SELECTIONS FROM JOB
| 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. |
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.
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.)
"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?"
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.)
I
JOB.
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."
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 thee
less 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.
JOB.
No doubt but ye are the people,
And wisdom shall die with you.
But I have understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you:
Yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
Lo, mine eye hath seen all this,
Mine ear hath heard and understood it.
What ye know, the same do I know also:
I am not inferior unto you.
Surely I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to reason with God.
But ye are forgers of lies,
Ye are all physicians of no value.
Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace!
And it should be your wisdom.
Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes.
Though he slay me, yet will I wait for him:
Nevertheless I will maintain my ways before him.
This also shall be my salvation;
For a godless man shall not come before him.
Hear diligently my speech,
And let my declaration be in your ears.
Behold now, I have ordered my cause;
I know that I am righteous.
Who is he that will contend with me?
How many are mine iniquities and sins?
Make me to know my transgression and my sin.
Wherefore hidest thou thy face, [{195}] And holdest me for thine enemy?
Wilt thou harass a driven leaf?
And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
Man that is born of a woman
Is of few days, and full of trouble.
He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down:
He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one,
And bringest me into judgment with thee?
For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,
And that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
Though the root thereof grow old in the earth,
And the stock thereof die in the ground;
Yet through the scent of water it will bud,
And put forth boughs like a plant.
But man dieth, and wasteth away:
Yea, man giveth up his spirit, and where is he?
If a man die, shall he live again?
All the days of my warfare would I wait,
Till my release should come.
Thou shouldest call, and I would answer thee:
Thou wouldest have a desire to the work of thine hands.
THE FIRST CYCLE OF SPEECHES IS ENDED.
The three friends center their thought about God. The question is, why has Job suffered? Their answer is, because he has sinned. God is just, and would never make a man suffer unless he had sinned. Eliphaz says that all men are imperfect, and so [{196}] suffer. Let Job acknowledge that he has sinned, and this suffering will be only discipline, and God will again bless him. Bildad says that the fathers have always understood that God was just. The man who does not believe as they did must be wicked. Zophar says that God knows Job has sinned, even if Job himself is too blind to see it; else he would not make Job suffer. Job is perplexed. Has he sinned so as to merit this suffering? No. If they say that God is just--yes, but what does God mean, then, by dealing thus with him? He had expected sympathy from his friends. Why do they not give it? He can only turn helplessly to God himself. Would that he could meet God as one might a man, and plead his cause! But, no! Even that chance for justice is cut off. And yet they can talk of God as being just!
II
ELIPHAZ.
Should a wise man make answer with vain knowledge,
And fill his belly with the east wind?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk,
Or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
Yea, thou doest away with fear,
And restrainest devotion before God.
For thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth,
And thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I;
Yea, thine own lips testify against thee.
Art thou the first man that was born?
Or wast thou brought forth before the hills?
Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God?
And dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
What knowest thou, that we know not? [{197}] What understandest thou, which is not in us?
With us are both the grayheaded and the very aged men,
Much older than thy father.
Are the consolations of God too small for thee,
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,
And lettest such words go out of thy mouth.
JOB.
I have heard many such things:
Miserable comforters are ye all.
Shall vain words have an end?
Or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?
I also could speak as ye do;
If your soul were in my soul's stead,
I could join words together against you,
And shake mine head at you.
But I would strengthen you with my mouth,
And the solace of my lips should assuage your grief.
God delivereth me to the ungodly,
And casteth me into the hands of the wicked.
I was at ease, and he brake me asunder;
Yea, he hath taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces:
He hath also set me up for his mark.
His archers compass me round about, [{198}] My face is red with weeping,
And on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
Although there is no violence in mine hands,
And my prayer is pure.
O earth, cover not thou my blood,
And let my cry have no resting place.
Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven,
And he that voucheth for me is on high.
My friends scorn me:
But mine eye poureth out tears unto God;
That he would maintain the right of a man with God,
And of a son of man with his neighbour!
For when a few years are come,
I shall go the way whence I shall not return.
My spirit is consumed, my days are extinct,
The grave is ready for me.
Surely there are mockers with me,
And mine eye abideth in their provocation.
