O Lord my God, thou art very great;
Thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment;
Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters;
Who maketh the clouds his chariot;
Who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
Who maketh winds his messengers;
His ministers a flaming fire:
Who laid the foundations of the earth,
That it should not be moved for ever.
Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a vesture;
The waters stood above the mountains.
At thy rebuke they fled;
At the voice of thy thunder they hasted away;
They went up by the mountains, they went down by the valleys,
Unto the place which thou hadst founded for them.
Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over;
That they turn not again to cover the earth.
He sendeth forth springs into the valleys;
They run among the mountains:
They give drink to every beast of the field; {121}
The wild asses quench their thirst.
By them the birds of the heaven have their habitation,
They sing among the branches.
He watereth the mountains from his chambers:
The earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle,
And herb for the service of man;
That he may bring forth food out of the earth:
And wine that maketh glad the heart of man,
And oil to make his face to shine,
And bread that strengtheneth man's heart.
The trees of the Lord are satisfied;
The cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;
Where the birds make their nests:
As for the stork, the fir trees are her house.
The high mountains are for the wild goats;
The rocks are a refuge for the conies.
He appointed the moon for seasons:
The sun knoweth his going down.
Thou makest darkness, and it is night;
Wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
The young lions roar after their prey,
And seek their meat from God.
The sun ariseth, they get them away,
And lay them down in their dens.
Man goeth forth unto his work
And to his labour until the evening.
O Lord, how manifold are thy works!
In wisdom hast thou made them all: {122}
The earth is full of thy riches.
Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
Wherein are things creeping innumerable,
Both small and great beasts.
There go the ships;
There is leviathan, whom thou hast formed to take his pastime therein.
These wait all upon thee,
That thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
That thou givest unto them they gather;
Thou openest thine hand, they are satisfied with good.
Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled;
Thou takest away their breath, they die,
And return to their dust.
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created;
And thou renewest the face of the ground.
Let the glory of the Lord endure for ever;
Let the Lord rejoice in his works:
Who looketh on the earth, and it trembleth;
He toucheth the mountains, and they smoke.
I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live:
I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.
Let my meditation be sweet unto him:
I will rejoice in the Lord.
Let sinners be consumed out of the earth,
And let the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Praise ye the Lord.
--_Psalm 104_.
{123}
HE HATH NOT DEALT SO WITH ANY NATION
Oh give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name;
Make known among the peoples his doings.
Sing unto him, sing praises unto him;
Talk ye of all his marvellous works.
Glory ye in his holy name:
Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
Seek ye the Lord and his strength;
Seek his face evermore.
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done,
His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,
O ye children of Abraham his servant,
Ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
He is the Lord our God:
His judgments are in all the earth.
He hath remembered his covenant for ever,
The word which he commanded to a thousand generations,
The covenant which he made with Abraham,
And his oath unto Isaac,
And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute,
To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
Saying, "Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan,
The lot of your inheritance,"
When they were but a few men in number,
Yea, very few, and sojourners in it. {124}
And they went about from nation to nation,
From one kingdom to another people.
He suffered no man to do them wrong;
Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,
Saying, "Touch not mine anointed ones,
And do my prophets no harm."
And he called for a famine upon the land;
He brake the whole staff of bread.
He sent a man before them;
Joseph was sold for a servant:
His feet they hurt with fetters;
He was laid in chains of iron,
Until the time that his word came to pass,
The word of the Lord tried him.
The king sent and loosed him;
Even the ruler of peoples, and let him go free.
He made him lord of his house,
And ruler of all his substance;
To bind his princes at his pleasure,
And teach his elders wisdom.
Israel also came into Egypt;
And Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
And he increased his people greatly,
And made them stronger than their adversaries.
He turned their heart to hate his people,
To deal subtilly with his servants.
He sent Moses his servant,
And Aaron whom he had chosen.
They set among them his signs, {125}
And wonders in the land of Ham.
He sent darkness, and made it dark;
And they rebelled not against his words.
He turned their waters into blood,
And slew their fish.
Their land swarmed with frogs,
In the chambers of their kings.
He spake, and there came swarms of flies,
And lice in all their borders.
He gave them hail for rain,
And flaming fire in their land.
He smote their vines also and their fig trees;
And brake the trees of their borders.
He spake, and the locust came,
And the cankerworm, and that without number,
And did eat up every herb in their land,
And did eat up the fruit of their ground.
He smote also all the firstborn in their land,
The chief of all their strength.
