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Hebrew / JewishChristianity
Behold, others as wilde asses in the wildernesse, goe forth to their businesse, and rise early for a praye: the wildernesse giueth him and his children foode.
They reape his prouision in the fielde, but they gather the late vintage of the wicked.
They cause the naked to lodge without garment, and without couering in the colde.
They are wet with the showres of the moutaines, and they imbrace the rocke for want of a couering.
They plucke the fatherles from the breast, and take the pledge of the poore.
They cause him to go naked without clothing, and take the glening from the hungrie.
They that make oyle betweene their walles, and treade their wine presses, suffer thirst.
Men cry out of the citie, and the soules of the slayne cry out: yet God doth not charge them with follie.
These are they, that abhorre the light: they know not the wayes thereof, nor continue in the paths thereof.
The murtherer riseth earely and killeth the poore and the needie: and in the night he is as a theefe.
The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, and sayth, None eye shall see me, and disguiseth his face.
They digge through houses in the darke, which they marked for themselues in the daye: they knowe not the light.
But the morning is euen to them as the shadow of death: if one knowe them, they are in the terrours of the shadowe of death.
He is swift vpon the waters: their portion shalbe cursed in the earth: he will not behold the way of the vineyardes.
As the dry ground and heate consume the snowe waters, so shall the graue the sinners.
The pitifull man shall forget him: the worme shall feele his sweetenes: he shalbe no more remembered, and the wicked shalbe broke like a tree.
He doth euil intreat ye barren, that doeth not beare, neither doeth he good to the widowe.
He draweth also the mighty by his power, and when he riseth vp, none is sure of life.
Though men giue him assurance to be in safetie, yet his eyes are vpon their wayes.
They are exalted for a litle, but they are gone, and are brought lowe as all others: they are destroyed, and cut off as the toppe of an eare of corne.
But if it be not so, where is he? or who wil proue me a lyer, and make my words of no value?
Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and sayd,
Power and feare is with him, that maketh peace in his hie places.
Is there any nomber in his armies? and vpon whom shall not his light arise?
And howe may a man be iustified with God? or how can he be cleane, that is borne of woman?
Behold, he wil giue no light to the moone, and the starres are vncleane in his sight.
How much more man, a worme, euen the sonne of man, which is but a worme?
Bvt Iob answered, and sayde,
Whom helpest thou? him that hath no power? sauest thou the arme that hath no strength?
Whome counsellest thou? him that hath no wisedome? thou shewest right well as the thing is.
To whom doest thou declare these words? or whose spirit commeth out of thee?
The dead things are formed vnder the waters, and neere vnto them.
The graue is naked before him, and there is no couering for destruction.
He stretcheth out the North ouer the emptie place, and hangeth the earth vpon nothing.
He bindeth the waters in his cloudes, and the cloude is not broken vnder them.
He holdeth backe the face of his throne: and spreadeth his cloude vpon it.
He hath set bounds about the waters, vntil the day and night come to an ende.
The pillars of heauen tremble and quake at his reproofe.
The sea is calme by his power, and by his vnderstanding he smiteth the pride thereof.
His Spirite hath garnished the heauens, and his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.
Loe, these are part of his wayes: but how litle a portion heare we of him? and who can vnderstand his fearefull power?
Moreouer Iob proceeded and continued his parable, saying,
The liuing God hath taken away my iudgement: for the Almightie hath put my soule in bitternesse.
Yet so long as my breath is in me, and the Spirit of God in my nostrels,
My lips surely shall speake no wickednesse, and my tongue shall vtter no deceite.
God forbid, that I should iustifie you: vntill I dye, I will neuer take away mine innocencie from my selfe.
I will keepe my righteousnesse, and wil not forsake it: mine heart shall not reprooue me of my dayes.
Mine enemie shall be as the wicked, and he that riseth against me, as the vnrighteous.
For what hope hath the hypocrite when he hath heaped vp riches, if God take away his soule?
Will God heare his cry, when trouble commeth vpon him?
Will he set his delight on the Almightie? will he call vpon God at all times?
I will teache you what is in the hande of God, and I wil not conceale that which is with the Almightie.
Beholde, all ye your selues haue seene it: why then doe you thus vanish in vanitie?
This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of tyrants, which they shall receiue of the Almightie.
If his children be in great nomber, the sworde shall destroy them, and his posteritie shall not be satisfied with bread.
His remnant shall be buried in death, and his widowes shall not weepe.
Though he shoulde heape vp siluer as the dust, and prepare rayment as the clay,
He may prepare it, but the iust shall put it on, and the innocent shall deuide the siluer.
He buildeth his house as the moth, and as a lodge that the watchman maketh.
When the rich man sleepeth, he shall not be gathered to his fathers: they opened their eyes, and he was gone.
Terrours shall take him as waters, and a tempest shall cary him away by night.
The East winde shall take him away, and he shall depart: and it shall hurle him out of his place.
And God shall cast vpon him and not spare, though he would faine flee out of his hand.
Euery man shall clap their hands at him, and hisse at him out of their place.
The siluer surely hath his veyne, and ye gold his place, where they take it.
Yron is taken out of the dust, and brasse is molten out of the stone.
God putteth an end to darkenesse, and he tryeth the perfection of all things: he setteth a bond of darkenesse, and of the shadowe of death.
The flood breaketh out against the inhabitant, and the waters forgotten of the foote, being higher then man, are gone away.
Out of the same earth commeth bread, and vnder it, as it were fire is turned vp.
The stones thereof are a place of saphirs, and the dust of it is golde.
There is a path which no foule hath knowen, neyther hath the kites eye seene it.
The lyons whelpes haue not walked it, nor the lyon passed thereby.
He putteth his hand vpon the rockes, and ouerthroweth the mountaines by the rootes.
He breaketh riuers in the rockes, and his eye seeth euery precious thing.
He bindeth the floods, that they doe not ouerflowe, and the thing that is hid, bringeth he to light.
But where is wisdome found? and where is the place of vnderstanding?
Man knoweth not the price thereof: for it is not found in the land of the liuing.
The depth sayth, It is not in mee: the sea also sayth, It is not with me.
Golde shall not be giuen for it, neyther shall siluer be weighed for the price thereof.
It shall not be valued with the wedge of golde of Ophir, nor with the precious onix, nor the saphir.
The golde nor the chrystall shall be equall vnto it, nor the exchange shalbe for plate of fine golde.
No mention shall be made of coral, nor of the gabish: for wisedome is more precious then pearles.
The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equall vnto it, neither shall it be valued with the wedge of pure gold.
Whence then commeth wisedome? and where is the place of vnderstanding,
Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all the liuing, and is hid from the foules of the heauen?
Destruction and death say, We haue heard the fame thereof with our eares.
But God vnderstandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
For he beholdeth the endes of the world, and seeth all that is vnder heauen,
To make the weight of the windes, and to weigh the waters by measure.
When he made a decree for the rayne, and a way for the lightening of the thunders,
Then did he see it, and counted it: he prepared it and also considered it.
And vnto man he said, Behold, the feare of the Lord is wisedome, and to depart from euil is vnderstanding.
So Iob proceeded and continued his parable, saying,
Oh that I were as in times past, when God preserued me!
When his light shined vpon mine head: and when by his light I walked thorowe the darkenesse,
As I was in the dayes of my youth: when Gods prouidence was vpon my tabernacle:
When the almightie was yet with me, and my children round about me.
When I washed my pathes with butter, and when the rocke powred me out riuers of oyle:
When I went out to the gate, euen to the iudgement seat, and when I caused them to prepare my seate in the streete.
The yong men saw me, and hid themselues, and the aged arose, and stood vp.