But return ye, all of you, and come now:
And I shall not find a wise man among you.
My days are past, my purposes are broken off,
Even the thoughts of my heart.
They change the night into day:
The light, say they, is near unto the darkness.
If I look for Sheol as mine house:
If I have spread my couch, in the darkness;
If I have said to corruption, "Thou art my father";
To the worm, "Thou art my mother, and my sister"; [{199}] Where then is my hope?
And as for my hope, who shall see it?
It shall go down to the bars of Sheol,
When once there is rest in the dust.
BILDAD.
How long will ye lay snares for words?
Consider, and afterwards we will speak.
Wherefore are we counted as beasts,
And are become unclean in your sight?
Thou that tearest thyself in thine anger,
Shall the earth be forsaken for thee?
Or shall the rock be removed out of its place?
Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out,
And the spark of his fire shall not shine.
The light shall be dark in his tent,
And his lamp above him shall be put out.
The steps of his strength shall be straitened,
And his own counsel shall cast him down.
He shall be rooted out of his tent wherein he trusteth;
And he shall be brought to the king of terrors.
He shall be driven from light into darkness,
And chased out of the world.
He shall have neither son nor son's son among his people,
Nor any remaining where he sojourned.
They that come after shall be astonished at his day,
As they that went before were frightened.
Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous,
And this is the place of him that knoweth not God.
JOB.
How long will ye vex my soul,
And break me in pieces with words?
These ten times have ye reproached me:
Ye are not ashamed that ye deal hardly with me.
And if indeed I have erred,
Mine error remaineth with myself.
If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me,
And plead against me my reproach:
Know now that God hath wronged me in my cause,
And hath compassed me with his net.
Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard:
I cry for help, but there is no judgment.
He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass,
And hath set darkness in my paths.
He hath put my brethren far from me,
And mine acquaintance are wholly estranged from me.
My kinsfolk have failed,
And my familiar friends have forgotten me.
Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends;
For the hand of God hath touched me.
Why do ye persecute me as God,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?
Oh that my words were now written!
Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
That with an iron pen and lead
They were graven in the rock for ever!
But I know that my redeemer liveth, [{201}] And that he shall stand up at the last upon the earth:
And after my skin hath been thus destroyed,
Yet from my flesh shall I see God:
Whom I shall see for myself,
And mine eyes shall behold, and not another.
ZOPHAR.
Knowest thou not this of old time,
Since man was placed upon earth,
That the triumphing of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the godless but for a moment?
Though his excellency mount up to the heavens,
And his head reach unto the clouds;
He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found:
Yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
The eye which saw him shall see him no more;
Neither shall his place any more behold him.
For he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor;
He hath violently taken away an house, and he shall not build it up.
Because he knew no quietness within him,
He shall not save aught of that wherein he delighteth.
There was nothing left that he devoured not;
Therefore his prosperity shall not endure.
In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits:
The hand of everyone that is in misery shall come upon him.
The heavens shall reveal his iniquity,
And the earth shall rise up against him. [{202}] The increase of his house shall depart,
His goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
This is the portion of a wicked man from God,
And the heritage appointed unto him by God.
JOB.
Hear diligently my speech;
And let this be your consolations.
Suffer me, and I also will speak;
And after that I have spoken, mock on.
As for me, is my complaint to man?
And why should I not be impatient?
Wherefore do the wicked live,
Become old, yea, wax mighty in power?
Their seed is established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes.
Their houses are safe from fear,
Neither is the rod of God upon them.
They send forth their little ones like a flock,
And their children dance.
They sing to the timbrel and harp,
And rejoice at the sound of the pipe.
They spend their days in prosperity,
And in a moment they go down to Sheol.
Yet they said unto God, "Depart from us;
For we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? [{203}] And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?"
Lo, their prosperity is not in their hand:
The counsel of the wicked is far from me.
How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out?
That their calamity cometh upon them?
That God distributeth sorrows in his anger?
That they are as stubble before the wind,
And as chaff that the storm carrieth away?
Ye say, God layeth up his iniquity for his children.
Let him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it.
Let his own eyes see his destruction,
And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
For what pleasure hath he in his house after him,
When the number of his months is cut off in the midst?