And he brought them forth with silver and gold:
And there was not one feeble person among his tribes,
Egypt was glad when they departed;
For the fear of them had fallen upon them.
He spread a cloud for a covering;
And fire to give light in the night.
They asked, and he brought quails,
And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
He opened the rock, and waters gushed out;
They ran in the dry places like a river.
For he remembered his holy word. {126}
And Abraham his servant.
And he brought forth his people with joy,
And his chosen with singing.
And he gave them the lands of the nations;
And they took the labour of the peoples in possession:
That they might keep his statutes,
And observe his laws.
Praise ye the Lord.
Praise ye the Lord.
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good:
For his mercy endureth for ever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord,
Or shew forth all his praise?
Blessed are they that keep judgment,
And he that doeth righteousness at all times.
Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people;
O visit me with thy salvation:
That I may see the prosperity of thy chosen,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation,
That I may glory with thine inheritance.
We have sinned with our fathers,
We have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt;
They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies;
But were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea.
Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake,
That he might make his mighty power to be known.
He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up: {127}
So he led them through the depths, as through a wilderness.
And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them,
And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
And the waters covered their adversaries:
There was not one of them left.
Then believed they his words;
They sang his praise.
They soon forgot his works;
They waited not for his counsel:
But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,
And tempted God in the desert.
And he gave them their request;
But sent leanness into their soul.
They envied Moses also in the camp,
And Aaron the saint of the Lord.
The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
And covered the company of Abiram.
And a fire was kindled in their company;
The flame burned up the wicked.
They made a calf in Horeb,
And worshipped a molten image.
Thus they changed their glory
For the likeness of an ox that eateth grass.
They forgot God their saviour,
Which had done great things in Egypt;
Wondrous works in the land of Ham,
And terrible things by the Red Sea.
Therefore he said that he would destroy them,
Had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach,
To turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them. {128}
Yea, they despised the pleasant land,
They believed not his word;
But murmured in their tents,
And hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.
Therefore he lifted up his hand unto them,
That he would overthrow them in the wilderness:
And that he would overthrow them among the nations,
And scatter them in the lands.
They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor,
And ate the sacrifices of the dead.
Thus they provoked him to anger with their doings;
And the plague broke in upon them.
Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment:
And so the plague was stayed.
And that was counted unto him for righteousness,
Unto all generations for evermore.
They angered him also at the waters of Meribah,
So that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:
Because they were rebellious against his spirit,
And he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
They did not destroy the peoples,
As the Lord commanded them;
But mingled themselves with the nations,
And learned their works:
And they served their idols;
Which became a snare unto them:
Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons,
And shed innocent blood, even the blood of
their sons and of their daughters, {129}
Whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with blood.
Thus were they defiled with their works,
And did very evil in their doings.
Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against this people,
And he abhorred his inheritance.
And he gave them into the hand of the nations;
And they that hated them ruled over them.
Their enemies also oppressed them,
And they were brought into subjection under their hand.
Many times did he deliver them;
But they were rebellious in their counsel,
And were brought low in their iniquity.
Nevertheless he regarded their distress,
When he heard their cry:
And he remembered for them his covenant,
And repented according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
He made them also to be pitied
Of all those that carried them captive.
Save us, O Lord our God,
And gather us from among the nations,
To give thanks unto thy holy name,
And to triumph in thy praise.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
From everlasting even to everlasting.
And let all the people say, Amen.
Praise ye the Lord.
--_Psalms 105, 106_.
{130}
HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good:
For his mercy endureth for ever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the adversary;
And gathered them out of the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.
They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way;
They found no city of habitation.
Hungry and thirsty,
Their soul fainted in them.
Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble,
And he delivered them out of their distresses.
He led them also by a straight way,
That they might go to a city of habitation.
Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,
And for his wonderful works to the children of men!
For he satisfieth the longing soul,
And the hungry soul he filleth with good.
Such as sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
Being bound in affliction and iron;
Because they rebelled against the words of God,
And contemned the counsel of the Most High:
Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; {131}
They fell down, and there was none to help.
Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble,
And he saved them out of their distresses.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
And brake their bands in sunder.
Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,
And for his wonderful works to the children of men!
For he hath broken the gates of brass,
And cut the bars of iron in sunder.
Fools because of their transgression,
And because of their iniquities, are afflicted.
Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat;
And they draw near unto the gates of death.
Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble,
And he saveth them out of their distresses.
He sendeth his word, and healeth them,
And delivereth them from their destructions.
Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,
And for his wonderful works to the children of men!
And let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And declare his works with singing.
