The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.

Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the topmost of the stars, how high they are!

And thou sayest: 'What doth God know? Can He judge through the dark cloud?

Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the circuit of heaven.'

Wilt thou keep the old way which wicked men have trodden?

Who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream;

Who said unto God: 'Depart from us'; and what could the Almighty do unto them?

Yet He filled their houses with good things — but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

The righteous saw it, and were glad, and the innocent laugh them to scorn:

'Surely their substance is cut off, and their abundance the fire hath consumed.'

Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace; thereby shall thine increase be good.

Receive, I pray thee, instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in thy heart.

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up — if thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents,

And lay thy treasure in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;

And the Almighty be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee;

Then surely shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;

Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee, and light shall shine upon thy ways.

When they cast thee down, thou shalt say: 'There is lifting up'; for the humble person He saveth.

He delivereth him that is innocent, yea, thou shalt be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.

Then Job answered and said:

Even to-day is my complaint bitter; my hand is become heavy because of my groaning.

Oh that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come even to His seat!

I would order my cause before Him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

I would know the words which He would answer me, and understand what He would say unto me.

Would He contend with me in His great power? Nay; but He would give heed unto me.

There the upright might reason with Him; so should I be delivered for ever from my Judge.

Behold, I go forward, but He is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive Him;

On the left hand, when He doth work, but I cannot behold Him, He turneth Himself to the right hand, but I cannot see Him.

For He knoweth the way that I take; when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

My foot hath held fast to His steps, His way have I kept, and turned not aside.

I have not gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured up the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

But He is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desireth, even that He doeth.

For He will perform that which is appointed for me; and many such things are with Him.

Therefore am I affrighted at His presence; when I consider, I am afraid of Him.

Yea, God hath made my heart faint, and the Almighty hath affrighted me;

Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither did He cover the thick darkness from my face.

Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do not they that know Him see His days?

There are that remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed them.

They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.

They turn the needy out of the way; the poor of the earth hide themselves together.

Behold, as wild asses in the wilderness they go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food; the desert yieldeth them bread for their children.

They cut his provender in the field; and they despoil the vineyard of the wicked.

They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.

They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.

There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor;

So that they go about naked without clothing, and being hungry they carry the sheaves;

They make oil within the rows of these men; they tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.

From out of the populous city men groan, and the soul of the wounded crieth out; yet God imputeth it not for unseemliness.

These are of them that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.

The murderer riseth with the light, to kill the poor and needy; and in the night he is as a thief.

The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying: 'No eye shall see me'; and he putteth a covering on his face.

In the dark they dig through houses; they shut themselves up in the day-time; they know not the light.

For the shadow of death is to all of them as the morning; for they know the terrors of the shadow of death.

He is swift upon the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth; he turneth not by the way of the vineyards.

Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so doth the nether-world those that have sinned.

The womb forgetteth him; the worm feedeth sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and unrighteousness is broken as a tree.

He devoureth the barren that beareth not; and doeth not good to the widow.

He draweth away the mighty also by his power; he riseth up, and he trusteth not his own life.

Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth, yet His eyes are upon their ways.

They are exalted for a little while, and they are gone; yea, they are brought low, they are gathered in as all others, and wither as the tops of the ears of corn.

And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said:

Dominion and fear are with Him; He maketh peace in His high places.

Is there any number of His armies? And upon whom doth not His light arise?

How then can man be just with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?

Behold, even the moon hath no brightness, and the stars are not pure in His sight;

How much less man, that is a worm! and the son of man, that is a maggot!

Then Job answered and said:

How hast thou helped him that is without power! How hast thou saved the arm that hath no strength!

How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom, and plentifully declared sound knowledge!

With whose help hast thou uttered words? And whose spirit came forth from thee?

The shades tremble beneath the waters and the inhabitants thereof.

The nether-world is naked before Him, and Destruction hath no covering.

He stretcheth out the north over the empty space, and hangeth the earth over nothing.

He bindeth up the waters in His thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them.

He closeth in the face of His throne, and spreadeth His cloud upon it.

He hath described a boundary upon the face of the waters, unto the confines of light and darkness.

The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at His rebuke.

He stirreth up the sea with His power, and by His understanding He smiteth through Rahab.

By His breath the heavens are serene; His hand hath pierced the slant serpent.

Lo, these are but the outskirts of His ways; and how small a whisper is heard of Him! But the thunder of His mighty deeds who can understand?

And Job again took up his parable, and said:

As God liveth, who hath taken away my right; and the Almighty, who hath dealt bitterly with me;

All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,

Surely my lips shall not speak unrighteousness, neither shall my tongue utter deceit;

Far be it from me that I should justify you; till I die I will not put away mine integrity from me.

My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and let him that riseth up against me be as the unrighteous.

For what is the hope of the godless, though he get him gain, when God taketh away his soul?

Will God hear his cry, when trouble cometh upon him?

Will he have his delight in the Almighty, and call upon God at all times?

I will teach you concerning the hand of God; that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye become altogether vain?

This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the Almighty.

If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword; and his offspring shall not have bread enough.

Those that remain of him shall be buried by pestilence, and his widows shall make no lamentation.

Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay;

He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.

He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth which the keeper maketh.