Shall any teach God knowledge?
Seeing he judgeth those that are high.
One dieth in his full strength,
Being wholly at ease and quiet:
And another dieth in bitterness of soul,
And never tasteth of good.
They lie down alike in the dust,
And the worm covereth them.
Behold, I know your thoughts,
And the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.
For ye say, Where is the house of the tyrant?
And where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt? [{204}] Have ye not asked them that go by the way?
And do ye not know their tokens?
That the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity?
That they are led forth to the day of wrath?
Who shall declare his way to his face?
And who shall repay him what he hath done?
Yet shall he be borne to the grave,
And shall keep watch over the tomb.
The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him,
And all men shall draw after him,
As there were innumerable before him.
How then comfort ye me in vain,
Seeing in your answers there remaineth only falsehood?
THE SECOND CYCLE OF SPEECHES IS ENDED.
In the first cycle, the three friends had tried to bring Job to their idea of God, and had failed. Now they center their thought about the wicked man,--how his wickedness brings suffering. Eliphaz says that all men know that the wicked suffer. Bildad says that the very order of nature is such that the wicked suffer. Zophar says that, even if the wicked have any prosperity, it is short, and the end is suffering. All this is to rouse the conscience of Job to believe that he is suffering for his sins. Job, overwhelmed by their lack of sympathy, at first does not try to meet their arguments, but continues his complaint and prayer to God. Zophar's speech arouses him to answer, and he says Zophar does not speak the truth. The wicked live and die as happily as the righteous.
The real argument is ended. The friends have tried to show that Job suffers because he has sinned. They have come to the question from the side of God and from the side of man; and in each case Job has denied their position. Nothing is left but to charge Job directly with sin.
III
ELIPHAZ.
Can a man be profitable unto God?
Surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself.
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou are righteous?
Or, is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
Is it for thy fear of him that he reproveth thee,
That he entereth with thee into judgment?
Is not thy wickedness great?
Neither is there any end to thine iniquities.
For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought,
And stripped the naked of their clothing.
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink,
And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
Thou hast sent widows away empty,
And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Therefore snares are round about thee,
And sudden fear troubleth thee,
Or darkness, that thou canst not see,
And abundance of waters cover thee.
Is not God in the height of heaven?
And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
And thou sayest, "What doth God know?
Can he judge through the thick darkness?
Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not;
And he walketh in the circuit of heaven."
Wilt thou keep the old way
Which wicked men have trodden? [{206}] If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up;
If thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents.
And lay thou thy treasure in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;
And the Almighty shall be thy treasure,
And precious silver unto thee.
For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty,
And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee;
And thou shalt pay thy vows.
Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee;
And light shall shine upon thy ways.
JOB.
Even to-day is my complaint rebellious:
My stroke is heavier than my groaning.
Oh that I knew where I might find him,
That I might come even to his dwelling place!
I would order my cause before him,
And fill my mouth with arguments.
I would know the words which he would answer me,
And understand what he would say unto me.
Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power?
Nay; but he would give heed unto me.
There the upright might reason with him;
So should I be delivered for ever from my judge.
Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; [{207}] And backward, but I cannot perceive him:
On the left hand, when he doth work, but I cannot behold him:
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.
My foot hath held fast to his steps;
His way have I kept, and turned not aside.
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.
But he is in one mind, and who can turn him?
And what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
For he performeth that which is appointed for me:
And many such things are with him.
Therefore am I troubled at his presence;
When I consider, I am afraid of him.
For God hath made my heart faint,
And the Almighty hath troubled me:
Because I was not cut off before the darkness,
Neither did he cover the thick darkness from my face.
BILDAD.
Dominion and fear are with him;
He maketh peace in his high places.
Is there any number of his armies?
And upon whom doth not his light arise?
How then can man be just with God? [{208}] Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?
Behold, even the moon hath no brightness,
And the stars are not pure in his sight:
How much less man, that is a worm!
And the son of man, which is a worm!
JOB.
How hast thou helped him that is without power!
How hast thou saved the arm that hath no strength!
How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom,
And plentifully declared sound knowledge!
To whom hast thou uttered words?
And whose spirit came forth from thee?