They that go down to the sea in ships,
That do business in great waters;
These see the works of the Lord,
And his wonders in the deep.
For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind,
Which lifteth up the waves thereof.
They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: {132}
Their soul melteth away because of trouble.
They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
And are at their wits' end.
Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble,
And he bringeth them out of their distresses.
He maketh the storm a calm,
So that the waves thereof are still.
Then are they glad because they be quiet;
So he bringeth them unto the haven where they would be.
Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,
And for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Let them exalt him also in the assembly of the people,
And praise him in the seat of the elders.
He turneth rivers into a wilderness,
And watersprings into a thirsty ground;
A fruitful land into a salt desert,
For the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
He turneth a wilderness into a pool of water,
And a dry land into watersprings.
And there he maketh the hungry to dwell,
That they may prepare a city of habitation;
And sow fields, and plant vineyards,
And get them fruits of increase.
He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly;
And he suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
Again, they are diminished and bowed down
Through oppression, trouble, and sorrow.
He poureth contempt upon princes, {133}
And causeth them to wander in the waste, where there is no way.
Yet setteth he the needy on high from affliction,
And maketh him families like a flock.
The upright shall see it, and be glad;
And all iniquity shall stop her mouth.
Whoso is wise shall give heed to these things,
And they shall consider the mercies of the Lord.
--_Psalm 107_.
{134}
HIS GLORY IS ABOVE THE HEAVENS
Praise ye the Lord.
Praise, O ye servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and for evermore.
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same
The Lord's name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,
And his glory above the heavens.
Who is like unto the Lord our God,
Who hath his seat on high,
Who humbleth himself to behold
The things that are in heaven and in the earth?
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust,
And lifteth up the needy from the dunghill;
That he may set him with princes,
Even with the princes of his people.
When Israel went forth out of Egypt,
The house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
Judah became his sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.
The sea saw it, and fled; {135}
Jordan was driven back.
The mountains skipped like rams,
The little hills like young sheep.
What aileth thee, O thou sea, that thou fleest?
Thou Jordan, that thou turnest back?
Ye mountains, that ye skip like rams;
Ye little hills, like young sheep?
Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the God of Jacob;
Who turned the rock into a pool of water,
The flint into a fountain of waters.
--_Psalms 113:1-8; 114_.
{136}
IDOLS OF SILVER AND GOLD
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But unto thy name give glory,
For thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
Wherefore should the nations say,
Where is now their God?
But our God is in the heavens:
He hath done whatsoever he pleased.
Their idols 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;
Noses have they, but they smell not;
They have hands, but they handle not;
Feet have they, but they walk not;
Neither speak they through their throat.
They that make them shall be like unto them;
Yea, everyone that trusteth in them.
--_Psalm 115:1-8_.
{137}
I WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD
I love the Lord, because he hath heard
My voice and my supplications.
Because he hath inclined his ear unto me,
Therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
The sorrows of death compassed me,
And the pains of Sheol seized me:
I found trouble and sorrow.
Then called I upon the name of the Lord;
O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yea, our God is merciful.
The Lord preserveth the simple:
I was brought low, and he saved me.
Return unto thy rest, O my soul;
For the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.
For thou hast delivered my soul from death,
Mine eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.
I will walk before the Lord
In the land of the living.
I believe, for I will speak:
I was greatly afflicted: {138}
I said in my haste,
All men are a lie.
What shall I render unto the Lord
For all his benefits toward me?
I will take the cup of salvation,
And call upon the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows unto the Lord,
Yea, in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of his saints.
O Lord, truly I am thy servant:
I am thy servant, the son of thine handmaid;
Thou hast loosed my bonds.
I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And will call upon the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows unto the Lord.
--_Psalm 116:1-18_.
{139}
PRAISE THE LORD, YE NATIONS
O praise the Lord, all ye nations;
Laud him, all ye peoples.
For his mercy is great toward us;
And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.
Praise ye the Lord.
--_Psalm 117_.
{140}
THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH AND SONG
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good:
For his mercy endureth for ever.
Let Israel now say,
That his mercy endureth for ever.
Let the house of Aaron now say,
That his mercy endureth for ever.
Let them now that fear the Lord say,
That his mercy endureth for ever.
Out of my distress I called upon the Lord:
The Lord answered me and set me in a large place.
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear:
What can man do unto me?
The Lord is on my side among them that help me:
Therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.
It is better to trust in the Lord
Than to put confidence in man.
It is better to trust in the Lord
Than to put confidence in princes.
