25. They grope in the dark without light, 26. Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, Mine ear hath heard and understood it. 27. As ye know, so do I know also; No less am I than ye. 28. But I would speak to the Almighty, I desire to reason with God. 29. But ye are forgers of lies, Worthless healers all of you. 30. Would ye altogether hold your peace, It should be counted your wisdom. 31. Will ye speak evil for God, Will ye speak deceit for Him? 32, Will ye favor Him? Play the advocate for God? 33. Would ye that He should search you out? As men are deceived, will ye deceive Him? 34. He will surely reprove you, If ye in secret show favor. 35. Shall not His excellence make you afraid, And His dread fall upon you? 36. Your maxims are proverbs of ashes, Your defences are but mud walls. 37. Let me alone, that I may speak, Come on me that which will 38. Therefore take I my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hand. 39. Behold, He will slay me; I will not wait; But I will defend my ways before him. 40. Behold, I have arranged my plea. I know that I shall prove my right. 41. Is there any that can belie me, Then would I hold my peace and perish. 42. But two things do not against me, Then will I not hide from Thy face: 43. Withdraw Thy hand far from me ; And let not Thy terror make me afraid. 44. Then call, and I will answer; Or I will speak, and answer Thou. 45. How many are mine iniquities and sins? Let me know my transgression and my sin. 46. Wherefore hidest Thou thy face, And holdest me for Thine enemy? ! 47. Wilt Thou affright a driven leaf? Wilt Thou pursue dry stubble? 48. For Thou writest bitter things against me, And makest me inherit the misdeeds of my youth; 49. Thou puttest my feet in the stocks, and watchest all my paths; Thou drawest a line for the soles of my feet; 50. Though we are like a rotten thing that consumeth, Like a garment that is moth-eaten. 51. Man born of woman Is few of days, and full of trouble. 52. He cometh up like a flower, and withereth; open Wilt Thou bring me into judgment with Thee? 54. If man's days are ordained, The tale of his months is with Thee, Thou hast appointed his bounds that he pass not : 55. Look away from him, that he may rest, Until he complete, as a hireling, his day. 56. For there is hope of a tree; If it be cut down, it will sprout again, The shoots thereof will not cease. 57. Though its root wax old in the earth, And in the ground its stock do die, 58. At the scent of water it will bud, And put forth boughs like a sapling. 59. If man die, that is his end; If a mortal perish, where is he? 60. The waters fail from the sea, The river wasteth and drieth up: 61. So man lieth down and riseth no more; Till heaven is not, they shall not awake, And shall not be roused from their sleep. 62. Oh that Thou wouldest hide me in the underworld Conceal me until Thy wrath do turn, Appoint me a time, when Thou shouldst remember me. 63. (If a man die, shall he live again?) All the days of my warfare I would wait, Till my release should come. 64. Thou shouldest call, and I would answer Thee; Thou wouldest long toward the work of Thy hands ! 65. But Thou dost number my steps; Dost Thou not watch over my sin? 66. Shut up in a case is my transgression, And Thou puttest a covering over my guilt. Their floods sweep off the dust of the earth; 69. Thou smitest him ever, and he passeth; Thou changest his face, and sendest him hence. 70. His sons come to honor, and he doth not know it; They are brought low, but he recketh it not. 71. Only his own flesh hath pain, And his soul within him mourneth. (Chap. XIII-XIV. 1. IX. ELIPHAZ' SECOND ARGUMENT. Arrogance of Job. Conscience and fate of the wicked. THEN answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: 2. Should the wise answer with windy wisdom, Or fill his breast with east wind; 3. Reasoning with unprofitable talk, Or with speeches wherewith one worketh no good? 4. Yea, thou doest away with religion, And belittlest reverence toward God. 5. For thy guilt teacheth thy mouth, And thou usest the tongue of the crafty. 6. Thy mouth condemneth thee, and not I; Thine own lips testify against thee. 7. Art thou the first man that was born? Or before the hills wast thou brought forth? 8. Dost thou hear the secret counsel of God? Or appropriate wisdom unto thyself? 9. What knowest thou, that we know not; Understandest thou, which is not in us? 10. With us is a hoary and aged man, Greater in years than thy father. 11. Are godly consolations too little for thee, And the word that dealeth gently with thee,, 12. Why doth thy heart rave? And why do thine eyes roll? 13. That thou turnest thy breath against God, And sendest forth words from my mouth. 14. What is man, that he should be clean? One born of woman, that he should be righteous? 15. Behold He putteth no trust in His saints; And the heavens are not clean in His sight. 16. How, then, that which is vile and corrupt, Man that drinketh in evil like water! 17. I will show thee, hear thou me; And what have I seen I will declare; 18. Which wise men learn from their fathers, who hid it not; 19. To whom alone the land was given, Among whom wandered no stranger. 20. All his life the wicked travaileth with pain, 1 As many years as are allo ted to the violent. 21. A sound of terrors in his ears! In peace the spoiler shall come upon him; 22. He hath no hope of return out of darkness, And he is waited for of the sword; 23. He wandereth abroad for bread: "Where is it? He knoweth that a day of darkness is ready at his hand; 24. Distress and anguish make him afraid; They overcome him, as a king prepared for battle; 25. Because he stretched out his hand against God, And was bold against the Almighty; 26. He ran upon Him with stiff neck, With thick bosses of his bucklers. 27. Because he covered his face with his fat, And made collops of fat on his flanks; 28. Because he occupied desolate cities, Houses which none should inhabit, Which were destined to be ruins ; 29. He shall not be rich, nor his wealth abide, Neither shall fruit bend his branches to the earth. 30. He shall not depart out of darkness; By the breath of God's mouth he shall vanish. 31. Let him not trust in vanity, self-deceived; For vanity shall be his recompence. 32. Before his time it shall be fulfilled, While his branch hath not grown green. 33. He shaketh off as the vine his unripe grape, And casteth off as the olive his flower; 34. For the company of the godless shall be barren, And fire shall consume the dwellings of bribery. (Chap. XV.) Tormenting comforters are ye all. 3. Shall windy words have an end? (The political misfortunes of No hope in this life. Or what provoketh thee that thou answerest? 4. I also could speak like you, were ye but in my stead; I could compose words at you, and wag my head against you. 5. If I speak, my pain is not assuaged; . And if I forbear, what am I eased? 6. Verily, now He hath made me weary; Thou hast robbed me of all my friends. 7. That Thou hast smitten me is become a witness; My wrong riseth against me, testifying to my hurt. 8. His wrath hath torn and hated me ; He gnashed upon me with His teeth; 9. As an adversaay whetteth He His eyes upon me. They gaped upon me with their mouth; 10. With rebuke they smote upon my cheek; They gather themselves against me. 11. God delivereth me to the ungodly., Into the hands of the wicked He casteth me. 12. I was at ease, and He brake me asunder; 13. His arrows fly about me, he cleaveth my reins, and spareth not; He poureth out my gall on the ground; 14. He breaketh me, breach upon breach; He chargeth against me like a warrior. 15. Sackcloth I sewed upon my skin, And defiled my horn in the dust. 16. My face is red with weeping, And on mine eyelids, the shadow of death; 17. Though no violence is in my hands, And though my prayer is pure. Earth, cover not thou my blood, Yea, now, behold, my witness is in heaven, |