Job's confidence in God.

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 1520.

a ch. 12. 3.

b ch. 23. 3. & 31. 35.

• ch. 6. 21. & 16. 2.

d Prov. 17. 28.

e ch. 17. 5. & 32. 21.

& 36.4.

2 Heb. Be silent from me.

f ch. 18. 4.

mine ear hath heard and un

6 Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips. 7 Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?

dry stubble?

BEFORE CHRIST

cir. 1520.

q ch. 20. 11. PB. 25.7.

26 For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth. 27 Thou puttest my feet also inrch. 33.11. the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.

2

28 And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth

eaten.

CHAPTER XIV.

1 Job intreateth God for favour, by the shortness of life, and certainty of death. 7 Though life once lost be irrecoverable, yet he waitcth for his change. 16 By sin the creature is subject to corruption. is born of a woman is

2 Heb. observest.

8 Heb. roots.

14 Wherefore do I take 81 Sam. 28. in my teeth, and put my life in Ps. 119.109. mine hand? b Ps. 23. 4.

21.

Prov. 14. 32. i ch. 27.5. 3 Heb. prove, or, argue.

k ch. 33. 6. Is. 50.8.

1 ch. 9. 34. & 33. 7.

m Ps. 39. 10.

n Deut. 32. 20.

Ps. 13. 1. & 44. 24.

& 88. 14.

15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: 'but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

16 He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

17 Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.

18 Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

19 Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.

20 Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.

21

m Withdraw thine hand far from me and let not thy dread make me afraid.

22 Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.

23 How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my o Deut. 32. transgression and my sin.

Is. 8. 17.

42.

Ruth 1. 21. ch. 16. 9.

& 19. 11. & 33. 10. Lam. 2. 5.

p Is. 42. 3.

24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy ?

25 P Wilt thou break a leaf driven

18 And surely the mountain falling 2 cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.

19 The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man. 20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him

8 Hast thou heard the secret of 1 Cor. 2.11. God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?

d ch.13.2.

.ch.32.6,7.

9 What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?

с

10 With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.

11 Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?

12 Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at, 13 That thou turnest thy spirit

for justifying himself.

against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?

14 What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? 15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

i

16 h How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

17 I will shew thee, hear me ; and that which I have seen I will declare;

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 1520.

11 Kings 8.

4. ch.14.4. Pa. 14. 3.

2 Chr. 6.36.

Prov. 20.9. Eccles.7.20. 1 John 1. 8, 10.

8 ch. 4.18. nch. 4. 19.

& 25. 5.

Ps. 14. 3. & 53. 3.

ch. 34. 7.

Prov. 19.28.

18 Which wise men have told from ch. 8.8. their fathers, and have not hid it:

19 Unto whom alone the earth was given, and 'no stranger passed Joel 3.17. among them.

20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, m and the number m Ps. 90. 12. of years is hidden to the oppressor.

21 2A dreadful sound is in his ears: "in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.

22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.

2 Heb. 4 sound of fears.

n 1 Thess. 5.

3.

& 109. 10.

23 He wandereth abroad for Ps. 59. 15. bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that Pthe day of darkness ch. 18. 12. is ready at his hand.

24 Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.

25 For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.

26 He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:

27 Because he covereth his face a Ps. 17. 10. with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.

28 And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.

29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.

30 He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of ch.4. 9. his mouth shall he go away.

31 Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity for vanity shall be his recompence.

8 Or, troublesome.

a ch. 13. 4.

4 Heb. words of wind.

b Ps. 22.7. & 109.25. Lam. 2.15.

5 Heb. what goeth from me?

e ch.10.16, 17.

a ch.13. 24.

• Ps. 22. 13.

Lam.3.80.

Mic. 5. 1.

8 P8. 35. 15.

hch.1.15,17.

CHAPTER XVI.

1 Job reproveth his friends of unmercifulness. 7 He sheweth the pitifulness of his case. 17 He maintaineth his innocency.

THEN Job answered many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.

answered and said,

3 Shall 'vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?

4 I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.

5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.

