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MOUNT CARMEL"I will lift my eyes unto the mountains."
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I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains:From whence shall my help come?My help cometh from the Lord,Who made heaven and earth.He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:He that keepeth thee will not slumber.Behold, he that keepeth IsraelShall neither slumber nor sleep.The Lord is thy keeper:The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.The sun shall not smite thee by day,Nor the moon by night.The Lord shall keep thee from all evil;He shall keep thy soul.The Lord shall keep thy going out and thy coming in,From this time forth and for evermore.
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I was glad when they said unto me,"Let us go unto the house of the Lord."Our feet are standingWithin thy gates, O Jerusalem;Jerusalem, that art buildedAs a city that is compact together:Whither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord,For a testimony unto Israel,To give thanks unto the name of the Lord.For there are set thrones for judgment,The thrones of the house of David.Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:They shall prosper that love thee.Peace be within thy walls,And prosperity within thy palaces.For my brethren and companions' sakes,I will now say, "Peace be within thee."For the sake of the house of the Lord our GodI will seek thy good.
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When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion,We were like unto them that dream.Then was our mouth filled with laughter,And our tongue with singing:Then said they among the nations,The Lord hath done great things for them.The Lord hath done great things for us;Whereof we are glad.Turn again our captivity, O Lord,As the streams in the South.They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.Though he goeth on his way weeping, bearing forth the seed;He shall come again with joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
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Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.Lord, hear my voice:Let thine ears be attentiveTo the voice of my supplications.If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities,O Lord, who shall stand?But there is forgiveness with thee,That thou mayest be feared.I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait,And in his word do I hope.My soul looketh for the Lord,More than watchmen look for the morning;Yea, more than watchmen for the morning.O Israel, hope in the Lord;For with the Lord there is mercy,And with him is plenteous redemption.And he shall redeem IsraelFrom all his iniquities.
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Behold, how good and how pleasant it isFor brethren to dwell together in unity!It is like the precious oil upon the head,That ran down upon the beard,Even Aaron's beard;That came down upon the skirt of his garments;Like the dew of Hermon,That cometh down upon the mountains of Zion:For there the Lord commanded the blessing,Even life for evermore.
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Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord,Who by night stand in the house of the Lord.Lift up your hands to the sanctuary,And bless ye the Lord.The Lord bless thee out of Zion;Even he that made heaven and earth.Praise ye the Lord.Praise ye the name of the Lord;Praise him, O ye servants of the Lord:Ye that stand in the house of the Lord,In the courts of the house of our God.Praise ye the Lord; for the Lord is good:Sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself,And Israel for his peculiar treasure.For I know that the Lord is great,And that our Lord is above all gods.Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that hath he done,In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth;He maketh lightnings for the rain;He bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries.{161}Who smote the firstborn of Egypt,Both of man and beast.He sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt,Upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants.Who smote many nations,And slew mighty kings;Sihon king of the Amorites,And Og king of Bashan,And all the kingdoms of Canaan:And gave their land for an heritage,An heritage unto Israel his people.Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever;Thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations.For the Lord shall judge his people,And repent himself concerning his servants.The idols of the nations are silver and gold,The work of men's hands.They have mouths, but they speak not;Eyes have they, but they see not;They have ears, but they hear not;Neither is there any breath in their mouths.They that make them shall be like unto them;Yea, everyone that trusteth in them.O house of Israel, bless ye the Lord:O house of Aaron, bless ye the Lord:O house of Levi, bless ye the Lord:Ye that fear the Lord, bless ye the Lord.Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,{162}Who dwelleth at Jerusalem.Praise ye the Lord.O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good:For his mercy endureth for ever.O give thanks unto the God of gods:For his mercy endureth for ever.O give thanks unto the Lord of lords:For his mercy endureth for ever.To him who alone doeth great wonders:For his mercy endureth for ever.To him who by understanding made the heavens:For his mercy endureth for ever.To him who spread forth the earth above the waters:For his mercy endureth for ever.To him who made great lights:For his mercy endureth for ever:The sun to rule by day:For his mercy endureth for ever:The moon and stars to rule by night:For his mercy endureth for ever.To him who smote Egypt in their firstborn:For his mercy endureth for ever:And brought out Israel from among them:For his mercy endureth for ever:With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm:For his mercy endureth for ever.To him who divided the Red Sea in sunder:For his mercy endureth for ever:And made Israel to pass through the midst of it:{163}For his mercy endureth for ever:But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea:For his mercy endureth for ever.To him who led his people through the wilderness:For his mercy endureth for ever.To him who smote great kings:For his mercy endureth for ever:And slew famous kings:For his mercy endureth for ever:Sihon king of the Amorites:For his mercy endureth for ever:And Og king of Bashan:For his mercy endureth for ever:And gave their land for an heritage:For his mercy endureth for ever:Even an heritage unto Israel his servant:For his mercy endureth for ever.Who remembered us in our low estate:For his mercy endureth for ever:And hath delivered us from our adversaries:For his mercy endureth for ever.He giveth food to all flesh:For his mercy endureth for ever.O give thanks unto the God of heaven:For his mercy endureth for ever.
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O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising,Thou understandest my thought afar off.Thou searchest out my path and my lying down,And art acquainted with all my ways.For there is not a word in my tongue,But, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.Thou hast beset me behind and before,And laid thine hand upon me.Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;It is high, I cannot attain unto it.Whither shall I go from thy spirit?Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there.If I take the wings of the morning,And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;Even there shall thy hand lead me,And thy right hand shall hold me.If I say, Surely the darkness shall overwhelm me,And the light about me shall be night;Even the darkness hideth not from thee,But the night shineth as the day:The darkness and the light are both alike to thee.{165}How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God!How great is the sum of them!If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand:When I awake, I am still with thee.Search me, O God, and know my heart:Try me, and know my thoughts:And see if there be any way of wickedness in me,And lead me in the way everlasting.
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Blessed be the Lord my rock,Who teacheth my hands to war,And my fingers to fight:My lovingkindness, and my fortress,My high tower, and my deliverer;My shield, and he in whom I trust;Who subdueth my people under me.Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him?Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him?Man is like to vanity:His days are as a shadow that passeth away.Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down:Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.Cast forth lightning, and scatter them;Send out thine arrows, and discomfit them.Stretch forth thy hand from above;Rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters,Out of the hand of aliens;Whose mouth speaketh deceit,And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood,I will sing a new song unto thee, O God:Upon a psaltery of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.{167}Thou art he that giveth salvation unto kings;Who rescueth David his servant from the hurtful sword.Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hand of aliens,Whose mouth speaketh deceit,And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.When our sons shall be as plants grown up in their youth,And our daughters as corner stones hewn after the fashion of a palace;When our garners are full, affording all manner of store,And our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;When our oxen are well laden;When there is no breaking in, and no going forth,And no outcry in our streets:Happy is the people that is in such a case;Yea, happy is the people whose God is the Lord.
