Page images
PDF
EPUB

of each one upon his day; and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said: 'It may be that my sons have sinned, and blasphemed God in their hearts.' Thus did Job continually.

6 Now it fell upon a day, that the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 7 And the LORD said unto Satan: 'Whence comest thou?' Then Satan answered the LORD, and said: 'From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.' 8 And the LORD said unto Satan: 'Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a wholehearted and an upright man, one that feareth God, and shunneth evil?' 9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said: 'Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not Thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions are increased in the land. 11 But put forth Thy hand now, and touch all that he hath, surely he will blaspheme Thee to Thy face.' 12 And the LORD said unto Satan: 'Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thy hand.' So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

13 And it fell on a day when his sons and his

daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house, 14 that there came a messenger unto Job, and said: "The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them; 15 and the Sabeans made a raid, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.' 16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said: ‘A fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.' 17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said: "The Chaldeans set themselves in three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have taken them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.' 18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said: "Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house; 19 and, behold, there came a great wind from across the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.'

20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped; 21 and he said: Naked came I out of my mother's womb, And naked shall I return thither;

The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken

away;

Blessed be the name of the LORD.

22 For all this Job sinned not, nor ascribed aught unseemly to God.

2

Again it fell upon a day, that the sons of

God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 And the LORD said unto Satan: 'From whence comest thou?' And Satan answered the LORD, and said: 'From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.' And the LORD said unto Satan: 'Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a wholehearted and an upright man, one that feareth God, and shunneth evil? and he still holdeth fast his integrity, although thou didst move Me against him, to destroy him without cause.' 4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said: 'Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5 But put forth Thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, surely he will blaspheme Thee to Thy face.' 6 And the LORD said unto Satan: 'Behold, he is in thy hand; only spare his life.'

7 So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot even unto his crown. 8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself therewith; and he sat among the ashes. 9 Then said his wife unto him: 'Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? blaspheme God, and die.' 10 But he said unto her: "Thou speakest as one of the impious women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?' For all this did not Job sin with his lips.

11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appoint. ment together to come to bemoan him and to comfort him. 12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and threw dust upon their heads toward heaven. 13 So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word unto him; for they saw that his grief was very great.

28

The Fount of Wisdom

For there is a mine for silver,

And a place for gold which they refine.

2 Iron is taken out of the dust,

And brass is molten out of the stone.

3 Man setteth an end to darkness,

And searcheth out to the furthest bound The stones of thick darkness and of the shadow of death.

4 He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn;

They are forgotten of the foot that passeth by;

They hang afar from men, they swing to and fro.

5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, And underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.

6 The stones thereof are the place of sapphires,

And it hath dust of gold.

7 That path no bird of prey knoweth, Neither hath the falcon's eye seen it; 8 The proud beasts have not trodden it, Nor hath the lion passed thereby.

9 He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock;

He overturneth the mountains by the roots. 10 He cutteth out channels among the rocks; And his eye seeth every precious thing,

11 He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; And the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

12 But wisdom, where shall it be found?

And where is the place of understanding? 13 Man knoweth not the price thereof; Neither is it found in the land of the living. 14 The deep saith: 'It is not in me';

And the sea saith: 'It is not with me.'

15 It cannot be gotten for gold,

Neither shall silver be weighed for the price

thereof.

16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, With the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

17 Gold and glass cannot equal it;

Neither shall the exchange thereof be vessels of fine gold.

18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;

Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies. 19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, Neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

20 Whence then cometh wisdom?

And where is the place of understanding?

« PreviousContinue »