6:11 What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life? 6:12 Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of bra.s.s? 6:13 Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me? 6:14 To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.
6:15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pa.s.s away; 6:16 Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid: 6:17 What time they wax warm, they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.
6:18 The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish.
6:19 The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.
6:20 They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed.
6:21 For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid.
6:22 Did I say, Bring unto me? or, Give a reward for me of your substance? 6:23 Or, Deliver me from the enemy"s hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty? 6:24 Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
6:25 How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove? 6:26 Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind? 6:27 Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend.
6:28 Now therefore be content, look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I lie.
6:29 Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it.
6:30 Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things? 7:1 Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling? 7:2 As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work: 7:3 So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.
7:4 When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.
7:5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.
7:6 My days are swifter than a weaver"s shuttle, and are spent without hope.
7:7 O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.
7:8 The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.
7:9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.
7:10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
7:11 Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
7:12 Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me? 7:13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaints; 7:14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions: 7:15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.
7:16 I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.
7:17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? 7:18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment? 7:19 How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle? 7:20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself? 7:21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.
8:1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, 8:2 How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind? 8:3 Doth G.o.d pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice? 8:4 If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression; 8:5 If thou wouldest seek unto G.o.d betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty; 8:6 If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
8:7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
8:8 For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers: 8:9 (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:) 8:10 Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart? 8:11 Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water? 8:12 Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.
8:13 So are the paths of all that forget G.o.d; and the hypocrite"s hope shall perish: 8:14 Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider"s web.
8:15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.
8:16 He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.
8:17 His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones.
8:18 If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.
8:19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow.
8:20 Behold, G.o.d will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers: 8:21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.
8:22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.
9:1 Then Job answered and said, 9:2 I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with G.o.d? 9:3 If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.
9:4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? 9:5 Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.
9:6 Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
9:7 Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.
9:8 Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
9:9 Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.
9:10 Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.
9:11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he pa.s.seth on also, but I perceive him not.
9:12 Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou? 9:13 If G.o.d will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.
9:14 How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him? 9:15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.
9:16 If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.
9:17 For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.
9:18 He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.
9:19 If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead? 9:20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.
9:21 Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
9:22 This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
9:23 If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.