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I will extol thee, my God, O King;And I will bless thy name for ever and ever.Every day will I bless thee;And I will praise thy name for ever and ever.Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;And his greatness is unsearchable.One generation shall laud thy works to another,And shall declare thy mighty acts.Of the glorious majesty of thine honour,And of thy wondrous works, will I meditate.And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts;And I will declare thy greatness.They shall utter the memory of thy great goodness,And shall sing of thy righteousnessThe Lord is gracious, and full of compassion;Slow to anger, and of great mercy.The Lord is good to all;And his tender mercies are over all his works.All thy works shall give thanks unto thee, O Lord;And thy saints shall bless thee.They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom,And talk of thy power;To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts,And the glory of the majesty of his kingdom.{169}Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,And thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.The Lord upholdeth all that fall,And raiseth up all those that be bowed down.The eyes of all wait upon thee;And thou givest them their food in due season.Thou openest thine hand,And satisfiest the desire of every living thing.The Lord is righteous in all his ways,And gracious in all his works.The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him,To all that call upon him in truth.He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him;He also will hear their cry, and will save them.The Lord preserveth all them that love him;But all the wicked will he destroy.My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;And let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
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Praise ye the Lord.Praise the Lord, O my soul.While I live will I praise the Lord:I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.Put not your trust in princes,Nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth;In that very day his thoughts perish.Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help,Whose hope is in the Lord his God:Which made heaven and earth,The sea, and all that in them is;Which keepeth truth for ever:Which executeth judgment for the oppressed;Which giveth food to the hungry:The Lord looseth the prisoners;The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind;The Lord raiseth up them that are bowed down;The Lord loveth the righteous;The Lord preserveth the strangers;He upholdeth the fatherless and widow;But the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.The Lord shall reign for ever,{171}Thy God, O Zion, unto all generations.Praise ye the Lord.Praise ye the Lord;For it is good to sing praises unto our God;For it is pleasant, and praise is comely.The Lord doth build up Jerusalem;He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.He healeth the broken in heart,And bindeth up their wounds.He telleth the number of the stars;He giveth them all their names.Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;His understanding is infinite.The Lord upholdeth the meek:He bringeth the wicked down to the ground.Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving;Sing praises upon the harp unto our God:Who covereth the heaven with clouds,Who prepareth rain for the earth,Who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.He giveth to the beast his food,And to the young ravens which cry.He delighteth not in the strength of the horse:He taketh no pleasure in the legs of a man.The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him,In those that hope in his mercy.Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem;Praise thy God, O Zion.{172}For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates;He hath blessed thy children within thee.He maketh peace in thy borders;He filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.He sendeth out his commandment upon earth;His word runneth very swiftly.He giveth snow like wool;He scattereth the hoar frost like ashes.He casteth forth his ice like morsels:Who can stand before his cold?He sendeth out his word, and melteth them:He causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.He sheweth his word unto Jacob,His statutes and his judgments unto Israel.He hath not dealt so with any nation:And as for his judgments, they have not known them.Praise ye the Lord.Praise ye the Lord.Praise ye the Lord from the heavens:Praise him in the heights.Praise ye him, all his angels:Praise ye him, all his host.Praise ye him, sun and moon:Praise him, all ye stars of light.Praise him, ye heavens of heavens,And ye waters that be above the heavens.Let them praise the name of the Lord:For he commanded, and they were created.{173}He hath also established them for ever and ever:He hath made a decree which shall not pass away.Praise the Lord from the earth.Ye dragons, and all deeps:Fire and hail, snow and vapour;Stormy wind, fulfilling his word:Mountains and all hills;Fruitful trees and all cedars:Beasts and all cattle;Creeping things and flying fowl:Kings of the earth and all peoples;Princes and all judges of the earth:Both young men and maidens;Old men and children:Let them praise the name of the Lord;For his name alone is exalted:His glory is above the earth and heaven.And he hath lifted up the horn of his people,The praise of all his saints;Even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him.Praise ye the Lord.Praise ye the Lord.Praise God in his sanctuary:Praise him in the firmament of his power.Praise him for his mighty acts:Praise him according to his excellent greatness.Praise him with the sound of the trumpet:Praise him with the psaltery and harp.{174}Praise him with the timbrel and dance:Praise him with stringed instruments and the pipe.Praise him upon the loud cymbals:Praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.Praise ye the Lord.
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TWO WOMEN GRINDING AT THE MILLCopyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.
