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 7 O remember that my life is a breath: my eye shall no more see good. 8 The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more : thy eyes are upon me, and I am not. 9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. 10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more. 11 Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. 12 Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me? 13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; 14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions: 15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life. 16 I loathe it ; I would not live always: let me alone; for my days are vanity. 17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thy heart upon him? 18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment? 19 How long wilt thou not look away from me, nor let me alone till I swallow my spittle? 20 I have sinned; what shall I do to thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself? 21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.

''1 Bildad sheweth God's justice in dealing with men according to their works. 8 He alledgeth antiquity to prove the certain destruction of the hypocrite. 20 He applieth God's just dealings to Job.''

hen answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, 2 How long wilt thou speak these things ? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind? 3 Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice? 4 If thy children have sinned against him, and he hath cast them away for their transgression; 5 If thou wouldest seek to God early, and make thy supplication to the Almighty; 6 If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. 7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase. 8 For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers: 9 (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:) 10 Shall they not teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart? 11 Can the rush grow without mire? can the flag grow without water? 12 While it is still green, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb. 13 So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish: 14 Whose confidence shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider’s web. 15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure. 16 He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden. 17 His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones. 18 If he shall be destroyed from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee. 19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow. 20 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evildoers: 21 Till he shall fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing. 22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.

''1 Job, acknowledging God's justice, sheweth there is no contending with him. 22 Man's innocency is not to be condemned by afflictions.''

hen Job answered and said, 2 I know it to be so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? 3 If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one time out of a thousand. 4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? 5 Who removeth the mountains, and they know not: who overturneth them in his anger. 6 Who shaketh the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble. 7 Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars. 8 Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. 9 Who maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. 10 Who doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number. 11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not. 12 Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say to him, What doest thou? 13 If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him. 14 How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him? 15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge. 16 If I had called, and he had answered me; yet I would not believe that he had hearkened to my voice. 17 For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause. 18 He will not allow me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness. 19 If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead ? 20 If I justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, that also shall prove me perverse. 21 Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life. 22 This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. 23 If the scourge shall slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent. 24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of its judges; if not, where, and who is he? 25 Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good. 26 They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey. 27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will put off my heaviness, and comfort myself : 28 I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent. 29 If I am wicked, why then do I labour in vain? 30 If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; 31 Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and my own clothes shall abhor me. 32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. 33 Neither is there any mediator between us, that might lay his hand upon us both. 34 Let him take away his rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me: 35 Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

''1 Job, taking liberty of complaint, expostulateth with God about his afflictions. 18 He complaineth of life, and craveth a little ease before death.''

y soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. 2 I will say to God, Do not condemn