Ver. 12. With the ancient is wisdom, and in length of days understanding.] And the older we grow, the wiser, one would think, we should be. Ver. 13. With bim is wisdom and strength, he bath counsel and understanding.] But what is all our wisdom. to God's? who (as he knows, so) can do all things; and he never errs in his understanding, or miscarries in his designs. Ver. 14. Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again; he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.] It is not in the power of any creature to repair that which he throws down; nor to extricate that man whom he casts into difficulties and straits. Ver. 15. Behold, he with-holdeth the waters, and they dry up; also be sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth. If he deny us rain, the waters themselves dry up; and he sends such floods as break the strongest banks. Ver. 16. With him is strength and wisdom, the deceived and the deceiver are bis.] Nor is his wisdom, as I said, inferior to his power; but the subtlety of those who deceive is as well known to him, as the silliness of those who are deceived. Ver. 17. He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.] He defeats the wisest states men, and infatuates the ablest senators. Ver. 18. He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.] So that they are not able to keep the crown on the head of their kings; but they are stript of their royal ornaments, and bound in chains. Ver. 19. He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.] Their great ministers are carried captives with them; nor are the most powerful forces they can raise able to defend them. Ver. 20. He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.] Eloquence, fidelity, and the prudence which hath been gained by long experience, signify as little for their preservation. Ver. 21. He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.] The nobleness of their birth, or their munificence, is not at all regarded; and be dissolves the strongest confederacies, into which their friends enter for their support. Ver. 22. He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.] No plot can be so secretly carried, but he discovers it; and brings to light that which hath been contrived in the greatest obscurity. Ver. 23. He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; he be enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.] Whole nations (as well as their princes) are perfectly under his power; whom he sometimes multiplies, and again diminishes by war, famine, or pestilence. He enlarges their bounds, and, when he pleases, reduces them into narrower limits. Ver. 24. He taketh away the beart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.] He deprives their leaders both of courage and judgement, and brings them into such confusion, that they know not which way to turn themselves, Ver. 25. They grope in the dark without light, and be maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.] Blind men see as much as they; and their counsels and motions are as uncertain as those of a man in drink. CHAP. XIII. THE ARGUMENT.-From the foregoing observations, Job still continues to assert, first, his own understanding to be equal, or rather superior, to theirs, who had better, therefore, rather learn of him, and know that God was not pleased to have his providence defended by untruths, nor to see men partial, though it was in his behalf; and, secondly, his own integrity to be such, that he would ever defend it against all accusers, even before God himself; whom he desires to take cognisance of the cause, and to let him understand what the crimes were for which he was thus severely handled. For he protests that he was ignorant of them, though the punishments he had endured were more than sufficient to awaken the sense of his guilt, he being almost consumed by them. Ver. 1. 10, mine eye bath seen all this, mine ear bath beard and understood it.] I have said nothing, I would have you know, but what I myself have observed, or received from credible reports, which I have found to be certainly true. Ver. 2. What ye know, the same do I know also ; I am not inferior unto you.] Whereby you may see I had reason to say, that I know as much as you, and am not to learn of you. Ver. 3. Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with GOD.] Would to God I might speak with him, and lay my reasons open before him, and be troubled with your discourses no longer. Ver. 4. But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physi cians of no value.] For your conclusions are false; and, like unskilful physicians, you exasperate the diseases which you cannot cure. Ver. 5. Ob that you would altogether hold your peace, and it should be your wisdom!] The best proof of your wisdom would be, to say never a word more of these matters. Ver. 6. Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.] But listen a little to me, I beseech you, and hear by what reasons I will defend myself. Ver. 7. Will you speak wickedly for GOD? and talk deceitfully for bim ?] Doth God stand in need of untruths to justify his proceedings? Cannot he be righteous, unless I be wicked? ye contend Ver. 8. Will you accept his person? will for GOD?] Hath he so little right on his side, that you must shew him favour? or do you think to oblige bis majesty by doing me wrong? Ver. 9. Is it good that he should search you out? or, as one man mocketh another, do you so mock him?] Will it be to your advantage, think you, that God should strictly examine all you have said? or can he be de ceived with your flatteries, as frail men may be? Ver. 10. He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons. No; he will severely chastise you, for designing to gratify him by condemning me. Ver. 11. Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?] The incomparable excellence of God, one would think, should have frighted away such a thought; and his dreadful Majesty made you not presume to imagine he wanted your patronage; Ver. 12. Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.] Whose remonstrances on his behalf are no better than dust; and the arguments you accumulate, but like so many heaps of dirt. Ver. 13. Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.] Keep silence, therefore, and do not disturb me in my speech; for I will omit nothing. Ver. 14. Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine band?] And I am so conscious to myself of my innocence, that I must still wonder why I suffer such enraging miseries, and am exposed to so many dangers. Ver. 15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him; but I will maintain mine own ways before him.] Assure yourselves I will never forego this plea, but still maintain mine innocence, though I were at the last gasp, and had no hope of life. Ver. 16. He also shall be my salvation; for an by pocrite shall not come before him.] And I am confident God himself would vindicate it; for I am no hypocrite, nor shall false accusations be admitted at his tribunal. Ver. 17. Hear diligently my speech and my declaration with your ears.] Do not interrupt me, but give due attention to what I am about to say. Ver. 18. Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.] See, I beseech you, I refuse not to be tried, but have framed a process against myself; and am so sure of the goodness of my cause, that I know I shall be acquitted. Ver. 19. Who is be that will plead with me? for now if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.] Let who will come and accuse me, I am ready to answer; for to hold my peace, on so just an occasion, is death to me. Ver. 20. Only do not two things unto me; then will I not hide myself from thee.] Let me only beg, O great Judge of all! that thou wilt forbear to make use of two things against me; and then I will appear confidently, to plead my cause before thee. Ver. 21. Withdraw thine hand far from me, and let not thy dread make me afraid.] Do not continue my pain, and let ot the sight of thy Majesty put me in disorder. Ver. 22. Then call thou, and I will answer; or let me speak, and answer thou me.] Then summon me to thy bar, and charge me, and I will defend myself; or let me question thee, and do thou clear thy proceedings against me. Ver. 23. How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.] Tell me what, and how many are mine iniquities and sins, for I am ignorant of them; I desire to know them all, great and small, against thee, or against my neighbour. Ver, 24. Wherefore bidest thou thy face, and boldest me for thine enemy? For what cause am I thus afflicted, and used as if I was thine enemy? Ver. 25. Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?] What honour wilt thou get by employing thy power against one who is no more able to stand before thee than the leaf to resist the wind which sports with it, or the dry stubble the fire which instantly consumes it? Ver. 26. For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.] For thou hast passed severe decrees against me, and punisheth me for the crimes which were committed before 1 well knew what I did. Ver. 27. Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.] And thou dost execute them as severely; for I can no more escape than a malefactor, whose feet are in the stocks, who is encompassed with a vigilant guard, and cannot stir a foot from the place where he is. Ver. 28. And he as a rotten thing consumeth, as a garment that is moth-eaten.] But there he rots and wastes away, as I do, like a garment that is eaten by the moths. CHAP. XIV. THE ARGUMENT.-The good man proceeds to plead with God for some mitigation of his miseries, from the consideration of the shortness of life, and the trouble that naturally belongs to it; which he thought might move him not to add any greater burden of suffering, especially considering, that when he is dead, he cannot come into the world again, (as the plants do), to receive the marks of his favour; which he hopes, therefore, he will bestow upon him here, notwithstanding the depth of his misery, (which tempted him to the borders of impatience, ver. 13.), it being very easy for him to remove his affliction, though never so heavy, whose power is so great, that he removed mountains out of their place, and brought a deluge, as we may say, of sand, (as they saw sometimes in their neighbouring countries), to overflow the most fruitful regions. Ver. 1. MAN that is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.] Man is born to die; and as he cannot live long, so his short life is subject to many cares. Ver. 2. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.] He may be compared to a flower, which is beautiful indeed, but suddenly cropt; or to the shadow on a dial, which never stands still, but is hasting away apace. Ver. 3. And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgement with thee?] And dost thou concern thyself so far about such a wretch, as to summon him before thy tribunal, and there pass dreadful sentences against him, as thou dost against me? Ver. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.] The common frailty of humanity might make thee overlook him; for nothing, thou knowest, can be better than the original from whence it comes. Ver. 5. Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee; thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass.] Or if he were more considerable than he is, yet, since he can live but to such a time as thou hast pre-fixed, beyond which he cannot prolong his days one moment; Ver. 6. Turn from them, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an bireling, his day.] as an bireling, bis day.] That, I should think, might move thee not to torment him in this manner, but to let him alone till that appointed time come, which will be as welcome to him, as the end of his labour is to the hireling. Ver. 7. For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.] And after that, there is more hope of a tree than of him; for if it be cut down to the very ground, the body of it will grow again, and thrust out new branches; Ver. 8. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;] Nay, though it hath been so long cut down, that the roots of it are grown old, and the trunk seems quite dead; Ver. 9. Yet through the scent of waters it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.] Yet, when it is well moistened, it will shoot up again, and bring forth boughs, as if it were but newly planted. Ver. 1o. But man dieth, and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?] But when man dies, he crumbles into dust; and none can set it together, to make him live again. Ver. 11. As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up;] As lakes and great rivers are dried up, when their waters find a new channel: Ver. 12. So man lieth down, and riseth not, till the heavens be no more: they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.] So man laid down in his grave shall come no more hither; but in that bed of dust shall sleep perpetually. Ver. 23. Oh that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past; that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!] I wish I were buried alive, rather than suffer such things; or that I could take sanctuary somewhere till this storm be over; or at least that thou wouldst set me a certain time when thou wilt deliver me. Ver. 14. If a man die, shall be live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come.] Then (though there be no hope of living here again after I am dead) thou shalt see I will patiently wait all the days of that appointed time, till that happy change come. Ver. 15. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.] Do thou speak the word, and it shall be done; shew thou hast some love to thy own workmanship. Ver. 16. For now thou numberest my steps; dost thou not watch over my sin?] Though now thou seemest to number every step I have trod in all my life, and dost not spare to punish every fault. Ver. 17. My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sowest up mine iniquity.] Having taken as great care the memory of them should not be lost, as if they had been sealed up in a bag, and added one panishment to another. Ver. 18. And surely the mountains falling cometh to nought and the rock is removed out of his place.] Yet notwithstanding, the highest mountains may fall like a leaf, and the rock be removed from his place. Ver. 19. The waters wear, the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth, and thou destroyest the hope of man.] The waters, though soft, wear away the hard stones; and the very dust or sand sometimes overflow the fruitful fields: why, therefore, (since such strange and unexpected things come to pass), may there not be some hope for miserable man? Ver. 20. Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.] Who is not able to stand before thee; but must yield and be gone for ever when thou requirest thou spoilest his beauty, and sendest him away into another world. Ver. 21. His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.] And then, whether his children, whom he leaves behind, be rich, or whether they be poor, it is indifferent to him; for he knows not what passes here. Ver. 22. But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.] But while he is in flesh he cannot but be in pain for them, and his soul is inwardly grieved to see their misery. CHAP. XV. THE ARGUMENT.-In this chapter Eliphaz renews the dispute with more eagerness and fierceness than before; being very angry that Job slighted them so much, and thought himself so wise, (as he interpreted it), that he disdained their exhortations, and would not follow the counsel they had given him, of confessing his sins, and praying to God for forgiveness; (ver. 8. viii. 4.5. 6.): But, except this one argument, (that he need not be ashamed to confess his guilt, when he considered how prone all men are to sin), there is nothing new in his discourse; but he merely urges what he had asserted at first, from his own, and the wisest men's observations, that they are not the good, but the wicked, whom God punishes with such calamities as now were fallen upon Job. And with great ornaments of speech, he most admirably describes the vengeance which God is wont to take upon impious tyrants; having his eye, I suppose, upon Nimrod, or some Ver. 1. THEN HEN answered Flipbax the Temanite, and said,] Then Eliphaz, incensed with these reproaches, rose up again, and said, Ver. 2. Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind ?] Dost thou pretend to be wise, who answerest us with such empty discourses; and whose heart is swoln with such per nicious opinions, and vents them with so much vehe mente? Ver. 3. Should be reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches wherewith he can do no good? Is this thy wisdom which teaches thee to wrangle to no par pose, and to pour out words for which one is never the better? Ver. 4. Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest Prayer before GOD. The better, did I say? They destroy all religion, and discourage men from pouring out their complaint in prayer to God.' Ver. 5. For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.] Thou rather teachest them to dispute with him; whereby thou hast proclaimed thine iniquity, while with fallacious words thou seekest how to dissemble it: "^ Ver. 6. Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; yea, thine own lips testify against thee.] I need produce no farther testimony against thee; for thy own mouth hath done the business, and condemneth thee of impiety. Ver. 7. Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?] Thou art but a man, why dost thou talk as if thou wert God, or at least wert made before the world? Ver. 8. Hast thou heard the secret of GOD? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?] Wast thou admitted into God's secret counsels, and thereby engross ed all wisdom to thyself? Ver. 9. "What knowest thou that we know not ? what understandest thou which is not in us? Wherein (to retort thy own words upon thee) doth thy knowledge exceed ours? Let us hear what secret thou hast learnt, which we do not understand. Ver. 1o. With us are both the grey-headed, and very aged men, much elder than thy father. If by age and long experience men acquire wisdom, there are some of us who are much older than thy father. Ver. 11. Are the consolations of GOD small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee ) Why dost thou slight, then, those divine consolations which we have given thee? Hast thou some secret ones, which no body else knows of? Ver. 12. Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what doth thine eyes wink ut?) What makes thee have such an high opinion of thyself, and in this manner contemn us? Ver. 13. That thou turnest thy spirit against GOD, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth.) Nay, oppose thyself to God, and take the boldness to argue with him? Ver 14. What is man, that he should be clean? be which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous Thou wilt maintain thy innocence, thon sayest; but thou forgettest sure what thou art, and whence thou comest; else thou wouldest not stand upon thy justification, nor complain that thou art wronged. Ver. 15. Behold, he putteth no trust in bis saints; yea, the heavens are not clear in his sight.] Remember what I told thee before, (iv. 18.), that the angels are not immutably good; the heavenly inhabitants, I say, are not without their spots. Ver. 16. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water! What a loathsome and filthy creature, then, is man, who is as prone to sin, as he is to drink when he is dry! Ver. 17. will shew thee, bear me ; and that which I have seen, I will declare.} Do not stop thine ears, whilst I shew thee thine error, and I will say nothing but what mine own eyes have seen. Ver. 18. Which wise men have told from their fathers; and have not bid it.] And which wise then have observed, and their fathers before them, who have reported it to their children; Ver. 19. Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.] And they no mean per sons neither, but such as were alone thought worthy to be entrusted with the government of the whole countries, which no foreign power could enter (as they have done thine) while they ruled. Ver. 20. The wicked man travaileth with puin all bis days, and the number of years is bidden to the oppressor.] The wicked tyrant (this is their and my observatron) is never free from inward torment; all his life long he is in dread of some greater oppressor than himself. Ver. 21. A dreadful sound is in bis ears; in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.] His guilt so pursues him, that it makes him fear some mischief or other is still falling on him; and in the most peaceable time he doth not think himself in safety. Ver. 22. He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword. When he lies down, he is afraid he shall be killed before the morning; and he fancies nothing but naked swords round about him. Ver. 23. He wandereth abroad for bread, saping, Where is it? be knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.] He shall wander to get a morsel of bread where he can find it; and when he hath it, he shall imagine it will prove his poison. Ver. 23. Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid ; they shall prevail against him as a king ready to the battle.] The distress and anguish wherein he sees himself, shall affright him; they shall press upon him and overcome him, as a king doth his enemies whom he hath surrounded with his forces. Ver. 25. For be stretebeth out his hand against GOD, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.] Which will be a just punishment of his audacious impiety; because he defied God, and resolutely set himself in opposition to the Almighty.4 Ver. 26. He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of bis bucklers :] Who will suddenly lay fast hold on him and kill him, though he be never so well armed. Ver. 27. Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.] Because he minds nothing but his belly; and, casting away all fear of God, nourishes up himself in luxury, pride, and haughtiness. Ver. 28. And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.] Possessing cities which he hath laid desolate; and houses out of which he hath driven the owners, and which are running to ruin. Ver. 29. He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall be prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.] But the riches he hath got by such violence and oppression, shall come to nothing: he may design great things, but shall leave them imperfect. Ver. 30. He shall depart out of darkness, the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall be go away.] When his troubles begin, they shall not end till they have destroyed both him and his children: one word of God's mouth) so mad a thing it is to set himself against heaven) will utterly consume him. Ver. 31. Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity for vanity shall be his recompence.] Let such examples teach him that is seduced into evil ways, not to trust to such uncertain greatness; for vexatious disappointments shall be all that he will get by it. Ver. 32. It shall be accomplished before his time, and bis branch shall not be green.] He shall meet with them, when he little thinks of it; and see his children wither away as well as himself. Ver. 33. He shall shake off his unripe fruit as the wine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.] They shall die before their time; as the unripe grape, or the blossom of the vine or olive, are struck with hail, or bitten off by the frost. Ver. 34. For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribe ry.] The most numerous families of such ungodly men shall have none in them left: the divine vengeance shall destroy the house which was built with illgotten goods. Ver. 35. They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.] And they justly deserve to be thus punished, because all they design and do is nothing but the oppression and ruin of their subjects: against whom, when one design miscarries, they conceive new arts to undo them. D was ly he was treated by him and the rest of his friends; who, in effect, joined with his enemies; who took this opportunity to rail at him. Whereas there no crime appeared to justify their accusations, and to make good Eliphaz's argument; which signified nothing, unless he meant to say, that Job was like that wicked tyrant of whom he had discoursed: Which was so far from any shew of truth, that he protests he never hurt any body, and was always a sincere lover of God, &c. ver. 17. 18. The truth of which God knew; to whose bar he appeals from their unjust sentence. Ver. 1. THEN Job answered and said,] Here Job interrupted him, and said, Ver. 2. I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.] Thou dost but repeat what hath been often said already such comforters as you, are as troublesome as my sufferings. Ver. 3. Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?] May not one endlessly pour out such empty discourses? (as I may with more reason call thine, than thou didst mine, xv. mine, xv. 3.) I wonder at thy confidence, that, having so little to say, thou shouldest take upon thee to answer. Ver. 4. I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my scul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine bead at you.] I could insult as well as you; and, if we could change conditions, let you see how easy it would be to oppress you with such words as these, in a grave fashion to mock at your calamities. Ver. 5. But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should assuage your grief.] But I abhor the thought of such a guilt: I would not fail to fortify you, in that case, with the best arguments I could invent; and carefully abstain. from the least word that should augment your grief. Ver. 6. Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged: and though I forbear, what am 1 eased 2] Though, as for myself, I find my misery admits of no consolation for whether I defend my innocence, or silently suffer you to condemn me, it makes no difference. Ver. 7. But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.] God hath long since quite tired me with one trouble upon another. Thou hast not ceased, O God, till thou hast left me neither goods nor children; no, nor a friend to comfort me. Ver. 8. And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me and my leanness rising up in me, beareth witness to my face.] The furrows in my face (which is not old) shew the greatness of my affliction which is extremely augmented by him who rises up with false accusations to take away mine honour, as this consumption will do my life. Ver. 9. He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnashes upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his teeth upon me.] He rends my good name in pieces, with a passion equal to his hatred: my ene |