All nations compassed me about:
In the name of the Lord I will cut them off.
They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about:
In the name of the Lord I will cut them off.
They compassed me about like bees;
they are quenched as the fire of thorns: {141}
In the name of the Lord I will cut them off.
Thou didst thrust sore at me that I might fall:
But the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and song;
And he is become my salvation.
The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous:
The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.
The right hand of the Lord is exalted:
The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.
I shall not die, but live,
And declare the works of the Lord.
The Lord hath chastened me sore:
But he hath not given me over unto death.
Open to me the gates of righteousness:
I will enter into them, I will give thanks unto the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord;
The righteous shall enter into it.
I will give thanks unto thee, for thou hast answered me,
And art become my salvation.
The stone which the builders rejected
Is become the head of the corner.
This is the Lord's doing;
It is marvellous in our eyes.
This is the day which the Lord hath made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Save now, we beseech thee, O Lord:
O Lord, we beseech thee, send now prosperity.
Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: {142}
We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God, and he hath given us light:
Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.
Thou art my God, and I will give thanks unto thee:
Thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good;
For his mercy endureth for ever.
--_Psalm 118_.
{143}
THE SONGS OF THE PURE IN HEART
Blessed are they that are perfect in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord.
Blessed are they that keep his testimonies,
That seek him with the whole heart.
Yea, they do no unrighteousness;
They walk in his ways.
Thou hast commanded us thy precepts,
That we should observe them diligently.
Oh that my ways were established
To observe thy statutes!
Then shall I not be ashamed,
When I have respect unto all thy commandments.
I will give thanks unto thee with uprightness of heart,
When I learn thy righteous judgments.
I will observe thy statutes:
O forsake me not utterly.
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed thereto according to thy word.
With my whole heart have I sought thee:
O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Thy word have I laid up in mine heart,
That I might not sin against thee.
Blessed art thou, O Lord:
Teach me thy statutes. {144}
With my lips have I declared
All the judgments of thy mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
I will meditate in thy precepts,
And have respect unto thy ways.
I will delight myself in thy statutes:
I will not forget thy word.
Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live;
So will I observe thy word.
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold
Wondrous things out of thy law.
I am a sojourner in the earth:
Hide not thy commandments from me.
My soul breaketh for the longing
That it hath unto thy judgments at all times.
Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed,
Who wander from thy commandments.
Take away from me reproach and contempt;
For I have kept thy testimonies.
Princes also sat and talked against me:
But thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
Thy testimonies also are my delight
And my counsellors.
My soul cleaveth unto the dust:
Quicken thou me according to thy word.
I declared my ways, and thou answeredst me:
Teach me thy statutes. {145}
Make me to understand the way of thy precepts:
So shall I meditate of thy wondrous works.
My soul melteth for heaviness:
Strengthen thou me according unto thy word.
Remove from me the way of falsehood:
And grant me thy law graciously.
I have chosen the way of faithfulness:
Thy judgments have I set before me.
I cleave unto thy testimonies:
O Lord, put me not to shame.
I will run the way of thy commandments,
When thou shalt enlarge my heart.
Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes;
And I shall keep it unto the end.
Give me understanding, and I shall keep the law;
Yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Make me to go in the path of thy commandments;
For therein do I delight.
Incline my heart unto thy testimonies,
And not to covetousness.
Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity,
And quicken me in thy ways.
Confirm thy word unto thy servant,
Which belongeth unto the fear of thee.
Turn away my reproach whereof I am afraid;
For thy judgments are good.
Behold, I have longed after thy precepts:
Quicken me in thy righteousness.
Let thy mercies also come unto me, O Lord, {146}
Even thy salvation, according to thy word.
So shall I have an answer for him that reproacheth me;
For I trust in thy word.
And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth;
For I have hoped in thy judgments.
So shall I observe thy law continually
For ever and ever.
And I will walk at liberty;
For I have sought thy precepts.
I will also speak of thy testimonies before kings,
And will not be ashamed.
And I will delight myself in thy commandments,
Which I have loved.
I will lift up my hands also unto thy commandments, which I have loved;
And I will meditate in thy statutes.
Thy hands have made me and fashioned me:
Give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.
They that fear thee shall see me and be glad;
Because I have hoped in thy word.
I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are righteous,
And that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me.
Let, I pray thee, thy lovingkindness be for my comfort,
According to thy word unto thy servant.
Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live:
For thy law is my delight.
Let the proud be ashamed; for they have overthrown me wrongfully: {147}
But I will meditate in thy precepts.