The hand mill for grinding grain shown in the picture is exactly the same as those in use in Palestine from the earliest times. It consists of two circular stones, one of which is placed on top of the other, the upper and lower surfaces being flat. The underside of the upper stone is slightly concave, fitting into the convex surface of the lower stone. From the center of the lower stone a strong pin of wood passes through a funnel-shaped hole in the upper stone. Into this hole the grain is thrown, and as it is ground escapes as meal to a smooth sheepskin placed beneath. On the surface of the upper stone near the circumference, a handle is fixed by which the stone is turned. The meal is ground every day. The work, which is very laborious, is performed by the women of the household. In the picture this mill is rather more elaborate than usual, the lower stone being elongated and used as a trough for the meal as it falls over the edges of the mill. There are two baskets of grain and one of meal. One of the women is about to put a handful of grain in the mill. Both are helping to turn the upper stone by the handle
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PERSONS REPRESENTED.Friends of Job.Job, a rich man of the East.Eliphaz, the Temanite.Bildad, the Shuhite.Zophar, the Naamathite.Elihu, son of Barachel, the Buzite.The Wife of Job.The LORD.Satan.Sons of God, Messengers, Friends, Spectators.PLACES.The Land of Uz, a country east of Palestine.The Court of Heaven.TIME.The Patriarchal Age.
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JOB
There is one question over which men have puzzled for many, many hundreds of years. It is the question, "Why do good people suffer?" When wicked people suffered, the reason seemed to be plain. It was because they had done wrong; and people who do wrong ought to suffer. But good people as well as wicked people suffer, and it has always been very hard for many to see how God can be good and this still be true.
This is the question that a Hebrew poet tried to answer in the book of Job. He pictured a man named Job who had lived a good life and feared God, and yet who suffered. He lost the flocks and herds which had made him rich. A whirlwind swept away the house in which his sons and daughters were feasting, and killed them all. At last a disease for which there was no known cure came upon him. Poor and alone, he faced a certain death of great suffering.
Then three friends came to see him. Finding him suffering so, they believed that he must have been a great sinner, and that the suffering was God's punishment for his sin. They tried to make him see that he had sinned. At first they only hint it, very gently and tenderly, but when he still insists that he has not sinned in any way which should bring such suffering, they become more harsh and{180}plainly charge him with being greedy of gain and cruel to the poor. He says that he has not been guilty of these things. And so, the poet means to say, when men suffer, it does not always mean that they have sinned. Then, in the poem, God speaks out of a storm. He says that Job cannot understand the sea or the sky or the storm or the winter's cold or the instincts of the animals. Does he think, then, that he will be able to understand how God deals with men? He trusts God in the things that are good. Can he not trust him in the things that seem evil also? Job is willing to trust God, and the book ends with a picture of a happy, prosperous old age for this man who has suffered so much.
What is the writer's answer, then, to the question why good men suffer? His answer is that we cannot tell why such men suffer. But we know that God is wise and good, and we may trust him, even if we find it impossible, as we always shall, to answer all the questions of life.
The book of Job is a great dramatic poem. It is dramatic not because it was meant to be acted as the Greek and English drama; the Hebrews knew nothing about drama of this kind. But it consists of dialogue between various speakers, and has the true dramatic spirit and intensity of personal feeling. It is the nearest approach to the drama in the Bible. It is printed here in dramatic form because it was felt that this would be suggestive and helpful to the reader. It has a prologue and an epilogue which are in prose, while the speeches are in poetic form, and are printed like the blank verse of the Greek or English drama.
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PROLOGUE
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and shunned evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east. And his sons went and held a feast in the house of each one upon his day; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And whenever the feast days came round Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts." Thus did Job continually.
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.
And thus they spoke:--
THE LORD--"Whence comest thou?"
SATAN--"From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."
THE LORD--"Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and shunneth evil."
SATAN--"Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? thou hast blessed the{182}work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will renounce thee to thy face."
THE LORD--"Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand."
Then Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. After this on a certain day messengers came with tidings to Job.
FIRST MESSENGER--"The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: and the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee."
SECOND MESSENGER--"The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee."
THIRD MESSENGER--"The Chaldeans made three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have taken them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee."
FOURTH MESSENGER--"Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: and, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee."
JOB--(He arose, rent his mantle, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshipped.)
