Paraphrase on the Book of Job, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
1. JOb having with much longsuffering1. Then Iob answered, and said, heard out Eliphaz, at last thus maketh answer:
2. Since you began to speake, I have2. I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are yee all. heard much from you severally, but all to the same purpose, which stands me in no stead, and therefore I must conclude you all alike vaine reasoners and miserable comforters, not (as becommeth friends) indeavouring to mitigate, but to increase my griefe.
3. Hast thou done thy idle talke,3. Shall vaine words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? which hath beene all this while to no purpose? and now, I pray thee, what moved thee to let fly the second time against mee this uncharitable and impudent reply? Knowst thou me to be the man thou speakest of?
4. I could suppose all these things4. I also could speake as you doe: if your soule were in my soules stead, I could heape up words against you, and shake mine head at you. of you, as you doe of mee, and urge them against you, and sit as judge upon you: if you were under affliction as I am, I could then shew you how good it is to indeavour the vexation of a grieved spirit, by multiplying uncharitable and discomforting words against you, and could act your part upon you with shewing the like jealous and surmising behaviour toward you, and how do you think it would please?
5. But I know my duty, and how I5. But I would strengthen you with my mouth: and the moving of my lips should asswage your griefe. ought to behave my selfe to those that are in my case better than so, and therefore my care and study should be to uphold and strengthen you in your pressures, with faithfull and consolatory speeches, and all my talke should tend to administer ease, and not to adde to your afflicted minds.
6. It is wont to be the way for men6. Though I speake, my griefe is not asswaged: and though I forbeare, what am I eased? in misery, to finde reliefe in the company of their friends, by complaining themselves, and laying open their griefes unto them, but it is not so with mee; but whether I speake or hold my peace, it is all one; I have them all against me that should be for me, inventing matter to afflict me further, instead of indeavouring to comfort mee.
7. But now I see the hand of God,7. But now hee hath made mee weary, thou hast made desolate all my company. as in the rest, so likewise in this estranging my friends from mee, thereby making mee on all hands miserable, and my life wearisome; sor thou hast brought my whole family to ruine and desolation.
8. Yea, thou hast every way so filled8. And thou hast filled mee with wrinckles, which is a witnesse against me: and my leannesse rising up in me, beareth witnesse to my face. and affected my heart with sorrow, as that it wofully appeares upon my body by its macerated and wasted state, having no smooth part in it, but every where deformed with carefull wrinckles, which together with my extreme leannesse (my flesh through my grievous anguish being falne from my bones, which rise up in a ghostly manner) doe all of them witnesse thy minde against me.
9. Thou hast exposed mee to the9. He teareth mee in his wrath, who hateth mee; hee gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me. malice of mine enemy, so that he that hated me hath had liberty to execute and act his uttermost spite upon mee, and bitterly in a disdainfull and insulting maner to affront me.
10. They have every way that can10. They have gaped upon mee with their mouth, they have smitten mee upon the cheeke reproachfully, they have gathered themselves together against me. be thought or named, vilified and reproached me, yea, they have wrought me all the mischiefe, that with all their combined counsells and power they could contrive and bring to passe.
11. Thus it hath pleased the Lord11. God hath delivered mee to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. to deale with mee, even to expose mee unto the malice and injury of the ungodly Caldeans and Sabeans, and to resigne me up to be disposed of at the wils of those wicked men, giving them leave to execute their full power upon me, in my whole estate.
12. I was in a happy condition, but12. I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: hee hath also taken me by the necke, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his marke. he was pleased not to let me stay therein, but hath violently snatched me out of it, and hath parted me and it never to be pieced againe, yea, he hath left nothing undone, that may magnifie the greatnesse of his power and manifest the fiercenesse of his severity upon me; for by the one he hath utterly disjoynted all my happinesse, never to be set together; and by the other, he hath openly in the eye of the world, set me as a marke to shoot all his deadly arrowes at.
13. He hath made every one against13. His archers compasse me round about, he cleaveth my reines asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground. me, my wife and my friends, as well as mine enemies discharge upon me, and with such bodily smart doth hee himselfe torment me, as if my backe were chining, and my very reines were cleaving in two; nor does he abate one jot of mine extremity, for all it is so great, but as if he could not be too cruell, against me, hee cuts my gall in pieces, such torture doe I sustaine within and without.
14. He maketh no spare of me any14. Hee breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a Giant. way, but heapeth plague upon plague upon mee, laying me open every way to ruine and desolation, in his most mighty power and fury hee assaulteth mee.
15. I have deepely humbled my15. I have sowed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horne in the dust. selfe before him, having made sackecloth mine immediate clothing next my very skin, and in token of my selfeabasing I have covered my head with dust and ashes, which but of late was exalted.
16. My face can testifie how I have16. My face is foule with weeping, and on my eye-lids is the shadow of death: wept unto him, and my sorrow may be evidently seene upon mine eyes and eye-lids, which with extremity of griefe, and multitude of teares are now (as when I am dead they shall be) even wasted away, and sunke into my head.
17. Not that he hath thus plagued17. Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure. me, or I thus humbled my selfe, for any allowed or dissembled unrighteousnesse toward men, knowne either to him or me; for mine actions have beene just and innocent; no, nor for any such like impiety toward him; for in the uprightnesse of mine heart have I worshipped and served him.
18. And therefore I desire not to18. O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place. die as the brute beasts doe, for the earth to receive mee, never to depart with mee againe, as hypocrites desire to doe, through selfe-guiltinesse, but I long after my resurrection, that I may appeare before God, that so, though not here, yet there mine innocency may appeare, according to my hope and desire, which I hope shall not be frustrate:
19. For be it knowne to you, that I19. Also now, behold, my witnesse is in heaven, and my record is on high. am well assured, that God who is in heaven knowes my uprightnesse, and that there I am witnessed for, and not against.
20. Though here on earth I have20. My friends scorne me: but mine eye poureth out teares unto God. none to take my part; for even those which are my friends, and should know me to speake for mee, doe with scornfull rebukes censure mee for an hypocrite, but I know whom I have to appeale unto in this case; even to God who judgeth righteously, which accordingly▪ put in practice; for I poure out teares unto him, who I hope will right my wrong, and cleare mine innocency.
21. How happy were it for me, if21. O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour! I might exchange my argumentation from man to God, and might expostulate familiarly with him, touching mine innocency, who is able to judge a right, and at whose hands I should be sure of just and impartiall dealing.
22. But my hope and happinesse22. When a few yeeres are come, then I shall goe the way whence I shall not returne. is, that after I have borne these vexations the while God hath appointed mee, I shall then be eternally freed from them, by death.