The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

The roaring of the Lion, and the voyce of the Lionesse, and the teeth of the Lions whelpes are broken.

The Lyon perisheth for lacke of pray, and the Lyons whelpes are scattered abroade.

But a thing was brought to me secretly, and mine eare hath receiued a litle thereof.

In the thoughtes of ye visions of the night, when sleepe falleth on men,

Feare came vpon me, and dread which made all my bones to tremble.

And the wind passed before me, and made the heares of my flesh to stande vp.

Then stoode one, and I knewe not his face: an image was before mine eyes, and in silence heard I a voyce, saying,

Shall man be more iust then God? or shall a man be more pure then his maker?

Beholde, he founde no stedfastnesse in his Seruants, and laid follie vpon his Angels.

Howe much more in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which shalbe destroyed before the moth?

They be destroyed from the morning vnto the euening: they perish for euer, without regarde.

Doeth not their dignitie goe away with them? do they not die, and that without wisdom?

Call nowe, if any will answere thee, and to which of the Saintes wilt thou turne?

Doubtlesse anger killeth the foolish, and enuie slayeth the idiote.

I haue seene the foolish well rooted, and suddenly I cursed his habitation, saying,

His children shalbe farre from saluation, and they shall be destroyed in the gate, and none shall deliuer them.

The hungrie shall eate vp his haruest: yea, they shall take it from among the thornes, and the thirstie shall drinke vp their substance.

For miserie commeth not foorth of the dust, neither doeth affliction spring out of the earth.

But man is borne vnto trauaile, as the sparkes flie vpwarde.

But I would inquire at God, and turne my talke vnto God:

Which doeth great things and vnsearchable, and marueilous things without nomber.

He giueth raine vpon the earth, and powreth water vpon the streetes,

And setteth vp on hie them that be lowe, that the sorowfull may be exalted to saluation.

He scattereth the deuices of the craftie: so that their handes can not accomplish that which they doe enterprise.

He taketh the wise in their craftinesse, and the counsel of the wicked is made foolish.

They meete with darkenesse in the day time, and grope at noone day, as in the night.

But he saueth the poore from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hande of the violent man,

So that the poore hath his hope, but iniquitie shall stop her mouth.

Beholde, blessed is the man whome God correcteth: therefore refuse not thou the chastising of the Almightie.

For he maketh the wound, and bindeth it vp: he smiteth, and his handes make whole.

He shall deliuer thee in sixe troubles, and in the seuenth the euill shall not touch thee.

In famine he shall deliuer thee from death: and in battel from the power of the sworde.

Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue, and thou shalt not be afraid of destruction when it commeth.

But thou shalt laugh at destruction and dearth, and shalt not be afraide of the beast of the earth.

For the stones of the fielde shall be in league with thee, and the beastes of the field shall be at peace with thee.

And thou shalt knowe, that peace shall be in thy tabernacle, and thou shalt visite thine habitation, and shalt not sinne.

Thou shalt perceiue also, that thy seede shalbe great, and thy posteritie as the grasse of the earth.

Thou shalt goe to thy graue in a ful age, as a ricke of corne commeth in due season into the barne.

Lo, thus haue we inquired of it, and so it is: heare this and knowe it for thy selfe.

Bvt Iob answered, and said,

Oh that my griefe were well weighed, and my miseries were layed together in the balance.

For it woulde be nowe heauier then the sande of the sea: therefore my wordes are swallowed vp.

For the arrowes of the Almightie are in me, the venime whereof doeth drinke vp my spirit, and the terrours of God fight against me.

Doeth the wilde asse bray when he hath grasse? or loweth the oxe when he hath fodder?

That which is vnsauerie, shall it be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egge?

Such things as my soule refused to touch, as were sorowes, are my meate.

Oh that I might haue my desire, and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

That is, that God would destroy me: that he would let his hand go, and cut me off.

Then should I yet haue comfort, (though I burne with sorowe, let him not spare) because I haue not denyed the wordes of the Holy one.

What power haue I that I should endure? or what is mine end, if I should prolong my life?

Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brasse?

Is it not so, that there is in me no helpe? and that strength is taken from me?

