[28] For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? And where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt? [29] Have ye not asked wayfaring men? And do ye not know their evidences, [30] That the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity? That they are led" 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 borne to the grave, And men shall keep watch over the tomb. [33] The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, And all men shall draw after him, As there were innumerable before him. [34] How then comfort ye me in” vain, Seeing in your answers there remaineth only falsehood ?13 XXII THEN answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, [2] Can a man be profitable unto God? Surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself. [3] Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect? [4] Is it for thy fear of him that he reproveth thee, That he entereth with thee into judgment? [5] Is not thy wickedness great? Neither is there any end to thine iniquities, [6] For thou hast taken pledges of 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 withholden bread from the hungry. [8] But as for the mighty man, he had the earth;* And the honorable man, he dwelt in it. Or, spared in &c. 10 Or, led away in &c. "Or, Moreover he is borne to the grave, and keepeth watch over his tomb. The clods of the valley are sweet unto him; and all men draw &c. Or, with vanity. 13 Or, faithlessness. 1 Or, for fear of thee. Heb. the man of arm. • Or, land. Heb. he whose person is accepted. [9] Thou hast sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken. [10] Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear troubleth thee, [11] Or darkness, so that thou canst not see, And abundance of waters cover thee. [12] Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are! [13] And thou sayest, What doth God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness? [14] Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he seeth not; And he walketh on the vault of heaven. [15] Wilt thou keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden? [16] Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundation was poured out as a stream, [17] Who said unto God, Depart from us; And, What can the Almighty do for us?" [18] Yet he filled their houses with good things: But the counsel of the wicked is far from me. [19] The righteous see it, and are glad; And the innocent laugh them to scorn, [20] Saying, Surely they that did rise up against us are cut [21] off, And the remnant of them the fire hath consumed. Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: [22] Receive, I pray thee, the" law from his mouth, [23] If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, If thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents. 15 [24] And lay thou thy treasure" in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks; Or, Or dost thou not see the darkness, and the flood of waters that covereth thee? Heb. head. Or, Dost thou mark. 8 Or, to. Heb. them. 10 Or, that which remained to them. Or, their abundance. 11 Or, as otherwise read, Thereby shall thine increase be good. 18 Or, Thou shalt put away... and shalt lay up. 15 Or, or the earth. 12 Or, instruction. 14 Heb. ore. [25] And the Almighty will be thy treasure, And precious silver unto thee. 14 [26] For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God. [27] Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee; And thou shalt pay thy vows. [28] Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; And light shall shine upon thy ways. [29] When they cast" thee down, thou shalt say, There is lifting up; And the humble person he will save. [30] He will deliver even him that is not innocent: Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands. XXIII [1] THEN Job answered and said, [2] Even to-day is my complaint rebellious: [4] I would set my cause in order before him, [5] I would know the words which he would answer me, And understand what he would say unto me. [6] Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? Nay; but he would give heed unto me. [7] There the upright might reason with him; So should I be delivered for ever from my judge. [8] Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; And backward, but I cannot perceive him; [9] On the left hand, when he doth work, but I cannot behold him; Or, precious silver shall be thine. Heb. him that is lowly of eyes. 17 Or, are made low. Or, bitter. Or, accounted rebellion. Or, he would only give heed. [10] He hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him. But he knoweth the way that I take; When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. [11] My foot hath held fast to his steps; His way have I kept, and turned not aside. [12] I have not gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary' food. [13] But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? [15] Therefore am I terrified at his presence; [16] For God hath made my heart faint, And the Almighty hath terrified me; [17] Because I was not cut off before the darkness, Neither did he cover the thick darkness from my face. [1] XXIV WHY are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do not they that know him see his days? [2] There are that remove the landmarks; They violently take away flocks, and feed them. [3] They drive away the ass of the fatherless; They take the widow's ox for a pledge. [4] They turn the needy out of the way: The poor of the earth all hide themselves. [5] Behold, as wild asses in the desert They go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food; The wilderness yieldeth them bread for their children. & Or, turneth himself to .... him, but. • Or, For. Or, more than my own law. 8 Or, he is one. Or, For I am not dismayed because of the darkness, nor because thick darkness covereth my face. Or, Why is it, seeing times are not they who know him see not his days? hidden from the Almighty, that [6] They cut their provender in the field; And they glean the vintage of the wicked. [7] They lie all night naked without clothing, And have no covering in the cold. [8] They are wet with the showers of the mountains, And embrace the rock for want of a shelter. [9] There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, [10] So that they go about naked without clothing, [13] These are of them that rebel against the light; [14] The murderer riseth with the light; He killeth the poor and needy; And in the night he is as a thief. [15] The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, Saying, No eye shall see me: And he disguiseth' his face. [16] In the dark they dig through houses: They shut themselves up in the day-time; They know not the light. [17] For the morning is to all of them as thick darkness; For they know the terrors of the thick darkness. [18] Swiftly they pass away upon the face of the waters; Their portion is cursed in the earth: They turn not into the way of the vineyards. [19] Drought and heat consume" the snow waters: So doth Sheol those that have sinned. 'Or, his. Or, take in pledge that which is on the poor. Heb. city of men. Or, putteth a covering on his face. Or, Which they had marked for themselves. Or, thick darkness is to all of them as the morning; For they &c. 19 Or, Ye say, Swiftly &c. Heb. Swift is he &c. "Heb. violently take away. |