They that are deceased tremble
Beneath the waters and the inhabitants thereof.
Sheol is naked before him,
And Abaddon hath no covering.
He stretcheth out the north over empty space,
And hangeth the earth upon nothing.
He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds;
And the cloud is not rent under them.
He closeth in the face of his throne,
And spreadeth his cloud upon it.
He hath described a boundary upon the face of the waters
Unto the confines of light and darkness.
The pillars of heaven tremble
And are astonished at his rebuke.
He stirreth up the sea with his power,
And by his understanding he smiteth through Rahab. [{209}] By his spirit the heavens are garnished;
His hand hath pierced the swift serpent.
Lo, these are but the outskirts of his ways:
And how small a whisper do we hear of him!
But the thunder of his power who can understand?
As God liveth, who hath taken away my right;
And the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
(For my life is yet whole in me,
And the spirit of God is in my nostrils;)
Surely my lips shall not speak unrighteousness,
Neither shall my tongue utter deceit.
God forbid that I should justify you:
Till I die I will not put away mine integrity from me.
My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go:
My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
ZOPHAR.
This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
And the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the Almighty.
Though he heap up silver as the dust,
And prepare raiment as the clay;
He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on,
And the innocent shall divide the silver.
He openeth his eyes, and he is not.
Terrors overtake him like waters;
A tempest stealeth him away in the night.
The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth;
And it sweepeth him out of his place.
JOB.
Oh that I were as in the months of old,
As in the days when God watched over me;
When his lamp shined upon my head,
And by his light I walked through darkness;
As I was in the ripeness of my days,
When the secret of God was upon my tent;
When the Almighty was yet with me,
And my children were about me;
When I went forth to the gate unto the city,
When I prepared my seat in the street,
The young men saw me and hid themselves,
And the aged rose up and stood;
The princes refrained talking,
And laid their hand on their mouth;
The voice of the nobles was hushed,
And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me;
And when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me:
Because I delivered the poor that cried,
The fatherless also, that had none to help him.
The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me:
And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me:
My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
I was eyes to the blind,
And feet was I to the lame.
I was a father to the needy:
And the cause of him that I knew not I searched out. [{211}] But now they that are younger than I have me in derision,
Upon my right hand rise the rabble;
They thrust aside my feet,
And they cast up against me their ways of destruction.
And now my soul is poured out within me;
Days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
In the night season my bones are pierced in me,
And the pains that gnaw me take no rest.
He hath cast me into the mire,
And I am become like dust and ashes.
I cry unto thee, and thou dost not answer me:
I stand up, and thou lookest at me.
Thou liftest me up to the wind, thou causest me to ride upon it;
And thou dissolvest me in the storm.
If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant,
When they contended with me:
What then shall I do when God riseth up?
And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?
If I have withheld the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
Or have eaten my morsel alone,
And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;
If I have seen any perish for want of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering;
If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless,
Because I saw my help in the gate: [{212}]
Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade,
And mine arm be broken from the bone.
If I have made gold my hope,
And have said to the fine gold,
Thou art my confidence;
If I rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because mine hand had gotten much;
If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me,
Or lifted up myself when evil found him;
If the men of my tent said not,
Who can find one that hath not been satisfied with his food?
The stranger did not lodge in the street;
But I opened my doors to the traveller.
Oh that I had one to hear me!
(Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me;)
And that I had the indictment which mine adversary hath written!
Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder;
I would bind it unto me as a crown.
I would declare unto him the number of my steps;
As a prince would I go near unto him.
If my land cry out against me,
And the furrows thereof weep together;
If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money,
Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life: [{213}] Let thistles grow instead of wheat,
And cockle instead of barley.
IN THE THIRD CYCLE OF SPEECHES
The three friends still try to show Job that he must have sinned. Eliphaz charges him directly with the sins that a rich man in his position could most easily commit. Bildad only repeats in feebler phrase former statements about man's impurity in the pure sight of God. Zophar either does not appear at all, or maintains his former position with no new argument. Job still wishes he might find God to plead his cause, and, at the end, affirms formally his innocence of the sins with which Eliphaz had charged him.
