Then would I speak, and not fear him; My soul is weary of my life; I will give free course to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. 35 I 10 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me. Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, 3 1 Heb. labour. That thou shouldest despise the 'work of thine 2 Or, care hands, And shine upon the counsel of the wicked? Hast thou eyes of flesh, Or seest thou as man seeth? Are thy days as the days of man, Or thy years as man's days, That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, And searchest after my sin, 4 5 6 Although thou knowest that I am not wicked; 7 Thine hands have framed me and fashioned 8 me Together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast 9 And wilt thou bring me into dust again? And curdled me like cheese? Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews. ΙΟ II 12 And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. If I sin, then thou markest me, And thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity. 14 15 And if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up 'Being filled with ignominy And looking upon mine affliction. 1 Or, I am filled with ignominy, but for it increaseth: thou &c. 16 And if my head exalt itself, thou huntest me as look thou... a lion: And again thou shewest thyself marvellous me. 17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, And increasest thine indignation upon me; Changes and warfare are with me. 2 upon 18 Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me. 19 I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave. 3 Another reading is, let 20 Are not my days few ? 'cease then, 21 Before I go whence I shall not return, of death; 22 A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself; 11 I And where the light is as darkness. Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and 2 Should not the multitude of words be answered? thee ashamed? 4 For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure, And I am clean in thine eyes. 5 But Oh that God would speak, VOL. III. B leave me alone. 4 Heb. brighten up. And open his lips against thee; 1 3 And that he would shew thee the secrets of 6 wisdom, That it is manifold in effectual working! Know therefore that God 'exacteth of thee less If he pass through, and shut up, And 'call unto judgement, then who can hinder him? For he knoweth vain men: He seeth iniquity also, 'even though he consider it not. 8 But vain man is void of understanding, Yea, man is born as a wild ass's colt. If thou set thine heart aright, 8 9 ΙΟ II 12 13 14 And stretch out thine hands toward him; Yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear : Thou shalt remember it as waters that are 16 And thy life shall be clearer than the noonday; 17 And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; 18 thy rest in safety. Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make 19 thee afraid; Yea, many shall make suit unto thee. 20 But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, And 'they shall have no way to flee, And their hope shall be the giving up of the ghost. 12 I Then Job answered and said, 2 No doubt but ye are the people, And wisdom shall die with you. 3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yea, who knoweth not such things as these? A man that called upon God, and he answered The just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock. It is ready for them whose foot slippeth. 6 The tents of robbers prosper, And they that provoke God are secure; 2 Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly. 1 Heb. refuge is perished from them. 2 Or, That 7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach bring their thee; And the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: 8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. 9 Who knoweth not 'in all these, That the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? 10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the 'breath of all mankind. II Doth not the ear try words, Even as the palate tasteth its meat? 12 'With aged men is wisdom, And in length of days understanding. 13 With him is wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding. god in their hand 3 Or, by 4 Or, spirit 5 Or, With aged men, ye say, is wisdom 1 Or, sound wisdom Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built 14 again; He shutteth up a man, and there can be no Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry 15 up; Again, he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth. With him is strength and 'effectual working; And bindeth their loins with a girdle. And taketh away the understanding of the He removeth the speech of the trusty, elders. He poureth contempt upon princes, 2 Or, leadeth them away 3 Or, land And looseth the belt of the strong. 22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, He taketh away the heart of the chiefs of the 24 And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way. They grope in the dark without light, "Heb.wander. And he maketh them to 'stagger like a drunken 25 I 13 2 3 0 |