13:25. Against a leaf, that is carried away with the wind, thou shewest thy power, and thou pursuest a dry straw.
13:26. For thou writest bitter things against me, and wilt consume me for the sins of my youth.
13:27. Thou hast put my feet in the stocks, and hast observed all my paths, and hast considered the steps of my feet:
13:28. Who am to be consumed as rottenness, and as a garment that is motheaten.
Job Chapter 14
Job declares the shortness of man"s days: and professes his belief of a resurrection.
14:1. Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.
14:2. Who cometh forth like a flower, and is destroyed, and fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state.
14:3. And dost thou think it meet to open thy eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with thee?
14:4. Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed? is it not thou who only art?
14:5. The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with thee: thou hast appointed his bounds which cannot be pa.s.sed.
14:6. Depart a little from him, that he may rest until his wished for day come, as that of the hireling.
14:7. A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it growth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout.
14:8. If its roots be old in the earth, and its stock be dead in the dust:
14:9. At the scent of water, it shall spring, and bring forth leaves, as when it was first planted.
14:10. But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and consumed, I pray you where is he?
14:11. As if the waters should depart out of the sea, and an emptied river should be dried up;
14:12. So man when he is fallen asleep shall not rise again; till the heavens be broken, he shall not awake, nor rise up out of his sleep.
14:13. Who will grant me this, that thou mayst protect me in h.e.l.l, and hide me till thy wrath pa.s.s, and appoint me a time when thou wilt remember me?
That thou mayst protect me in h.e.l.l... That is, in the state of the dead; and in the place where the souls are kept waiting for their Redeemer.
14:14. Shall man that is dead, thinkest thou, live again? all the days in which I am now in warfare, I expect until my change come.
14:15. Thou shalt call me, and I will answer thee: to the work of thy hands thou shalt reach out thy right hand.
14:16. Thou indeed hast numbered my steps, but spare my sins.
14:17. Thou hast sealed up my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured my iniquity.
14:18. A mountain falling cometh to nought, and a rock is removed out of its place.
14:19. Waters wear away the stones, and with inundation the ground by little and little is washed away: so in like manner thou shalt destroy man.
14:20. Thou hast strengthened him for a little while, that he may pa.s.s away for ever: thou shalt change his face, and shalt send him away.
14:21. Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand.
14:22. But yet his flesh, while he shall live, shall have pain, and his soul shall mourn over him.
Job Chapter 15
Eliphaz returns to the charge against Job, and describes the wretched state of the wicked.
15:1. And Eliphaz the Themanite, answered, and said:
15:2. Will a wise man answer as if he were speaking in the wind, and fill his stomach with burning heat?
15:3. Thou reprovest him by words, who is not equal to thee, and thou speakest that which is not good for thee.
15:4. As much as is in thee, thou hast made void fear, and hast taken away prayers from before G.o.d.
Thou hast made void fear... That is, cast off the fear of offending G.o.d.
15:5. For thy iniquity hath taught thy mouth, and thou imitatest the tongue of blasphemers.
15:6. Thy own mouth shall condemn thee, and not I: and thy own lips shall answer thee.
15:7. Art thou the first man that was born, or wast thou made before the hills?
15:8. Hast thou heard G.o.d"s counsel, and shall his wisdom be inferior to thee?
15:9. What knowest thou that we are ignorant of? what dost thou understand that we know not?
15:10. There are with us also aged and ancient men, much elder than thy fathers.
15:11. Is it a great matter that G.o.d should comfort thee? but thy wicked words hinder this.
15:12. Why doth thy heart elevate thee, and why dost thou stare with thy eyes, as if they were thinking great things?
15:13. Why doth thy spirit swell against G.o.d, to utter such words out of thy mouth?
15:14. What is man that he should be without spot, and he that is born of a woman that he should appear just?
15:15. Behold among his saints none is unchangeable, and the heavens are not pure in his sight.
15:16. How much more is man abominable, and unprofitable, who drinketh iniquity like water?
15:17. I will shew thee, hear me: and I will tell thee what I have seen.
15:18. Wise men confess and hide not their fathers.