The argument has ended. Neither side has moved the other a single step from the position taken at the beginning. The question of why Job suffers is still unanswered. If it is ever to be answered, some other solution than that of the three friends must be offered.
IV
So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God. Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. Now Elihu had waited to speak unto Job, because they were older than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was kindled.
ELIHU.
(He speaks to the friends.)
I am young, and ye are very old; [{214}] Wherefore I held back, and durst not shew you mine opinion.
I said, "Days should speak,
And multitude of years should teach wisdom."
But there is a spirit in man,
And the breath of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
It is not the great alone that are wise,
Nor the aged that understand judgment.
Therefore I said, "Hearken to me;
I also will shew mine opinion."
Behold, I waited for your words,
I listened for your reasons,
Whilst ye searched out what to say.
Yea, I attended unto you,
And, behold, there was none that convinced Job,
Or that answered his words, among you.
(He speaks to Job.)
Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear my speech
And hearken to all my words.
Behold now, I have opened my mouth,
My tongue hath spoken in my mouth.
My words shall utter the uprightness of my heart:
And that which my lips know they shall speak sincerely.
The spirit of God hath made me,
And the breath of the Almighty giveth me life.
If thou canst, answer thou me;
Set thy words in order before me, stand forth. [{215}] Behold, I am toward God even as thou art:
I also am formed out of the clay.
Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid,
Neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee.
Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing,
And I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,
"I am clean, without transgression;
I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me:
Behold, he findeth occasions against me,
He counteth me for his enemy;
He putteth my feet in the stocks,
He marketh all my paths."
Behold, I will answer thee, in this thou art not just;
For God is greater than man.
Why dost thou strive against him?
For he giveth not account of any of his matters.
For God speaketh once,
Yea twice, though man regardeth it not.
In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falleth upon men,
In slumberings upon the bed;
Then he openeth the ears of men,
And sealeth their instruction,
That he may withdraw man from his purpose,
And hide pride from man;
He keepeth back his soul from the pit,
And his life from perishing by the sword.
To shew unto man what is right for him;
Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, [{216}] "Deliver him from going down to the pit,
I have found a ransom."
His flesh shall be fresher than a child's;
He returneth to the days of his youth:
He prayeth unto God, and he is favourable unto him;
So that he seeth his face with joy:
And he restoreth unto man his righteousness.
He singeth before men, and saith,
"I have sinned, and perverted that which was right,
And it profited me not:
He hath redeemed my soul from going into the pit,
And my life shall behold the light."
Lo, all these things doth God work,
Twice, yea thrice, with a man,
To bring back his soul from the pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of the living.
Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me:
Hold thy peace, and I will speak.
If thou hast any thing to say, answer me:
Speak, for I desire to justify thee.
If not, hearken thou unto me:
Hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.
(He speaks again to the friends.)
Hear my words, ye wise men;
And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
For the ear trieth words,
As the palate tasteth meat.
Let us choose for us that which is right: [{217}] Let us know among ourselves what is good.
For Job hath said, "I am righteous,
And God hath taken away my right."
Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding:
Far be it from God, that he should do wickedness;
And from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
For the work of a man shall he render unto him,
And cause every man to find according to his ways.
Yea, of a surety, God will not do wickedly,
Neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.
Is it fit to say to a king, "Thou art vile?"
Or to nobles, "Ye are wicked?"
How much less to him that respecteth not the persons of princes,
Nor regardeth the rich more than the poor?
For they all are the work of his hands.
In a moment they die, even at midnight;
For his eyes are upon the ways of a man,
And he seeth all his goings.
There is no darkness, nor shadow of death,
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
Therefore speak what thou knowest.
Men of understanding will say unto me,
Yea, every wise man that heareth me:
"Job speaketh without knowledge,
And his words are without wisdom.
Would that Job were tried unto the end,
Because of his answering like wicked men. [{218}] For he addeth rebellion unto his sin,
He clappeth his hands among us,
And multiplieth his words against God."
(He speaks again to Job.)
Thinkest thou this to be thy right,
Or sayest thou, "My righteousness is more than God's,"
That thou sayest, "What advantage will it be unto thee?"
And, "What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?"
I will answer thee,
And thy companions with thee.
