The Bible, Douay-Rheims Part 316

19:11. His wrath is kindled against me, and he hath counted me as his enemy.

19:12. His troops have come together, and have made themselves a way by me, and have besieged my tabernacle round about.

19:13. He hath put my brethren far from me, and my acquaintance like strangers have departed from me.

19:14. My kinsmen have forsaken me, and they that knew me, have forgotten me.

19:15. They that dwell in my house, and my maidservants have counted me as a stranger, and I have been like an alien in their eyes.

19:16. I called my servant, and he gave me no answer, I entreated him with my own mouth.

19:17. My wife hath abhorred my breath, and I entreated the children of my womb.

19:18. Even fools despised me, and when I was gone from them, they spoke against me.

19:19. They that were sometime my counsellors, have abhorred me: and he whom I loved most is turned against me.

19:20. The flesh being consumed, my bone hath cleaved to my skin, and nothing but lips are left about my teeth.

19:21. Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you my friends, because the hand of the Lord hath touched me.

19:22. Why do you persecute me as G.o.d, and glut yourselves with my flesh?

19:23. Who will grant me that my words may be written? who will grant me that they may be marked down in a book?

19:24. With an iron pen and in a plate of lead, or else be graven with an instrument in flint stone?

19:25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and in the last day I shall rise out of the earth.

Ver. 25, 26, and 27 shew Job's explicit belief in his Redeemer, and also of the resurrection of the flesh, not as one tree riseth in place of another, but that the selfsame flesh shall rise at the last day, by the power of G.o.d, changed in quality but not in substance, every one to receive sentence according to his works in this life.

19:26. And I shall be clothed again with my skin, and in my flesh I shall see my G.o.d.

19:27. Whom I myself shall see, and my eyes shall behold, and not another: this my hope is laid up in my bosom.

19:28. Why then do you say now: Let us persecute him, and let us find occasion of word against him?

19:29. Flee then from the face of the sword, for the sword is the revenger of iniquities: and know ye that there is a judgment.

Job Chapter 20

Sophar declares the shortness of the prosperity of the wicked: and their sudden downfall.

20:1. Then Sophar the Naamathite answered, and said:

20:2. Therefore various thoughts succeed one another in me, and my mind is hurried away to different things.

20:3. The doctrine with which thou reprovest me, I will hear, and the spirit of my understanding shall answer for me.

20:4. This I know from the beginning, since man was placed upon the earth,

20:5. That the praise of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment.

20:6. If his pride mount up even to heaven, and his head touch the clouds:

20:7. In the end he shall be destroyed like a dunghill, and they that had seen him, shall say: Where is he?

20:8. As a dream that fleeth away he shall not be found, he shall pa.s.s as a vision of the night:

20:9. The eyes that had seen him, shall see him no more, neither shall his place any more behold him.

20:10. His children shall be oppressed with want, and his hands shall render to him his sorrow.

20:11. His bones shall be filled with the vices of his youth, and they shall sleep with him in the dust.

20:12. For when evil shall be sweet in his mouth, he will hide it under his tongue.

20:13. He will spare it, and not leave it, and will hide it in his throat.

20:14. His bread in his belly shall be turned into the gall of asps within him,

20:15. The riches which he hath swallowed, he shall vomit up, and G.o.d shall draw them out of his belly.

20:16. He shall suck the head of asps, and the viper's tongue shall kill him.

20:17. Let him not see the streams of the river, the brooks of honey and of b.u.t.ter.

20:18. He shall be punished for all that he did, and yet shall not be consumed: according to the mult.i.tude of his devices so also shall he suffer.

According to the mult.i.tude of his devices... That is, his stratagems to gratify his pa.s.sions and to oppress and destroy the poor.

20:19. Because he broke in and stripped the poor: he hath violently taken away a house which he did not build.

20:20. And yet his belly was not filled: and when he hath the things he coveted, he shall not be able to possess them.

20:21. There was nothing left of his meat, and therefore nothing shall continue of his goods:

20:22. When he shall be filled, he shall be straitened, he shall burn, and every sorrow shall fall upon him.

20:23. May his belly be filled, that G.o.d may send forth the wrath of his indignation upon him, and rain down his war upon him.

20:24. He shall flee from weapons of iron, and shall fall upon a bow of bra.s.s.

20:25. The sword is drawn out, and cometh forth from its scabbard, and glittereth in his bitterness: the terrible ones shall go and come upon him.

20:26. All darkness is hid in his secret places: a fire that is not kindled shall devour him, he shall be afflicted when left in his tabernacle.

20:27. The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall rise up against him.