The Sceptics of the Old Testament: Job - Koheleth - Agur Part 12

PROLOGUE

CHAP. I. A.V.]

1 _There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared G.o.d, and eschewed evil._

2 _And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters._

3 _His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she a.s.ses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east._

4 _And his sons went and feasted_ in their _houses, every one his day; and sent and called for 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 cursed G.o.d in their hearts. Thus did Job continually._

6-- _Now there was a day when the sons of G.o.d 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 perfect and an upright man, one that feareth G.o.d, and escheweth evil?_

9 _Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear G.o.d for nought?_

10 _Hast not thou made an 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 substance is increased in the land._

11 _But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse 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 thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord._

13-- _And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:_

14 _And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the a.s.ses were feeding beside them:_

15 _And the Sabeans fell_ upon them_, 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, The fire of G.o.d 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 made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried 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 the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, 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 wors.h.i.+pped,_

21 _And 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 _In all this Job sinned not, nor charged G.o.d foolishly._

CHAP. II. A.V.]

1 _Again there was a day when the sons of G.o.d 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._

3 _And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that_ there is _none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth G.o.d, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst 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 thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face._

6 _And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold he is in thine hand; but save his life._

7-- _So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown._

8 _And he took him a potsherd to sc.r.a.pe himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes._

9-- _Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse G.o.d, and die._

10 _But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What! shall we receive good at the hand of G.o.d, and shall we not receive evil? In 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: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with 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 sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven._

13 _So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that_ his _grief was very great_.

CHAP. III. A.V.

1 _After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day_.

2 _And Job spake, and said_:

I

JOB:

Would the day had perished wherein I was born, And the night which said: behold, a man child!

Would that G.o.d on high had not called for it, And that light had not shone upon it!

II

Would that darkness and gloom had claimed it for their own; Would that clouds had hovered over it; Would it never had been joined to the days of the year, Nor entered into the number of the months!

III

Would that that night had been barren, And that rejoicing had not come therein; That they had cursed it who curse the days,[196]

That the stars of its twilight had waxed dim!