Look unto the heavens, and see;
And behold the skies, which are higher than thou.
If thou hast sinned, what doest thou against him?
And if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?
If thou be righteous, what givest thou him?
Or what receiveth he of thine hand?
There they cry, but none giveth answer,
Because of the pride of evil men.
Surely God will not hear vanity,
Neither will the Almighty regard it.
How much less when thou sayest thou beholdest him not,
The cause is before him, and thou waitest for him!
But now, because he hath not visited in his anger,
Neither doth he greatly regard arrogance;
Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vanity;
He multiplieth words without knowledge. [{219}] Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any:
He is mighty in strength of understanding.
He preserveth not the life of the wicked:
But giveth to the afflicted their right.
He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous:
But with kings upon the throne
He setteth them for ever, and they are exalted.
And if they be bound in fetters,
And be taken in the cords of affliction;
Then he sheweth them their work,
And their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.
He openeth also their ear to instruction.
Behold, God is great, and we know him not;
The number of his years is unsearchable.
For he draweth up the drops of water,
Which distil in rain from his vapour:
Which the skies pour down
And drop upon man abundantly.
Yea, can any understand the spreadings of the clouds,
The thunderings of his pavilion?
Behold, he spreadeth his light around him;
And he covereth the bottom of the sea.
For by these he judgeth the peoples;
He giveth meat in abundance.
He covereth his hands with the lightning;
And giveth it a charge that it strike the mark.
The noise thereof telleth concerning him,
The cattle also concerning the storm that cometh up.
At this also my heart trembleth, [{220}] And is moved out of its place.
Hearken ye unto the noise of his voice,
And the sound that goeth out of his mouth.
He sendeth it forth under the whole heaven,
And his lightning unto the ends of the earth.
After it a voice roareth;
He thundereth with the voice of his majesty:
And he stayeth them not when his voice is heard.
God thundereth marvellously with his voice;
Great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.
For he saith to the snow, "Fall thou on the earth";
Likewise to the shower of rain,
And to the showers of his mighty rain.
He sealeth up the hand of every man;
That all men whom he hath made may know it.
Then the beasts go into coverts,
And remain in their dens.
Out of the chamber of the south cometh the storm:
And cold out of the north.
By the breath of God ice is given:
And the breadth of the waters is straitened.
Yea, he ladeth the thick cloud with moisture;
He spreadeth abroad the cloud of his lightning:
And it is turned round about by his guidance,
That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them
Upon the face of the habitable world:
Whether it be for correction, or for his land,
Or for mercy, that he cause it to come.
Hearken unto this, O Job: [{221}] Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.
Dost thou know how God layeth his charge upon them,
And causeth the lightning of his cloud to shine?
Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds,
The wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?
How thy garments are warm,
When the earth is still by reason of the south wind?
Canst thou with him spread out the sky,
Which is strong as a molten mirror?
Teach us what we shall say unto him;
For we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.
Shall it be told him that I would speak?
Or should a man wish that he were swallowed up?
And now men see not the light which is bright in the skies:
But the wind passeth, and cleanseth them.
Out of the north cometh golden splendour:
God hath upon him terrible majesty.
Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out; he is excellent in power:
And in judgment and plenteous justice he will not afflict.
Men do therefore fear him:
He regardeth not any that are wise of heart.
(Elihu offers his solution to the question, Why does Job suffer? He is young, conceited, and wordy, but sincere in his belief that he has wisdom which his elders and betters have not found. It is difficult to see what that wisdom is. Most of what he says has been better said before. If he adds anything, it is the thought that God sometimes sends suffering, not only to punish for past sin, but to keep man from future sin.)
V
THE LORD.
(He speaks to Job out of the whirlwind.)
Who is this that darkeneth counsel
By words without knowledge?
Gird up now thy loins like a man;
For I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Declare, if thou hast understanding.
Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest?
Or who stretched the line upon it?
Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened?
Or who laid the corner stone thereof;
When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Or who shut up the sea with doors,
When it brake forth,
When I made the cloud the garment thereof,
And thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
And prescribed for it my decree,
And set bars and doors,
And said, "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further;
And here shall thy proud waves be stayed"?