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"Naked came I into the world, and naked I must return out of it. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord.
And thus they spoke:--
THE LORD--"From whence comest thou?"
SATAN--"From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."
THE LORD--"Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and shunneth evil: and he still holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause."
SATAN--"Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce thee to thy face."
THE LORD--"Behold, he is in thy hands; only spare his life."
Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself, and he sat among the ashes.
THE WIFE OF JOB--"Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? renounce God, and die."
JOB--"Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?"
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Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came everyone from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: and they made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent everyone his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.
(The action of the dramatic poem itself now begins.)
IJOB.
Why died I not at birth?Why did life receive me?For now should I have lain down and been quiet;I should have slept; then had I been at rest:With kings and counsellors of the earth,Which built up waste places for themselves;Or with princes that had gold,Who filled their houses with silver:There the wicked cease from troubling;And there the weary be at rest.There the prisoners are at ease together;They hear not the voice of the taskmaster.The small and great are there;{185}And the servant is free from his master.Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery,And life unto the bitter in soul;Which long for death, but it cometh not;And dig for it more than for hid treasures;Which rejoice exceedingly,And are glad, when they can find the grave?Why is light given to a man whose way is hid,And whom God hath hedged in?For my sighing cometh before I eat,And my groans are poured out like water.For the thing which I fear cometh upon me,And that which I am afraid of cometh unto me.I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest;But trouble cometh.
ELIPHAZ.
If one assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved?But who can withhold himself from speaking?Behold, thou hast instructed many,And thou hast strengthened the weak hands.Thy words have upholden him that was falling,And thou hast confirmed the feeble knees.But now it is come unto thee, and thou faintest;It toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.Is not thy fear of God thy confidence,And thy hope the integrity of thy ways?Now a thing was secretly brought to me,And mine ear received a whisper thereof.{186}In thoughts from the visions of the night,When deep sleep falleth on men,Fear came upon me, and trembling,Which made all my bones to shake.Then a spirit glided before my face;The hair of my flesh stood up.It stood still, but I could not discern the appearance thereof;A form was before mine eyes:There was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,Shall mortal man be more just than God?Shall a man be more pure than his Maker?Behold, he putteth no trust in his servants;And his angels he chargeth with folly:How much more them that dwell in houses of clay.But man is born unto trouble,As the sparks fly upward.But as for me, I would seek unto God,And unto God would I commit my cause:Who doeth great things and unsearchable;Marvellous things without number:Who giveth rain upon the earth,And sendeth waters upon the fields:So that he setteth up on high those that be low;And those which mourn are exalted to safety.He frustrateth the devices of the crafty,So that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.He taketh the wise in their own craftiness:{187}And the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.They meet with darkness in the daytime,And grope at noonday as in the night.But he saveth from the sword of their mouth,Even the needy from the hand of the mighty.So the poor hath hope,And iniquity stoppeth her mouth.Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth:Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.For he maketh sore, and bindeth up;He woundeth, and his hands make whole.In famine he shall redeem thee from death;And in war from the power of the sword.Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue;Neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.At destruction and dearth thou shalt laugh;Neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field;And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age,Like as a shock of corn cometh in in its season.Lo this, we have searched it, so it is;Hear it, and know thou it for thy good.
JOB.
Oh that my vexation were but weighed,And my calamity laid in the balances together!For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas:Therefore have my words been rash.{188}For the arrows of the Almighty are within me,The poison whereof my spirit drinketh up:The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.Oh that I might have my request;And that God would grant me the thing that I long for!Even that it would please God to crush me;That he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!Then should I yet have comfort;Yea, I would exult in pain that spareth not:For I have not denied the words of the Holy One.What is my strength, that I should wait?And what is mine end, that I should be patient?Is my strength the strength of stones?My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook,As the channel of brooks that pass away;Which are black by reason of the ice,And wherein the snow hideth itself:When they grow warm, they vanish:When it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.The caravans that travel by the way of them turn aside;They go up into the waste, and perish.The caravans of Tema looked,The companies of Sheba waited for them.They were ashamed because they had hoped;They came thither, and were confounded.See now,--ye are just like that,Ye see a terror, and are afraid.Did I say, Give unto me?Or, Offer a present for me of your substance?{189}Or, Deliver me from the adversary's hand?Or, Redeem me from the hand of the oppressors?Teach me, and I will hold my peace:And cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
JOB.(He speaks now to the Lord.)
