Paraphrase on the Book of Job, Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
1. NOr can I be farre from it; for1. My breath is corrupt, my daies are extinct, the graves are ready for me. my breath which maintaines my life, beginneth to be mortally tainted with mine inward diseases, portending death at hand, and my daies to be at a period, I am every way ready and fit for the grave.
2. And yet for all this (would not2. Are there not mockers with mee? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation? one thinke it strange?) these men that pretend to come to comfort me, will yet administer none to mee in this pitifull state, but utterly defeat my hopes from one to another; for am not I forced to endure their endlesse lying provocations, and false accusations, wherewith they continue to vex me to my face, not withstanding all that I have said to the contrary?
3. But seeing I can have no better3. Lay down now, put me in a … with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me? from them, I humbly turne to thee, O Lord, praying thee to deposit a pawne, and give me some assurance, that without being judged by thy perfect righteousnesse, and dealt withall after thy transcendent greatnesse; I may argue my uprightnesse with thee, and then let who will undertake for thee, and enter the lists in thy behalfe against mee.
4. For thou hast blinded them that4. For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them. they have no understanding to speake right things to mee, either concerning my selfe or thee; and therefore shall they lose the reward they should have received from thee, had they righteously behaved themselves toward me, and in stead thereof receive condigne punishment.
5. They preach a strange and ignorant5. Hee that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall faile. kinde of doctrine, that because thou afflictest mee, therefore I must needs be, and certainly am an hypocrite: and that prosperity is a signe of a righteous man, which is a dangerous untruth to be broached, knowing the curse that belongs to them that with flattering deceit shall dare to bolster men up through erroneous principles in a false opinion of themselves, and their mistaken happinesse; how that their children shall be so served, to wit, deceived and seduced in like manner, and shall perish for want of discerning.
6. And I am not onelyonly miscensured6. He hath made mee also a by-word of the people, and aforetime I was as a tabret. by these men, but (because of thine unwonted dealings with me) it is also upon this same foolish principle, every man else his report and opinion, that I am an hypocrite, though heretofore in the time of my prosperity, report gave a pleasant sound of mee to all mens eares.
7. So that thou hast every way consumed7. Mine eye also is dimme by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow. mee, my good name is quite blasted, and my body also is wasted; for mine eyes have almost quite lost their sight by reason of mine excessive sorrowing, and all my members are so meagerd, that they are become a very skeleton, and have so lost their substance, that they are, as it were, the shadow of themselves.
8. When all things are thus against8. Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himselfe against the hypocrite. me, and that I have nothing but mine uprightnesse for mee, mine example shall make others admire the vertue and powerfull support of a good conscience: So that I shall make thee upright, to be in love with his uprightnesse, for the extraordinary supporting strength and courage which it enables a man withall, and hee that is truely innocent shall learne of me, not to be baffled out of his sincerity, but to maintaine and take comfort in his integrity of heart, against all his false accusers.
9. Yea, the upright-hearted righteous9. The righteous also shall hold on his way, and hee that hath cleane hands shall be stronger and stronger. man shall learne with an undaunted confidence, to put himselfe into the presence of God, and not to be disheartened from it, nay, the more he that is pure of heart receives opposition, the more hee shall gather strength to oppose his adversaries and comfort and confirme himselfe, by me and mine example.
10. So that you see you lose your10. But as for you all, doe you returne, and come now; for I cannot finde one wise man among you. labour by going about to stagger mee in mine uprightnesse, even all of you, for any thing you have, or can say, therefore I would wish you all to spare the paines and travell you take in a wrong way, and to change your minds, and close with me; for in the opinion you hold so stiffely and unanimously (that God would not afflict mee thus, were I not an hypocrite, and that because of mine afflictions I am forsaken and hated of him) you are utterly in an errour, and shew your selves ignorant of the waies of God.
11. I have not much more to speak11. My daies are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart. to you, therefore be warned; for you see how my daies draw to an end, besides that what I would say to you, my pain interrupts me that I cannot speak it, the thoughts of my heart being through my distempers, full of distractions and disorder,
12. Filling me with confusion, being12. They change the night into day: the light is short, because of darkenesse. never at rest, but alwaies working, and ever in motion upon and about my miseries, as well night as day, so that I can have no quiet, and day as night, so that I can have no comfort; no time for them.
13. And touching the restauration13. If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darknesse. you promise me; for my part, I believe no such thing, I make accompt of no other receptacle, than the grave, nor ever to find rest but by death.
14. Nor ever to enjoy any other14. I have said to corruption, thou art my father: to the worme, thou art my mother, and my sister. friend or kindred, then what they yeeld mee, that is, corruption and wormes.
15. And if you aske me then where15. And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it? my hope is? (because you say an hypocrite is hopelesse) why, I confesse it is in nothing this life yeelds; for I verily believe that neither I, nor any living man shall ever see mee have good day againe in this world.
16. But they that will see wherein16. They shall goe downe to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the grave. my hope consists, must passe through the gates of death to behold it, and lie downe in the grave with mee, and then it shall appeare.