25

My days have been swifter than the courier; They have fled away; they have seen no good. 26 They have gone by like the swift ships;

Like the eagle, darting upon his prey. 27 If I say, I will forget my lamentation;

I will change my countenance, and take courage, 28 Still am 1 in dread of the multitude of my sorrows; For I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

29

I shall be found guilty;

Why then should I labour in vain ?

30 If I wash myself in snow,

And cleanse my hands with lie,

31 Still wilt thou plunge me into the mire,

So that my own clothes will abhor me.

32 For He is not a man, as I am, that I may contend with

him,

And that we may go together into judgment;

33 There is no umpire between us,

Who may lay his hand upon us both.

34 Let him take from me his rod,

And not dismay me with his terrors,

35 Then will I speak, and not be afraid of him; For I am not conscious of guilt.

X. 1

I am weary of my life;

I will give myself up to complaint;

I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. 2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

3 Is it a pleasure to thee to oppress,

And to despise the work of thine hands,
And to shine upon the counsels of the wicked?

4 Hast thou eyes of flesh,

Or seest thou as man seeth,

5 Are thy days as the days of man,

Are thy years as the days of a mortal, 6 That thou inquirest after my iniquity, And searchest after my sin,

7 Though thou knowest that I am not guilty, And that none can deliver from thy hand?

8

Thy hands did make me, and fashion me
In every part; and wilt thou destroy me?
9 O remember that thou hast moulded me as clay,
And shalt bring me into dust again.

10 Thou didst pour me out as milk,

And curdle me as cheese;

11 With skin and flesh didst thou clothe me, And strengthen me with bones and sinews;

12 Thou didst grant me life and favour,

And thy providence hath preserved my spirit; 13 Yet these things thou didst lay up in thy heart; I know that this was in thy mind.

14 If I have sinned, thou keepest it in memory concerning me, And wilt not acquit me of my iniquity.

15

If I am wicked-woe unto me!

Yet if righteous, I dare not lift up my head; I am full of confusion, beholding my affliction; 16 If I lift it up, thou huntest me as a lion,

And again shewest thyself terrible unto me. 17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, And increasest thine anger towards me; New hosts continually rise up against me.

18

Why then didst thou bring me forth from the womb? I should have perished, and no eye had seen me ;

19 I should be as though I had not been;

I should have been borne from the womb to the grave.

20 Are not my days few? O spare then,

And let me alone, that I may be at ease a little while, 21 Before I go-whence I shall not return

To the land of darkness, and the shadow of death, 22 The land of darkness, like the night of the shadow of death, Where is no order, and where the light is darkness.

1

CHAP. XI.

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said:

2 Shall not the babbler receive an answer?

Shall the man of words be justified? 3 Shall thy lies make men hold their peace? Shalt thou mock, and none put thee to shame ? 4 Thou sayest, My speech is pure;

I am clean in thine eyes, [O God.]

5 But O that God would speak,

And open his lips against thee;

6 That he would shew thee the secrets of his wisdom, Wisdom far higher than thou canst comprehend!

7

Then shouldst thou know that God forgiveth many of thine iniquities.

Canst thou search out the secret counsels of God?

Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection?

8 'Tis high as heaven, what canst thou do?

Deeper than hell, what canst thou know?

9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, And broader than the sea.

10 If He apprehend, and bind, and bring to trial, Who shall oppose him?

11 For he knoweth the unrighteous;

He seeth iniquity, when they do not observe it.

12 But vain man will be wise,

When the wild ass's colt becomes a man.

13 If thou prepare thy heart,

And stretch out thy hands towards him; 14 If thou put away iniquity from thy hand,

And let not wickedness dwell in thy habitation, 15 Then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; Yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and have no fear. 16 For thou shalt forget thy misery,

Or remember it as waters, that have passed away. 17 Thy life shall be brighter than the noon day;

Now thou art in darkness, thou shalt then be as the morning,

18 Thou shalt be secure, because there is hope;

Now thou art disappointed, thou shalt then rest in safety. 19 Thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; And many shall make suit unto thee.

20 But the eyes of the wicked shall be wearied out; They shall find no refuge;

There hope is but a breath.

2. No doubt ye are the people, And wisdom will die with you!

3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you;

Yea, who knoweth not such things as these? 4 I am become a laughing stock to my neighbour; I, who call upon God, that he would answer me! The innocent and upright man is held in derision! 5 He, that is ready to slip with his feet,

Is as a cast-away torch, in the eyes of the prosperous. 6 The tabernacles of robbers are in prosperity,

And they who provoke God are secure;

Into their hands God bringeth abundance.

7 But ask now the beasts, and they will teach thee;
Or the fowls of the air, and they will tell thee;
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct thee;
And the fishes of the sea will declare unto thee;
9 Who among all these doth not know

That the hand of Jehovah hath made these things?
10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind.

11

Doth not the ear prove words,

As the mouth tasteth meat?

12 With the aged is wisdom,

And with length of days is understanding. 13 With Him are wisdom and strength;

With him counsel and understanding.

14 Lo! he pulleth down, and shall it not be rebuilt; He bindeth a man, and he shall not be set loose.

15 Lo! he withholdeth the waters, and they are dried up; He sendeth them forth, and they desolate the earth.

16 With him are strength and wisdom;

The deceived and the deceiver are his. 17 He leadeth counsellors away captive, And judges he reduceth to madness. 18 He dissolveth the authority of kings, And bindeth their loins with a cord. 19 He leadeth princes away captive,

And overthroweth the mighty. 20 He sealeth up the lips of the eloquent, And taketh away wisdom from the elders. 21 He poureth contempt upon princes,

And weakeneth the strength of the mighty. 22 He revealeth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth to light the shadow of death. 23 He exalteth nations, and destroyeth them; He enlargeth nations, and reduceth them.