And I desire to reason with God. your peace! And hearken to the pleadings of my lips. And talk deceitfully for him? Will ye accept his person? Will ye contend for God? Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him? He will surely reprove you, If ye do secretly accept persons. Shall not his excellency make you afraid? And his dread fall upon you? Your remembrances are like unto ashes, Your bodies to bodies of clay. Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, And let come on me what will. Wherefore do I take my flesh in And put my life in mine hand? my teeth, Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: But I will maintain mine own ways before him. For an hypocrite shall not come before him. Hear diligently my speech, And my declaration with your ears. Who is he that will plead with me? For now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up ghost. Only do not two things unto me: the Then will I not hide myself from thee. And holdest me for thine enemy? Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? Thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet. As a garment that is moth eaten. Man that is born of a woman Is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, And bringest me into judgment with thee? Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, Thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; Turn from him, that he may rest, Till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day. For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, And that the tender branch thereof will not cease. But man dieth, and wasteth away: Yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, And the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down, and riseth not: Till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, That thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, That thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: Thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands. For now thou numberest my steps: Dost thou not watch over my sin? My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, The waters wear the stones: Thou washest away the things which the dust of the earth; And thou destroyest the hope of man. grow out of Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away. His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; And they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. But his flesh upon him shall have pain, And his soul within him shall mourn. THEN answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, Or with speeches wherewith he can do no good? And restrainest prayer before God. For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, Hast thou heard the secret of God? What knowest thou, that we know not? men, Much elder than thy father. Are the consolations of God small with thee? Is there any secret thing with thee? Why doth thine heart carry thee away? And what do thy eyes wink at, That thou turnest thy spirit against God, And lettest such words go out of thy mouth? |