6 Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, 5 what am I eased?

7 But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.

8 And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

9 He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.

11 God he hath delivered me to the 6 Heb. hath ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.

shut me up.

1 ch.7.20.

Ps. 7.5.

12 I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and 'set me up for his mark. 13 His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; 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 sewed sackcloth upon my ch. 80.19. skin, and defiled my horn in the dust. 16 My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

17 Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.

He appealeth to God.

18 O earth, cover not thou my blood, and 'let my cry have no place. 19 Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.

2

BEFORE CHRIST

cir. 1520.

1 ch. 27.9.

Ps. 66.18,19.

m Rom.1.9. 2 Heb. in the

high places.

3 Heb.

are my scorners.

20 My friends 'scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God. 21 "O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth nch. 31. 35. for his neighbour!

Eccles.6.10. Is. 45. 9. Rom. 9. 20.

then I shall go the way whence I Heb. years shall not return.

22 When a few years are come, 40r friend.

CHAPTER XVII.

1 Job appealeth from men to God. 6 The unmerciful dealing of men with the afflicted may astonish, but not discourage the righteous. 11 His hope is not in life, but in death.

a

of number.

• Eccles. 12.

5.

6 Or, spirit is spent.

MY breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are Ps. 88.3, 4. ready for me.

7

2 Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in Heb. their provocation?

3 Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?

с

lodge. b1 Sam. 1. 6,7.

• Prov. 6. 1. & 17. 18. &

4 For thou hast hid their heart 22.28. from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.

He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.

| 6 He hath made me also a by-ch.30.9. word of the people; and aforetimer, before I was as a tabret.

7 Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.

8 Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.

9 The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands 2shall be stronger and stronger.

10 But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you.

11 h My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even 3 the thoughts of my heart.

12 They change the night into day: the light is short because of Heb. near. darkness.

13 If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.

14 I have said to corruption, Thou Heb.cried, art my father: to the worm, Thou or, called. art my mother, and my sister.

15 And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it? 16 They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

8 Heb. in the midst of his palate.

restore their goods.

11 His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

Though wickedness be sweet

and portion of the wicked.

BEFORE CHRIST

and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly. cir. 1520. 16 He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him.

Jer. 17.6.

17 He shall not see the rivers, 2 the P8. 36. 9. floods, the brooks of honey and butter. 2 Or, 18 That which he laboured for streaming brooks. shall he restore, and shall not swal-k low it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.

4

19 Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;

ver. 10, 15, 8 Heb. to the sub

according

stance of his exchange.

4 Heb.

crushed.

13, 14.

20 'Surely he shall not ' feel quiet- | 1 Eccles. 5. ness in his belly, he shall not save of 5 Heb. that which he desired.

know.

Or, There shall be none left for

21 There shall none of his meat, be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.

22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.

23 When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him " while he is eating.

24 He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.

his meat.

7 Or, troublesome.

m Num. 11. 33.

Ps. 78.30,31. Is. 24. 18.

Jer. 48. 43. Amos 5. 19.

25 It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword ch. 16. 13. cometh out of his gall: P terrors are upon him.

p ch. 18. 11.

26 All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall a Ps. 21. 9. consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.

27 The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.

28 The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

r ch. 27. 13. & 31. 2, 3.

29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage & Heb.of his appointed unto him by God.

8

CHAPTER XXI.

1 Job sheweth that even in the judgment of man he hath reason to be grieved. 7 Sometimes the wicked do so prosper, as they despise God. 16 Sometimes their destruction is manifest. 22 The happy and unhappy are alike in death. 27 The judgment of the wicked is in another world. answered

his tongue;

3

13 Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:

14 Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him. 15 He hath swallowed down riches,

and let this be your consolations.

decree from God.

3 Suffer me that I may speak; and ch. 16. 10. after that I have spoken, a mock on.

4 As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?"

5 2 Mark me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.

& 17.2. 9 Heb. shortened? 2 Heb. Look

unto me.

b Judg. 18. 19.

40. 4.

ch. 29.9. & Ps. 39.9.