Beginning
14 1 Job describeth the shortness and misery of the life of man. 14 Hope sustaineth the godly. 21 The condition of man’s life.
1 Man [a]that is born of woman, is of short continuance and full of trouble.
2 He shooteth forth as a flower, and is cut down: he vanisheth also as a (A)shadow, and continueth not.
3 And yet thou openest thine eyes upon such [b]one, and causest me to enter into judgment with thee.
4 (B)Who can bring a clean thing out of filthiness? there is not one.
5 Are not his days determined? the number of his months are with thee: thou hast appointed his bound, which he cannot pass.
6 Turn from him that he may cease until his desired day, [c]as an hireling.
7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will yet sprout, and the branches thereof will not cease.
8 Though the root of it wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof be dead in the ground,
9 Yet by the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
10 [d]But man is sick, and dieth, and man perisheth, and where is he?
11 As the waters pass from the sea, and as the flood decayeth and drieth up,
12 So man sleepeth and riseth not: for he shall not wake again, nor be raised from his sleep till the heaven be no more.
13 Oh that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, and keep me secret, until thy [e]wrath were past, and wouldest give me term, and [f]remember me!
14 If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of mine appointed time will I wait, till [g]my changing shall come.
15 Thou shalt call me, and I will [h]answer thee: thou lovest the work of thine own hands.
16 But now thou (C)numberest my steps, and doest not delay my sins.
17 Mine iniquity is sealed up, as in a [i]bag, and thou addest unto my wickedness.
18 And surely as the mountain that falleth, cometh to nought, and the [j]rock that is removed from his place:
19 As the water breaketh the stones, when thou overflowest the things which grow in the dust of the earth: so thou destroyest the hope of man.
20 Thou prevailest always against him, so that he passeth away: he changeth his face when thou castest him away.
21 And he knoweth not if his sons shall be honorable, neither shall he understand concerning them, whether they shall be of low degree,
22 But while his [k]flesh is upon him, he shall be sorrowful, and while his soul is in him, it shall mourn.
15 1 Eliphaz reprehendeth Job, because he ascribeth wisdom and pureness to himself. 16 He describeth the curse that falleth on the wicked, reckoning Job to be one of the number.
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
2 Shall a wise man speak words of the [l]wind? and fill his belly [m]with the East wind?
3 Shall he dispute with words not comely? or with talk that is not profitable?
4 Surely thou hast cast off [n]fear, and restrainest prayer before God:
5 For thy mouth declareth thine iniquity, seeing thou hast chosen the [o]tongue of the crafty.
6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I, and thy lips testify against thee.
7 Art thou the [p]first man that was born? and wast thou made before the hills?
8 Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God, and dost thou restrain wisdom [q]to thee?
9 What knowest thou that we know not? and understandest that is not in us?
10 With us are both ancient and very aged men, far older than thy father.
11 Seem the consolations of God [r]small unto thee? is this thing strange unto thee?
12 Why doth thine heart [s]take thee away, and what do thine eyes mean,
13 That thou answerest to God [t]at thy pleasure, and bringest such words out of thy mouth?
14 What is man, that he should be clean? and he that is born of woman, that he should [u]be just?
15 Behold, he found no steadfastness in his Saints: yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
16 How much more is man abominable, and filthy, which [v]drinketh iniquity like water?
17 I will tell thee: hear me, and I will declare that which I have seen:
18 Which wise men have told, as they have heard of their fathers, and have not kept it secret:
19 To whom alone the land was [w]given, and no stranger passed through them.
20 The wicked man is continually as one that travaileth of child, and the number [x]of years is hid from the tyrant.
21 A sound of fear is in his ears, and in his prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
22 He believeth not to return out of [y]darkness: for he seeth the sword before him.
23 He wandereth [z]to and fro for bread where he may: he knoweth that the day of darkness is prepared at hand.
24 Affliction and [aa]anguish shall make him afraid: they shall prevail against him as a king ready to the battle.
25 For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and made himself strong against the Almighty.
26 Therefore God shall run upon him, even upon his neck, and against the most thick part of his shield.
27 Because he hath covered his face with [ab]his fatness, and hath collops in his flank.
28 Though he dwell [ac]in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, but are become heaps,
29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the [ad]perfection thereof in the earth.
30 He shall never depart out of darkness: the flame shall dry up his branches, and he shall go away with the breath of his mouth.
31 He [ae]believeth not that he erreth in vanity: therefore vanity shall be his change.
32 His branch shall not be green, but shall be cut off before his day.
33 God shall destroy him as the vine her sour [af]grape, and shall cast him off, as the olive doth her flower.
34 For the congregation of the hypocrite shall be desolate, and fire shall devour the houses of [ag]bribes.
35 For they [ah]conceive mischief and bring forth vanity, and their belly hath prepared deceit.
16 1 Job moved by the importunacy of his friends, 7 Counteth in what extremity he is. 19 And taketh God to witness of his innocence.
1 But Job answered and said,
2 I have oftentimes heard such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
3 Shall there be none end of words of [ai]wind? or what maketh thee bold so to [aj]answer?
4 I could also speak as ye do: (but would God your [ak]soul were in my soul’s stead) I could keep you company in speaking, and could [al]shake mine head at you,
5 But I would strengthen you [am]with my mouth, and the comfort of my lips should assuage your sorrow.
6 Though I speak, my sorrow [an]cannot be assuaged: though I cease, what release have I?
7 But now [ao]he maketh me weary: O God, thou hast made all my [ap]congregation desolate,
8 And hast made me full of [aq]wrinkles which is a witness thereof, and my leanness riseth up in me, testifying the same in my face.
9 [ar]His wrath hath torn me, and he hateth me, and gnasheth upon me with his teeth: mine enemy hath sharpened his eyes against me.
10 They have opened their mouths upon me, and smitten me on the [as]cheek in reproach: they gathered themselves together against me.
11 God hath delivered me to the unjust, and hath made me to turn out of the way by the [at]hands of the wicked.
12 I was in wealth, but he hath brought me to nought: he hath taken me by the neck and beaten me, and set me as a mark for himself.
13 His [au]archers compass me round about: he cutteth my reins, and doth not spare, and poureth my gall [av]upon the ground.
14 He hath broken me with one breaking upon another, and runneth upon me like a giant.
15 I have sowed a sackcloth upon my skin, and have abased mine [aw]horn unto the dust.
16 My face is withered with weeping, and the shadow of death is upon mine eyes,
17 Though there be no wickedness in [ax]mine hands, and my prayer [ay]be pure.
18 O earth, cover not thou my [az]blood, and let my crying find no place.
19 For lo, now my [ba]witness is in the heaven, and my record is on high.
20 My friends [bb]speak eloquently against me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.
21 Oh that a man might [bc]plead with God, as man with his neighbor!
22 For the years accounted come, and I shall go the way, whence I shall not return.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.