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began,
And caused the dayspring to know its place; [{223}] That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?
It is changed as clay under the seal;
And all things stand forth as a garment:
And from the wicked their light is withholden,
And the high arm is broken.
Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?
Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee?
Or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?
Hast thou comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Declare, if thou knowest it all.
Where is the way to the dwelling of light,
And as for darkness, where is the place thereof;
That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof,
And that thou shouldest discern the paths to the house thereof?
Doubtless, thou knowest, for thou wast then born,
And the number of thy days is great!
Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow,
Or hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail,
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble,
Against the day of battle and war?
By what way is the light parted,
Or the east wind scattered upon the earth?
Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood,
Or a way for the lightning of the thunder;
To cause it to rain on a land where no man is; [{224}] On the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
To satisfy the waste and desolate ground;
And to cause the tender grass to spring forth?
Canst thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades,
Or loose the bands of Orion?
Canst thou lead forth the signs of the Zodiac in their season?
Or canst thou guide the Bear with her train?
Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens?
Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth?
Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds,
That abundance of waters may cover thee?
Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go,
And say unto thee, "Here we are"?
Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts?
Or who hath given understanding to the mind?
Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
When the dust runneth into a mass,
And the clods cleave fast together?
Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lioness?
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
When they couch in their dens,
And abide in the covert to lie in wait?
Who provideth for the raven his food,
When his young ones cry unto God,
And wander for lack of meat? [{225}] Who hath sent out the wild ass free?
Or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
Whose house I have made the wilderness,
And the salt land his dwelling place ..
He scorneth the tumult of the city,
Neither heareth he the shoutings of the driver.
The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searcheth after every green thing.
Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee?
Or will he abide by thy crib?
Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow?
Or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great?
Or wilt thou leave to him thy labour?
Wilt thou confide in him, that he will bring home thy seed,
And gather the corn of thy threshing-floor?
The wing of the ostrich rejoiceth;
But are her pinions and feathers kindly?
For she leaveth her eggs on the earth,
And warmeth them in the dust,
And forgetteth that the foot may crush them,
Or that the wild beast may trample them.
She is hardened against her young ones, as if they were not hers:
Though her labour be in vain, she is without fear;
Because God hath deprived her of wisdom,
Neither hath he imparted to her understanding. [{226}] What time she lifteth up herself on high,
She scorneth the horse and his rider.
Hast thou given the horse his might?
Hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane?
Hast thou made him to leap as a locust?
The glory of his snorting is terrible.
He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength:
He goeth out to meet the armed men.
He mocketh at fear, and is not dismayed;
Neither turneth he back from the sword.
The quiver rattleth against him,
The flashing spear and the javelin.
He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage;
Neither believeth he that it is the voice of the trumpet
As oft as the trumpet soundeth he saith, "Aha!"
And he smelleth the battle afar off,
The thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
Doth the hawk soar by thy wisdom,
And stretch her wings toward the south?
Doth the eagle mount up at thy command,
And make her nest on high?
She dwelleth on the rock, and hath her lodging there,
Upon the crag of the rock, and the strong hold.
From thence she spieth out the prey;
Her eyes behold it afar off.
Her young ones also suck up blood:
And where the slain are, there is she.
JOB.
Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer thee?
I lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Once have I spoken, and I will not answer;
Yea twice, but I will proceed no further.
THE LORD.
(Out of the whirlwind.)
Gird up thy loins now like a man:
I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Wilt thou even disannul my judgment?
Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be justified?
Or hast thou an arm like God?
And canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
Deck thyself now with excellency and dignity;
And array thyself with honour and majesty.
Pour forth the overflowings of thine anger:
And look upon everyone that is proud, and abase him.
Look on everyone that is proud, and bring him low;
And tread down the wicked where they stand.
Hide them in the dust together;
Bind their faces in the hidden place.
Then will I also confess of thee
That thine own right hand can save thee.
Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee;
He eateth grass as an ox.
Lo now, his strength is in his loins,
And his force is in the muscles of his belly. [{228}] He moveth his tail like a cedar:
The sinews of his thighs are knit together.
His bones are as tubes of brass;
His limbs are like bars of iron.
He is the chief of the ways of God:
He only that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.