Let those that fear thee turn unto me,
And they shall know thy testimonies.
Let my heart be perfect in thy statutes;
That I be not ashamed.
My soul fainteth for thy salvation:
But I hope in thy word.
Mine eyes fail for thy word,
While I say, "When wilt thou comfort me?"
For I am become like a bottle in the smoke;
Yet do I not forget thy statutes.
How many are the days of thy servant?
When wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?
The proud have digged pits for me,
Who are not after thy law.
All thy commandments are faithful:
They persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.
They had almost consumed me upon earth;
But I forsook not thy precepts.
Quicken me after thy lovingkindness;
So shall I observe the testimony of thy mouth.
For ever, O Lord,
Thy word is settled in heaven.
Thy faithfulness is unto all generations:
Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.
They abide this day according to thine ordinances;
For all things are thy servants. {148}
Unless thy law had been my delight,
I should then have perished in mine affliction.
I will never forget thy precepts;
For with them thou hast quickened me.
I am thine, save me;
For I have sought thy precepts.
The wicked have waited for me to destroy me;
But I will consider thy testimonies.
I have seen an end of all perfection;
But thy commandment is exceeding broad.
Oh how love I thy law!
It is my meditation all the day.
Thy commandments make me wiser than mine enemies;
For they are ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers;
For thy testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged,
Because I have kept thy precepts.
I have refrained my feet from every evil way,
That I might observe thy word.
I have not turned aside from thy judgments;
For thou hast taught me.
How sweet are thy words unto my taste!
Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through thy precepts I get understanding:
Therefore I hate every false way.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
I have sworn, and have confirmed it,
That I will observe thy righteous judgments. {149}
I am afflicted very much:
Quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word.
Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord,
And teach me thy judgments.
My soul is continually in my hand;
Yet do I not forget thy law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me;
Yet went I not astray from thy precepts.
Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever;
For they are the rejoicing of my heart.
I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes,
For ever, even unto the end.
I hate them that are of a double mind;
But thy law do I love.
Thou art my hiding place and my shield:
I hope in thy word.
Depart from me, ye evil-doers;
That I may keep the commandments of my God.
Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live;
And let me not be ashamed of my hope.
Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe,
And shall have respect unto thy statutes continually.
Thou hast set at nought all them that err from thy statutes;
For their deceit is falsehood.
Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross:
Therefore I love thy commandments.
My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; {150}
And I am afraid of thy judgments.
I have done judgment and justice:
Leave me not to mine oppressors.
Be surety for thy servant for good:
Let not the proud oppress me.
Mine eyes fail for thy salvation,
And for thy righteous word.
Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy,
And teach me thy statutes.
I am thy servant, give me understanding;
That I may know thy testimonies.
It is time for the Lord to work;
For they have made void thy law.
Therefore I love thy commandments
Above gold, yea, above fine gold.
Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right;
And I hate every false way.
Thy testimonies are wonderful:
Therefore doth my soul keep them.
The opening of thy words giveth light;
It giveth understanding unto the simple.
I opened wide my mouth, and panted;
For I longed for thy commandments.
Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me,
As thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.
Order my footsteps in thy word;
And let not any iniquity have dominion over me. {151}
Redeem me from the oppression of man:
So will I observe thy precepts.
Make thy face to shine upon thy servant;
And teach me thy statutes.
Mine eyes run down with rivers of water,
Because they observe not thy law.
Righteous art thou, O Lord,
And upright are thy judgments.
Thou hast commanded thy testimonies in righteousness
and very faithfulness.
My zeal hath consumed me,
Because mine adversaries have forgotten thy words.
Thy word is very pure;
Therefore thy servant loveth it.
I am small and despised:
Yet do not I forget thy precepts.
Thy righteousness is everlasting righteousness,
And thy law is truth.
Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me:
Yet thy commandments are my delight.
Thy testimonies are righteous for ever:
Give me understanding, and I shall live.
I have called with my whole heart; answer me, O Lord:
I will keep thy statutes.
I have called unto thee; save me,
And I shall observe thy testimonies.
I rose before the dawning of the morning, and cried:
I hoped in thy words. {152}
Mine eyes outwatched the night watches,
That I might meditate in thy word.
Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness:
Quicken me, O Lord, according to thy judgments.
They draw nigh that follow after wickedness;
They are far from thy law.
Thou art nigh, O Lord,
And all thy commandments are truth.
Of old have I known from thy testimonies,
That thou hast founded them for ever.
Consider mine affliction, and deliver me;
For I do not forget thy law.
