8 1 Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the * waves of the sea.

9. Which maketh + Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

10" Which doth great things past finding out; yea, wonders without number.

11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth also, but I perceive him not.

and

on

12. Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

13 If God will not withdraw his anger, the § proud help

ers do stoop under him.

14 How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

16 If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

17 For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

18 He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

19 If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. 21 Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

22 This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

23 If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?

25 Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

26 They are passed away as the || swift ships: as the eagle Heb. ships of that hasteth to the prey.

27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:

28 I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt

not hold me innocent.

29 If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?

30 If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

desire: or, ships of Ebek.

A.C. 2130.

* Or, make

me to be abhorred.

+ Heb. one that should argue.

31 Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall * abhor me.

32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. 33 Neither is there + any

daysman betwixt us, that

Or, umpire. might lay his hand upon us both.

Heb. but I am not so with myself.

Or, cut off while I live.

34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

35 Then would I speak, and not fear him; § but it is not so with me.

JOB X.

1 Job taking liberty of complaint, expostulateth with God about his afflictions. 18 He complaineth of life, and craveth a little case before death.

1 My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. 2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that Heb. the la- thou shouldest despise * the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

bour of thine

hands.

+ Heb. it is upon thy knowledge.

+ Heb. took pains about

me.

p Ps. cxxxix.

14, 15, 16.

4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth? 5 Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days,

6 That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?

7 + Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

8 Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

10 P Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast Her. hedged. § fenced me with bones and sinews.

12 Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

13 And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.

14 If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

15 If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;

16 For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.

17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and in- A.C. 2130. creasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are * That is, thy

against me.

plagues.

18 Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of t Chap. iii. 11. the womb? Oh that 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.

20 Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, g See ch. vii. that I may take comfort a little,

21 Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;

22 A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.

SECTION IX.

Zophar takes up the Argument of Eliphaz with great asperity ; and urges the Necessity of Repentance.

JOB XI.

1 Zophar reproveth Job for justifying himself. 5 God's wisdom is unsearchable. 13 The assured blessing of repentance.

1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

2 Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?

16, & viii. 9,

+ Heb. a man of lips.

3 Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and Or, devices. when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

4 For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean

in thine eyes.

5 But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;

6 And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

7 Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?

8 It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?

9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

10 If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, who can hinder him?

Heb. the heights of hea

ven.

then Or, make a

11 For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?

change.
* Heb. who
can turn him
away?

12 For + vain man would be wise, though man be born + Heb. empty. like a wild ass's colt.

A.C. 2130.

*Heb. shall arise above

13 If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;

14 If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.

15 For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:

16 Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:

17 And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; the noonday. thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.

18 And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, r Lev. xxvi. 5. thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.

19 Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee

+Heb intreat afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee.

thy face.
Heb. flight
shall perish
from them.

S

20 But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as § the giving up of Ch. viii. 14. the ghost.

& xviii. 14.

Prov. xi. 7.

Or, a puff of

breath.

|| Heb. an heart.

SECTION X.

Reply of Job to the whole Argument.

JOB XII.

1 Job maintaineth himself against his friends that reprove him. 7 He acknowledgeth the general doctrine of God's omnipotency.

1 And 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 Heb. I fall not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as not lower than these?

you.

Heb. with

whom are not

4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon such as these? God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed

Or, life.

Heb. all

flesh of man.

to scorn.

5 He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

6 The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach 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.'

11 Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste A.C. 2130. his meat?

12 With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days

understanding.

t Ch. xxxiv. 3.

*

Heb. palate. 13+ With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel +That is, with and understanding.

God.

u Isa. xxii. 22.

14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again he shutteth up a man, and there can be no Rev. ii. 7. opening.

15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

16 With him is strength and wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are his.

17 He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.

18 He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.

19 He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.

20 He removeth away § the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.

21 He poureth contempt upon princes, and || weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

23 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.

24 He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

25 They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.

JOB XIII.

1 Job reproveth his friends of partiality. 14 He professeth his confidence in God: 20 and intreateth to know his own sins, and God's purpose in afflicting him.

1 Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it.

2 What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.

3 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

4 But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no

-value.

5 O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.

x

Heb. upon.

Ch.xxxii. 9.

Isa. iii. 1, 2, 3. Heb. the lip of the faithful.

Or, looseth

the girdle of the strong.

* Heb. leadeth in.

+ Heb. wan. der.