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.
Job Chapter 8.
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.
Job Chapter 9.
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.
9:24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?
9:25 Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.
9:26 They are pa.s.sed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.
9:27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself: 9:28 I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
9:29 If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?
9:30 If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; 9:31 Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.
9:32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.
9:33 Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.
9:34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me: 9:35 Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.
Job Chapter 10.
10:1 My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
10:2 I will say unto G.o.d, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
10:3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?
10:4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?
10:5 Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man"s days, 10:6 That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?
10:7 Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.
10:8 Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.
10:9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?
10:10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?
10:11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.
10:12 Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.
10:13 And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.
10:14 If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
10:15 If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction; 10:16 For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.
10:17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.
10:18 Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!
10:19 I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
10:20 Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, 10:21 Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; 10:22 A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.
Job Chapter 11.
11:1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, 11:2 Should not the mult.i.tude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?
11:3 Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?
11:4 For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.