

7 Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.

9

8 They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.

9 And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.

10 They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.

11 Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me. 12 Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.

13 They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper.

holes.