hand.

Ask the cattle, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee.

Or speak unto the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall tell thee.

Who knoweth not all these things, that the hand of the LORD hath made them?

That in his hand is the soul of all that liveth, and the spirit of all flesh of every one?

Doth not the ear try the speech, and the mouth taste the meat?

Yea, with the grandfathers is wisdom and understanding with the aged.

With him is wisdom, and might, and counsel, and understanding.

Behold, if it be broken, no building shall avail: if it be worn out, no man can open it.

Behold, when he maketh the waters to fail, all things fail: and when he maketh them to fail, the land is turned back.

He is strong, and he bringeth it to pass. His is he that erreth, and he that deceiveth.

He leadeth the prudent as a spoil, and maketh the judges foolish.

He looseth the constraint of kings, and girdeth up their loins with a girdle.

He leadeth the priests as a spoil, and forbadeth the feasts.

He turneth away the lips of the upright, and taketh away the customs of the aged.

He poureth contempt upon the princes, and looseth the league of the mighty.

He openeth the dark places, and bringeth forth the darkness into the light.

He maketh some a great nation, and destroyeth them. He spreadeth out a people, and driveth them away.

He taketh away the courage of the rulers of the people of the land, and maketh them to err by a way that is not by a way,

That they should grope in darkness without light; and make them to err as the drunken.
(Job)
Chapter 13
Job continues in his responsibility.

Behold, mine eye hath seen all these things, mine ear hath heard them, and I have understood them.

What ye know, that know I also, and am not less than ye.

But I would gladly speak against the Almighty, and I would gladly be right with God.

For ye interpret it falsely, and are all useless physicians.

If God willed that ye should be sworn, ye would be wise.

Hear ye my sentence, and mark the thing of which I speak.

Will ye defend GOD with unrighteousness, and use guile for him?

Will ye look upon his person? Do you want to represent God?

And shall it be well with you, when he shall judge you? Do ye think that ye shall deceive him, as a man is deceived?

He will punish you where ye look upon a person secretly.

Will he not terrify you when he shall stand forth, and his fear shall fall upon you?

Your memory shall be likened unto ashes, and your back shall be as a heap of glue.

Keep silence from me, that I may speak: I shall not want.

Why should I bite my flesh with my teeth, and put my soul into my hands?

Behold, he shall slay me, and I cannot wait: but I will punish my ways before him.

He shall be my salvation: for there shall no hypocrite come before him.

Hear my speech and my interpretation in your ears.

Behold, I have already pronounced judgment; I know that I shall be just.

Who is he that will be right with me? But now I must be silent and perish.

Only do not two things to me, and I will not hide myself from thee: 21. Let thy hand be far from me, and let not thy terror terrify me.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee: or I will speak, answer thou me.

How much is my iniquity and my sin? Let me know my transgression and sin!

Why hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?

Wilt thou be so earnest against a flying leaf, and pursue a scrawny stalk?

For thou writest me in affliction, and wilt destroy me for the sins of my youth.

Thou hast put my foot in staves, and hast watched all my paths, and hast seen the footsteps of my feet,

I am wasting away like a rotten carcass, and like a garment that is eaten by moths.
(Job)
Chapter 14
Of the nothingness of human life.
Man born of woman liveth a short time, and is full of unrest,

Arise as a flower, and fall down; flit as a shadow, and abide not.

And thou openest thine eyes upon such a thing, that thou bringest me before thee into judgment.

who will find a pure one among them, since none is pure?

He hath his appointed time, the number of his months is with thee: thou hast finely appointed, he shall not pass over.

Depart from him, that he may have rest, till his time come, whose he waiteth for as a hired servant.

A tree hath hope, when it is cut down, that it will change again, and its shoots will not cease.

Whether his root be dead in the earth, and his stem die in the dust, 9. yet it is green again from the smell of the water, and grows therefore as if it were planted.

But where is a man when he is dead and perished and gone?

As the waters go out of the lake, and as a river run dry, and dry up, 12. So is a man when he lieth down, and shall not rise, neither shall he awake while the heavens remain, nor be awakened from his sleep.

Oh that thou wouldest hide me in hell, and harden me, till thy wrath be turned away, and set a purpose for me, that thou shouldest remember me!
14: Thinkest thou that a dead man shall live again? I wait daily, while I strive, till my change come,

That thou wouldest call unto me, and I would answer thee, and not fail in the work of thine hands.

For thou hast already numbered my steps; but thou wilt not be mindful of my sin.

Thou hast sealed up my transgression in a bundle, and gathered my iniquity together.

But a mountain falleth, and perisheth, and a rock is moved out of his place.

Water washeth away stones, and the drops flow away the earth: but the hope of man is lost.

For thou hast overthrown him, that he should come to pass; thou hast changed his nature, and let him go.

If his children be honourable, he knoweth it not: or if they be little, he knoweth it not.

Because he hath the flesh upon him, he must have pain; and because his soul is yet with him, he must ask for sorrow.
(Job)
Chapter 15
Eliphaz wants to make a hypocrite out of Job.

Then Eliphaz of Theman answered and said:

Shall a wise man speak such puffed-up words, and distend his belly with loose talk?

Thou hast punished with words that are not good, and thy speech is not profitable.

you have abandoned fear and speak too contemptuously before God.

For thy iniquity hath taught thy mouth, and thou hast chosen a wicked tongue.

Thy mouth shall condemn thee, and not I: thy lips shall answer thee.
Seventh, art thou the first man born? Art thou conceived before all hills?

Hast thou heard God’s secret counsel? and is wisdom itself less than thou?

What knowest thou that we know not? What do you understand that is not with us?; 10. There are gray men and old men among us, which have lived longer than thy fathers.

Shall God’s consolations be so small before thee? But you still have a secret piece with you.
Twelve: What dost thou intend in thy heart? What do you see so proudly?

Why dost thou set thy heart against God, to let such words proceed out of thy mouth?

What is a man, that he should be clean, and that he should be righteous that is born of woman?

Behold, there is none blameless among his saints, neither are the heavens clean before him.

How much more a man that is abominable and vile, that drinketh iniquity like water?

I will show thee, hear me; and I will tell thee what I have seen, 18. Which the wise men have spoken, and have not hid from their fathers, 19. To whom only the land is given, that no stranger should pass through it.

The wicked trembleth all the days of his life: and the number of his years is hid from the tyrant.

That which he heareth terrifieth him; and though it be peace, he feareth that the destroyer cometh;

Believeth not that he may escape calamity, and always doth take up the sword.

He goeth to and fro for bread, and thinketh always that the time of his calamity is at hand.

Fear and distress terrify him, and smite him as a king with an army.

For he hath stretched forth his hand against God, and hath rebelled against the Almighty.

He runneth headlong against him, and fighteth stiffnecked against him.

He boasteth himself like a fat belly, and maketh himself fat and fatty.

But he shall dwell in desolate cities, where there are no heads, but lie in heaps.

He shall not abide rich, neither shall his goods endure, neither shall his fortunes spread abroad.

Accident shall not depart from him. The flame shall wither his branches, and by the breath of her mouth shall eat him away.

He shall not stand, for he is deceived in his vain conceit, and vain shall be his reward.

He shall come to an end when it is rough with him, and his branch shall not green.

He shall be cut off as an untimely cluster from the vine, and as an olive tree casteth her blossom.

For the assembly of the hypocrite shall be solitary, and the fire shall devour the tabernacles that take gifts.

She conceiveth with mischief, and bringeth forth trouble; and her belly bringeth forth evil.
(Job)
Chapter 16
Job testifies to his innocence.

Job answered and said:

I have often heard these things. You are