And I desire to reason with God. 4 But ye are forgers of lies, Ye are all physicians of no value. 5 Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it should be your wisdom. 6 Hear now my reasoning, 7 And hearken to the pleadings of my lips. Will ye speak unrighteously for God, And talk deceitfully for him? 8 Will ye 'respect his person? Will ye contend for God? 9 Is it good that he should search you out? 1 Or, shew him favour Or as one 'deceiveth a man, will ye 'deceive him? Or, mocketh 10 He will surely reprove you, If ye do secretly 'respect persons. II Shall not his excellency make you afraid, 12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, 13 Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, And let come on me what will. 3 Or, mock 4 Or, shew favour 5 14 Wherefore should I take my flesh in my teeth, Or, At all 6 And put my life in mine hand? 15 Though he slay me, yet will I wait for him: 8 adventures I will take &c. 6 Or, Behold, Nevertheless I will 'maintain my ways before he will slay me; him. 16 This also shall be my salvation; 'For a godless man shall not come before him. 17 Hear diligently my speech, And let my declaration be in your ears. 18 Behold now, I have ordered my cause; 10 I know that I am righteous. 19 Who is he that will contend with me? For now "shall I hold my peace and give the ghost. 20 Only do not two things unto me, Then will I not hide myself from thy face: 21 Withdraw thine hand far from me; up I wait for him or, And let not thy terror make me afraid. How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin. And holdest me for thine enemy? Wilt thou harass a driven leaf? And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble? For thou writest bitter things against me, And makest me to inherit the iniquities of my 22 23 24 25 26 Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and 27 Thou drawest thee a line about the soles of my feet: Heb. And he 1Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, 28 is like. 2 Or, withereth Or, Oh that a clean thing could come out of an unclean! not one can 4 Heb. cease. Or, have pleasure in Man that is born of a woman Is of few days, and full of trouble. I 14 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down : 2 not one. Seeing his days are determined, the number of 5 And thou hast appointed his bounds that he 6 Look away from him, that he may 'rest, And that the tender branch thereof will not cease. 9 Yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? 2 II As the waters fail from the sea, ΙΙ And the river decayeth and drieth up; 12 So man lieth down and riseth not: 13 Till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, Nor be roused out of their sleep. Oh that thou wouldest hide me in 'Sheol, That thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, That thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! 14 If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my warfare 'would I wait, 15 'Thou shouldest call, and I would answer thee: thine hands. 16 But now thou numberest my steps: Dost thou not watch over my sin? 17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And thou fastenest up mine iniquity. 1 Or, lieth low 2 See Is. xix. 5. 3 Heb. are gone. • Or, the grave 5 Or, will... 6 Or, change I will &c. 18 And surely the mountain falling cometh to Heb. fadeth nought, And the rock is removed out of its place; 19 The waters wear the stones ; The overflowings thereof wash away 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 away. 21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; And they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. away. 1 Or, Only for himself his flesh hath pain, and for himself his soul mourneth 2 Heb. knowledge of wind. 1But his flesh upon him hath pain, 22 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and 1 15 said, Should a wise man make answer with "vain 2 knowledge, Should he reason with unprofitable talk, And fill his belly with the east wind? 3 Or with speeches wherewith he can do no good? And restrainest 'devotion before God. 3 Heb. diminishest. 4 Or, meditation 5 Or, thy mouth teacheth 5 For thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth, thine iniquity Yea, thine own lips testify against thee. hearken in the council 7 8 Art thou the first man that was born? Or wast thou brought forth before the hills? Or, Dost thou Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God? And dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? What knowest thou, that we know not? What understandest thou, which is not in us? With us are both the grayheaded and the very 10 aged men, 7 Or, Or is there any secret 8 Or, that which is Much elder than thy father. Are the consolations of God too small for thee, 11 "And the word that dealeth gently with thee? Why doth thine heart carry thee away And why do thine eyes wink? That thou turnest thy spirit against God, 12 13 14 15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his holy ones; A man that drinketh iniquity like water! 17 I will shew thee, hear thou me; And that which I have seen I will declare: 18 (Which wise men have told From their fathers, and have not hid it; 19 Unto whom alone the land was given, And no stranger passed among them :) 20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, 1 'Even the number of years that are laid up for Or, And the oppressor. 21 A sound of terrors is in his ears; In prosperity the spoiler shall come upon him : 22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, And he is waited for of the sword: 23 He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand: 24 Distress and anguish make him afraid; They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle: 25 Because he hath stretched out his hand against God, years that are numbered are laid up &c. 2 defiance to And 'behaveth himself proudly against the Al- Or, biddeth mighty; 26 He runneth upon him with a stiff neck, 27 Because he hath covered his face with his fat ness, And made collops of fat on his flanks; 28 And he hath dwelt in 'desolate cities, In houses which no man "inhabited, 29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance Neither shall their produce bend to the earth. 30 He shall not depart out of darkness; 3 Or, Upon 4 Heb. cut off. 5 Or, would inhabit 6 Or, their possessions be extended on the earth |