23 While about to fill his belly, GOD will send forth his burning wrath against him, 24 He shall flee from the clashing of arms, The brazen bow shall pierce him: 25 It is drawn-it cometh forth from his body, And glittering with his gall, it passes on. Terrors are upon him.———— 26 Darkness is laid up for him in store, A fire not blown shall consume him, 27 The heavens shall reveal his wickedness, And the earth shall raise herself up against him. 28 The increase of his house shall roll away, As torrents in the day of His wrath. 29 This is the portion of the wicked man from GOD, The inheritance decreed for him by the ALMIGHTY, : CHAP. XXI. 1 AND Job spake and said, 2 Hear attentively my words, And let this be for your consolations. 3 Let me be quiet, and I will speak, And after I have spoken, ye may mock. 4 Shall I (make) my complaint to man? And ask, Why is not my soul cut off? 5 Look upon me, and be confounded, And lay your hand on your mouth. 6 When I recollect, I am frightened, And trembling seizes my flesh. 7 Why do the wicked live, grow old, Yea, become mighty in power? 8 Their seed is established in their presence, And their offspring before their eyes: 9 Their houses are safe from fear, And the rod of GoD is not upon them: 10 Their bull gendereth, and faileth not, 11 They send forth their little ones like a flock, Their children skip and dance: 12 They take up the timbrel and harp, They rejoice in the sound of the organ: 13 They wear out their days in good fortune, In a moment they are struck to the grave. 14 And they have said unto God, "Depart from us, "We have no pleasure in the knowledge of thy ways: 15 "What is the ALMIGHTY, that we should serve him? "Or what should we gain, if we prayed unto him?" 16 *Yet he filleth their houses with good, But far be the counsel of the wicked from me! * This verse is brought from the next chapter, in exchange for six verses which seem to belong to that chapter. 17 Shall knowledge be taught to God; To him who judgeth the exalted? 18 This (man) he maketh to die, in the strength of his perfection, (While he is) all prosperous and at rest; 19 His intestines are full of fat, And marrow moistens his bones: 20 And this shall die with a bitter soul, He never tasted of good: 21 They lie down together on the dust, And the worms cover them both. 22 Behold, I know your imaginations, And the schemes ye unjustly contrive against me: 23 For ye say, "Where is the house of the noble? "And where is the tent, the habitation of the wicked? 24 Have ye not asked the travelling Hebrews,* And of their signs ye are not ignorant; • As Hebrew signifies passenger, this certainly may be translated those who pass by the way, or the travelling passengers; but 1 25 That to the day of desolation he reserveth the wicked, To the day of fury his destruction ? 26 (But) who shall declare his way before his face? And for what he hath done who shall repay him? 27 While he wastes in the sepulchre, And they watch over his tomb,† They make sweet to him the clods of the pit. 28 And after him shall every man lie down, As before him not a few. 29 Now why do ye give me vain comfort? And why are your answers the leaven of deceit? is it not more likely that the Hebrews, on their way from Egypt, passing through part of Arabia, should be enquired of on such a subject, than any chance traveller who might pass along the road? The next hemistich agrees with this idea, the word translated signs, means miraculous signs, tokens; and the Hebrews had such fresh in their memory, and exactly to the present purpose, in the destruction of Pharaoh and his host. See chap. xxvi. If this interpretation be admitted, it will fix Job's æra. + Over his tomb.-It is still customary in the east to watch over the tomb of a person lately dead, and to plant flowers and flowering shrubs on the earth which covers him. |