Plead thou my cause, and redeem me:
Quicken me according to thy word.
Salvation is far from the wicked;
For they seek not thy statutes.
Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord:
Quicken me according to thy judgments.
Many are my persecutors and mine adversaries;
Yet have I not swerved from thy testimonies.
I beheld the treacherous dealers, and was grieved;
Because they observe not thy word.
Consider how I love thy precepts:
Quicken me, O Lord, according to thy lovingkindness.
The sum of thy word is truth;
And everyone of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
--_Psalm 119:1-48, 73-160_.
{153}{154}
[Illustration]
MOUNT CARMEL
"I will lift my eyes unto the mountains."
[End illustration]
{155}
I WILL LIFT MINE EYES UNTO THE MOUNTAINS
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 Israel
Shall 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.
--_Psalm 121_.
{156}
A PILGRIM SONG
I was glad when they said unto me,
"Let us go unto the house of the Lord."
Our feet are standing
Within thy gates, O Jerusalem;
Jerusalem, that art builded
As 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 God
I will seek thy good.
--_Psalm 122_.
{157}
A SONG OF THE EXILES
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.
--_Psalm 126_.
{158}
"DE PROFUNDIS."
Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice:
Let thine ears be attentive
To 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 Israel
From all his iniquities.
--_Psalm 130_.
{159}
BROTHERHOOD
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For 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.
--_Psalm 133_.
{160}
BLESS YE THE LORD
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.
--_Psalms 134-136_.
{164}
THE EYE OF THE LORD
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.
--_Psalm 139:1-12, 17, 18, 23, 24_.
{166}
HAPPY IS THE PEOPLE WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD
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.
--_Psalm 144_
{168}
SLOW TO ANGER AND PLENTEOUS IN MERCY
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 righteousness
The 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.
--_Psalm 145_.
{170}
SONGS OF PRAISE
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.
--_Psalms 146-148, 150_.
{175}{176}
[Illustration]
TWO WOMEN GRINDING AT THE MILL
Copyright 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
[End illustration]
{177}
SELECTIONS FROM JOB
{178}
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.
{179}
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.
{181}
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.)
{183}
"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?"
{184}
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."
{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 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.
{194}
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.
{200}
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.
{205}
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.
{210}
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.)
{222}
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.
{227}
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.
{231}
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.")
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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.
{233}
SELECTIONS FROM THE SONG OF SONGS
{234}
The "Song of Songs," sometimes called "Solomon's Song," and
"Canticles," is a collection of Hebrew wedding songs. These songs in
form and spirit approach nearer to what we call lyric poetry than
anything else in the literature of the Bible. In their exquisite
freshness and grace they may well be compared with the lyrical poetry
of the Elizabethan period in England.
{235}
HIS BANNER OVER ME WAS LOVE
As a lily among thorns,
So is my love among the daughters.
As the apple tree among the trees of the wood,
So is my beloved among the sons.
I sat down under his shadow with great delight,
And his fruit was sweet to my taste.
He brought me to the banqueting house,
And his banner over me was love.
{236}
THE WINTER IS PAST, THE RAIN IS OVER AND GONE
My beloved spake, and said unto me,
Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
For, lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land;
The fig tree ripeneth her green figs,
And the vines are in blossom,
They give forth their fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock,
in the covert of the steep place,
Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice;
For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyards;
For our vineyards are in blossom.
My beloved is mine, and I am his:
He feedeth his flock among the lilies.
Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away,
Turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart
Upon the mountains of Bether.
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IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE
Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,
With me from Lebanon:
Look from the top of Amana,
From the top of Senir and Hermon,
From the lions' dens,
From the mountains of the leopards.
Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my bride;
Thou hast ravished my heart with a glance of thine eyes,
With one chain of thy neck.
How fair is thy love, my sister, my bride!
How much better is thy love than wine!
And the smell of thine ointments than all manner of spices!
Thy lips, O my bride, drop as the honeycomb:
Honey and milk are under thy tongue;
And the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.
A garden shut up is my sister, my bride;
A spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
Thy shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits;
Henna with spikenard plants,
Spikenard and saffron,
Calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense;
Myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices.
Thou art a fountain of gardens,
A well of living waters,
And flowing streams from Lebanon.
Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south;
Blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out.
Let my beloved come in to his garden,
And eat his precious fruits.
{238}
WHITHER IS THY BELOVED GONE?
Whither is thy beloved gone,
O thou fairest among women?
Whither hath thy beloved turned him,
That we may seek him with thee?