He that is in miserie, ought to be comforted of his neighbour: but men haue forsaken the feare of the Almightie.

My brethre haue deceiued me as a brook, and as the rising of the riuers they passe away.

Which are blackish with yee, and wherein the snowe is hid.

But in time they are dryed vp with heate and are consumed: and when it is hote they faile out of their places,

Or they depart from their way and course, yea, they vanish and perish.

They that go to Tema, considered them, and they that goe to Sheba, waited for them.

But they were confounded: when they hoped, they came thither and were ashamed.

Surely nowe are ye like vnto it: ye haue seene my fearefull plague, and are afraide.

Was it because I said, Bring vnto me? or giue a rewarde to me of your substance?

And deliuer me from the enemies hande, or ransome me out of the hand of tyrants?

Teach me, and I wil hold my tongue: and cause me to vnderstande, wherein I haue erred.

Howe stedfast are the wordes of righteousnes? and what can any of you iustly reproue?

Doe ye imagine to reproue wordes, that the talke of the afflicted should be as the winde?

Ye make your wrath to fall vpon the fatherlesse, and dig a pit for your friende.

Nowe therefore be content to looke vpon me: for I will not lie before your face.

Turne, I pray you, let there be none iniquitie: returne, I say, and ye shall see yet my righteousnesse in that behalfe. Is there iniquitie in my tongue? doeth not my mouth feele sorowes?

Is there not an appointed time to man vpon earth? and are not his dayes as the dayes of an hyreling?

As a seruant longeth for the shadowe, and as an hyreling looketh for the ende of his worke,

So haue I had as an inheritance the moneths of vanitie, and painefull nights haue bene appointed vnto me.

If I layed me downe, I sayde, When shall I arise? and measuring the euening I am euen full with tossing to and from vnto the dawning of the day.

My flesh is clothed with wormes and filthinesse of the dust: my skinne is rent, and become horrible.

My dayes are swifter then a weauers shittle, and they are spent without hope.

Remember that my life is but a wind, and that mine eye shall not returne to see pleasure.

The eye that hath seene me, shall see me no more: thine eyes are vpon me, and I shall be no longer.

As the cloude vanisheth and goeth away, so he that goeth downe to the graue, shall come vp no more.

He shall returne no more to his house, neither shall his place knowe him any more.

Therefore I will not spare my mouth, but will speake in the trouble of my spirite, and muse in the bitternesse of my minde.

Am I a sea or a whalefish, that thou keepest me in warde?

When I say, My couch shall relieue me, and my bed shall bring comfort in my meditation,

Then fearest thou me with dreames, and astonishest me with visions.

Therefore my soule chuseth rather to be strangled and to die, then to be in my bones.

I abhorre it, I shall not liue alway: spare me then, for my dayes are but vanitie.

What is man, that thou doest magnifie him, and that thou settest thine heart vpon him?

And doest visite him euery morning, and tryest him euery moment?

Howe long will it be yer thou depart from me? thou wilt not let me alone whiles I may swallowe my spettle.

I haue sinned, what shall I do vnto thee? O thou preseruer of me, why hast thou set me as a marke against thee, so that I am a burden vnto my selfe?

And why doest thou not pardon my trespasse? and take away mine iniquitie? for nowe shall I sleepe in the dust, and if thou seekest me in the morning, I shall not be found.

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and saide,

Howe long wilt thou talke of these things? and howe long shall the wordes of thy mouth be as a mightie winde?

Doeth God peruert iudgement? or doeth the Almightie subuert iustice?

If thy sonnes haue sinned against him, and he hath sent them into the place of their iniquitie,

Yet if thou wilt early seeke vnto God, and pray to the Almightie,

If thou be pure and vpright, then surely hee will awake vp vnto thee, and he wil make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous.

And though thy beginning be small, yet thy latter ende shall greatly encrease.

Inquire therefore, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thy selfe to search of their fathers.

(For we are but of yesterday, and are ignorant: for our dayes vpon earth are but a shadowe)

Shall not they teach thee and tell thee, and vtter the wordes of their heart?

Can a rush grow without myre? or can ye grasse growe without water?