Surely the mountains bring him forth food;
Where all the beasts of the field do play.
He lieth under the lotus trees,
In the covert of the reed, and the fen.
The lotus trees cover him with their shadow;
The willows of the brook compass him about.
Behold, if a river overflow, he trembleth not:
He is confident, though Jordan swell even to his mouth.
Shall any take him when he is on the watch,
Or pierce through his nose with a snare?
Canst thou draw out leviathan with a fish hook?
Or press down his tongue with a cord?
Canst thou put a rope into his nose?
Or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
Will he make many supplications unto thee?
Or will he speak soft words unto thee?
Will he make covenant with thee,
That thou shouldest take him for a servant for ever?
Wilt thou play with him as with a bird?
Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? [{229}] Shall the bands of fishermen make traffic of him?
Shall they part him among the merchants?
Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons,
Or his head with fish spears?
Lay thine hand upon him;
Remember the battle, and do so no more.
Behold, the hope of him is in vain:
Shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
None is so fierce that he dare stir him up:
Who then is he that can stand before me?
Who hath first given unto me, that I should repay him?
Whatsoever is under the whole heaven in mine.
I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,
Nor his mighty strength, nor his comely proportion.
Who can strip off his outer garment?
Who shall come within his double bridle?
Who can open the doors of his face?
Round about his teeth is terror.
His strong scales are his pride,
Shut up together as with a close seal.
One is so near to another,
That no air can come between them.
They are joined one to another;
They stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
His nostrils flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
Out of his mouth go burning torches,
And sparks of fire leap forth.
Out of his nostrils a smoke goeth, [{230}] As of a boiling pot and burning rushes.
His breath kindleth coals,
And a flame goeth forth from his mouth.
In his neck abideth strength,
And terror danceth before him.
The flakes of his flesh are joined together:
They are firm upon him; they cannot be moved.
His heart is as firm as a stone;
Yea, firm as the nether millstone.
When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid;
By reason of consternation they are beside themselves.
If one lay at him with the sword, it cannot avail;
Nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
He counteth iron as straw,
And brass as rotten wood.
The arrow cannot make him flee:
Slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
Clubs are counted as stubble:
He laugheth at the rushing of the javelin.
His underparts are like sharp potsherds:
He spreadeth as it were a threshing wain upon the mire.
He maketh the deep to boil like a pot:
He maketh the sea like ointment.
He maketh a path to shine after him;
One would think the deep to be hoary.
Upon earth there is not his like,
That is made without fear.
He beholdeth every thing that is high:
He is king over all the sons of pride.
JOB.
(He replies to the Lord.)
I know that thou canst do all things,
And that no purpose of thine can be restrained.
Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge?
Therefore have I uttered that which I understood not,
Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak;
I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear;
But now mine eye seeth thee,
Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent
In dust and ashes.
(Jehovah speaks from the storm. Job has questioned why he suffered. Can he expect the question to be answered? Let him look to nature about him. Does he understand the daily doings of nature? Does he know how the world was created, or how the rain and the snow come? Can he guide the stars? Does he understand the strange instincts of the animals? Can he control even one of the great works of God? How then will he think to comprehend the dealings of God in his own life?
God does not try to answer the question of why Job suffers. He tries to raise Job to such a position of trust in him that he will not ask the question. The solution of the question lies, not in the knowledge of their answers, but in a trust of God which does not demand an answer, for it sums up all answers in one--that God is wise and good. This is not unreasoning; for God reasons from his works that Job can see to the deep things of life that he cannot see. If Job sees God's wisdom in the one, he may trust his wisdom in the other.
So the problem of why Job suffers is at last solved; only the solution is not one of knowledge, but of trust, and Job finds more than a solution; he finds God. "Now mine eye seeth Thee.")
EPILOGUE.
And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Now therefore, take unto you seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourself a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept, that I deal not with you after your folly; for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath." So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the Lord commanded them: and the Lord accepted Job. And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him concerning all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and everyone a ring of gold. So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: and he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first, Jemimah; and the name of the second, Keziah; and the name of the third, Keren-happuch. And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. And after this Job lived an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations. So Job died, being old and full of days.