What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him,And that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him,And that thou shouldest visit him every morning,And try him every moment?If I have sinned, what do I unto thee, O thou watcher of men?Why hast thou set me as a mark for thee,So that I am a burden to myself?And why dost thou not pardon my transgression,and take away mine iniquity?For now shall I lie down in the dust;And thou shalt seek me diligently, but I shall not be.
BILDAD.
How long wilt thou speak these things?And how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a mighty wind?Doth God pervert judgment?Or doth the Almighty pervert justice?If thy children have sinned against him,And he have delivered them into the hand of their transgression:{190}If thou wouldest seek diligently unto God,And make thy supplication to the Almighty;If thou wert pure and upright;Surely now he would awake for thee,And make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age,And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out:(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing,Because our days upon earth are a shadow:)Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee,And utter words out of their heart?"Can the rush grow up without mire?Can the flag grow without water?"Whilst it is yet in its greenness, and not cut down,It withereth before any other herb.So are the paths of all that forget God;And the hope of the godless man shall perish:Whose confidence shall break in sunder,And whose trust is a spider's web.He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand:He shall hold fast thereby, but it shall not endure.He is green before the sun,And his shoots go forth over his garden.His roots are wrapped about the heap,He beholdeth the place of stones.If he be destroyed from his place,Then it shall deny him, saying, "I have not seen thee."{191}Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man,Neither will he uphold the evil-doers.He will yet fill thy mouth with laughter,And thy lips with shouting.They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame;And the tent of the wicked shall be no more.
JOB.
Of a truth I know that it is so:But how can man be just with God?Should he desire to contend with him,He cannot answer him one of a thousand.He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength:Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?Who removeth the mountains, and they know it not.When he overturneth them in his anger.Who shaketh the earth out of her place,And the pillars thereof tremble.Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not;And sealeth up the stars.Who alone stretcheth out the heavens,And treadeth upon the waves of the sea.Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,And the chambers of the south.Who doeth great things past finding out;Yea, marvellous things without number.Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not:He passeth on also, but I perceive him not.{192}If we speak of the strength of the mighty, lo, he is there!And if of judgment, who will appoint me a time?Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me:Though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse.I am perfect; I regard not myself;I despise my life.It is all one; therefore I say,He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.Now my days are swifter than a courier:They flee away, they see no good.They are passed away as the swift ships:As the eagle that swoopeth on the prey.My soul is weary of my life;I will give free course to my complaint;I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.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,That thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands?Are not my days few? cease then,And let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,Before I go whence I shall not return,Even to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself;A land of the shadow of death, without any order,And where the light is as darkness."
{193}
ZOPHAR.
Should not the multitude of words be answered?And should a man full of talk be justified?Should thy boastings make men hold their peace?And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?For thou sayest, "My doctrine is pure,And I am clean in thine eyes."But Oh that God would speak,And open his lips against thee;And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom,That it is manifold in effectual working!Know therefore that God exacteth of theeless than thine iniquity deserveth.Canst thou by searching find out God?Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?It is high as heaven; what canst thou do?Deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know?The measure thereof is longer than the earth,And broader than the sea.For he knoweth vain men:He seeth iniquity also, even though he consider it not.If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away,And let not unrighteousness dwell in thy tents;Surely then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot;Yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:For thou shalt forget thy misery;Thou shalt remember it as waters that are passed away:And thy life shall be clearer than the noonday;Though there be darkness, it shall be as the morning.