17 How oft is the can-thoughts, and the devices dle of the wicked put out? which ye wrongfully imagine and how oft cometh their de-against me. ftruction upon them? God 28 For ye fay, Where is diftributeth forrows in his the house of the prince? and where are the dwellingplaces of the wicked? anger. 18 They are as ftubble before the wind, and as chaff that the ftorm carrieth away. 19 God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he fhall know it. 20 His eyes fhall fee his deftruction, and he fhall drink of the wrath of the Almighty. 21 For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midft? 22 Shall any teach God knowledge? feeing he judgeth those that are high. 29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens? 30 That the wicked is referved to the day of deftruction; they fhall be brought forth to the day of wrath. 31 Who fhall declare his way to his face? and who fhall repay him what he hath done? 32 Yet fhall he be brought to the grave, and fhall remain in the tomb. 33 The clods of the valley fhall be sweet unto him, and every man fhall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him. 34 How then comfort ye me in vain, feeing in your anfwers there remaineth falfhood. may be profitable unto himfelf? 3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to bim that thou makeft thy ways perfect? 13 And thou fayeft, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud? 14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he feeth not; and he walketh 4 Will he reprove thee in the circuit of heaven. for fear of thee? will he 15 Haft thou marked the enter with thee into judg-old way which wicked men ment? have trodden? 5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite? 6 For thou haft taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and ftripped the naked of their clothing. 7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou haft with-holden bread from the hungry. 8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth and the honourable man dwelt in it. 9 Thou haft fent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherlefs have been broken. 10 Therefore fares are round about thee, and fudden fear troubleth thee; II Or darkness, that thou canft not fee; and abundance of waters cover thee. 12 Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the ftars, how high they are! 16 Which were cut down out of time, whofe foundation was overflown with a flood; 17 Which faid unto God, Depart from us; and what can the Almighty do for. them? 18 Yet he filled their houfes with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. 19 The righteous fee it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn. 20 Whereas our fubftance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire confumeth. 21 ¶ Acquaint now thyfelf with him, and be at peace thereby good fhall come unto thee. 22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. 23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou thalt be built up, up, thou shalt put away ini- I might find him! that Į quity far from thy tabernacles. 24 Then fhalt thou lay up gold as duft, and the gold of Ophir as the ftones of the brooks. might come even to his feat! 4 I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. 5 I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would fay unto me. 6 Will he plead against me with his great power? 25 Yea, the Almighty fhall be thy defence, and thou fhalt have plenty of filver. 26 For then fhalt thou have thy delight in the Al-No; but he would put mighty, and fhalt lift up thy strength in me. face unto God. 27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he fhall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. 7 There the righteous might difpute with him; fo fhould I be delivered for ever from my judge. 8 Behold, I go forward, 28 Thou fhalt alfo decree but he is not there: and a thing, and it fhall be efta- backward, but I cannot perblifhed unto thee: and theceive him: light fhall fhine upon thy ways. 9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot 29 When men are caft behold him he hideth himdown, then thou fhalt fay, felf on the right hand, that There is lifting up; and heI cannot see him: fhall fave the humble perfon. 30 He fhall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the purenefs of thine hands. CHAP. XXIII. TH 2 Even to day is my complaint bitter my ftroke is heavier than my groaning. 3 Oh, that I knew where 10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. II My foot hath held his fteps, his way have I kept, and not declined. 12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have efteemed the words of his mouth more than my neceflary food. 13 But he is in one mind, and and who can turn him? and what his foul defireth, even that he doeth. 14 For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me and many fuch things are with him. yieldeth food for them and for their children. 6 They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked. 7 They cause the naked 15 Therefore am I trou- to lodge without clothing, bled at his prefence: when that they have no covering in I confider, I am afraid of the cold. him. 16 For God maketh my heart foft, and the Almighty troubleth me: 17 Because I was not cut off before the darknefs; neither hath he covered the darknefs from my face. CHAP. XXIV. WHY HY, feeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not fee his days? 2 Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof. 3 They drive away the afs of the fatherlefs, they take the widow's ox for a pledge. 4 They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together. 5 Behold, as wild affes in the defert, go they forth to their work, rifing betimes for a prey. the wilderness + 8 They are wet with the fhowers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter. 9 They pluck the fatherlefs from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor. 10 They caufe him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the fheaf from the hungry. 11 Which make oil within their walls, and tread their wine-preffes, and fuffer thirst. 12 Men groan from out of the city, and the foul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them. 13 They are of those that rebel against the light: they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths there of. 14 The murderer rifing with the light, killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief. 15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twi light, light, faying, No eye fhall fee me: and disguiseth his face. 16 In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themfelves in the day-time they know not the light. 17 For the morning is to them even as the fhadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the fhadow of death. 18. He is fwift as the waters; their portion is curfed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards. 19 Drought and heat confume the fnow-waters: f doth the grave thofe which have finned. 20 The womb fhall forget him, the worm fhall feed fweetly on him: he fhall be no more remembered: and wickedness shall be broken as a tree. 21 He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not, and doeth not good to the widow. 22 He draweth also the mighty with his power: he rifeth up, and no man is fure of life. 23 Though it be given him to be in fafety, whereon he refteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways. 24 They are exalted for 2 Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places. 3 Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arife? 4 How then can man be juftified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? 5 Behold even to the moon, and it fhineth not; yea, the ftars are not pure in his fight: 6 How much less man, that is a worm; and the fon of man, which is a worm. B CHAP. XXVI. UT Job anfwered and faid, 2 How haft thou helped him that is without power? how faveft thou the arm that hath no ftrength? 1 |