The Bible Story Part 306

He stirreth up the sea with his power, And by his understanding he smiteth through Rahab. {209} By his spirit the heavens are garnished; His hand hath pierced the swift serpent.

Lo, these are but the outskirts of his ways: And how small a whisper do we hear of him!

But the thunder of his power who can understand?

As G.o.d liveth, who hath taken away my right; And the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul; (For my life is yet whole in me, And the spirit of G.o.d is in my nostrils;) Surely my lips shall not speak unrighteousness, Neither shall my tongue utter deceit.

G.o.d forbid 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.

ZOPHAR.

This is the portion of a wicked man with G.o.d, And the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the Almighty.

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 openeth his eyes, and he is not.

Terrors overtake him like waters; A tempest stealeth him away in the night.

The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth; And it sweepeth him out of his place.

{210}

JOB.

Oh that I were as in the months of old, As in the days when G.o.d watched over me; When his lamp s.h.i.+ned upon my head, And by his light I walked through darkness; As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the secret of G.o.d was upon my tent; When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were about me; When I went forth to the gate unto the city, When I prepared my seat in the street, The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged rose up and stood; The princes refrained talking, And laid their hand on their mouth; The voice of the n.o.bles was hushed, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; And when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me: Because I delivered the poor that cried, The fatherless also, that had none to help him.

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: My justice was as a robe and a diadem.

I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame.

I was a father to the needy: And the cause of him that I knew not I searched out. {211} But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, Upon my right hand rise the rabble; They thrust aside my feet, And they cast up against me their ways of destruction.

And now my soul is poured out within me; Days of affliction have taken hold upon me.

In the night season my bones are pierced in me, And the pains that gnaw me take no rest.

He hath cast me into the mire, And I am become like dust and ashes.

I cry unto thee, and thou dost not answer me: I stand up, and thou lookest at me.

Thou liftest me up to the wind, thou causest me to ride upon it; And thou dissolvest me in the storm.

If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, When they contended with me: What then shall I do when G.o.d riseth up?

And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

If I have withheld the poor from their desire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; Or have eaten my morsel alone, And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering;

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, Because I saw my help in the gate: {212}

Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, And mine arm be broken from the bone.

If I have made gold my hope, And have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence; If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, And because mine hand had gotten much;

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, Or lifted up myself when evil found him;

If the men of my tent said not, Who can find one that hath not been satisfied with his food?

The stranger did not lodge in the street; But I opened my doors to the traveller.

Oh that I had one to hear me!

(Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me;) And that I had the indictment which mine adversary hath written!

Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown.

I would declare unto him the number of my steps; As a prince would I go near unto him.

If my land cry out against me, And the furrows thereof weep together; If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life: {213} Let thistles grow instead of wheat, And c.o.c.kle instead of barley.

IN THE THIRD CYCLE OF SPEECHES

The three friends still try to show Job that he must have sinned.

_Eliphaz_ charges him directly with the sins that a rich man in his position could most easily commit. _Bildad_ only repeats in feebler phrase former statements about man's impurity in the pure sight of G.o.d. _Zophar_ either does not appear at all, or maintains his former position with no new argument. _Job_ still wishes he might find G.o.d to plead his cause, and, at the end, affirms formally his innocence of the sins with which Eliphaz had charged him.

The argument has ended. Neither side has moved the other a single step from the position taken at the beginning. The question of why Job suffers is still unanswered. If it is ever to be answered, some other solution than that of the three friends must be offered.

IV

So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than G.o.d. Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. Now Elihu had waited to speak unto Job, because they were older than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was kindled.

ELIHU.

(He speaks to the friends.)

I am young, and ye are very old; {214} Wherefore I held back, and durst not shew you mine opinion.

I said, "Days should speak, And mult.i.tude of years should teach wisdom."

But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

It is not the great alone that are wise, Nor the aged that understand judgment.

Therefore I said, "Hearken to me; I also will shew mine opinion."

Behold, I waited for your words, I listened for your reasons, Whilst ye searched out what to say.

Yea, I attended unto you, And, behold, there was none that convinced Job, Or that answered his words, among you.

(He speaks to Job.)

Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear my speech And hearken to all my words.

Behold now, I have opened my mouth, My tongue hath spoken in my mouth.

My words shall utter the uprightness of my heart: And that which my lips know they shall speak sincerely.

The spirit of G.o.d hath made me, And the breath of the Almighty giveth me life.

If thou canst, answer thou me; Set thy words in order before me, stand forth. {215} Behold, I am toward G.o.d even as thou art: I also am formed out of the clay.

Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, Neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee.

Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, And I have heard the voice of thy words, saying, "I am clean, without transgression; I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me: Behold, he findeth occasions against me, He counteth me for his enemy; He putteth my feet in the stocks, He marketh all my paths."

Behold, I will answer thee, in this thou art not just; For G.o.d is greater than man.

Why dost thou strive against him?

For he giveth not account of any of his matters.