Paraphrase on the Book of Job, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
1. TO this speech of Bildads Job 1. Then Iob answered, and said.made answer, and said:
2. How long will you persevere2. How long will you vex my soule, and breake mee in pieces with words? thus impiously and uncharitably to endeavour my vexation, and to torment me as upon a racke, with multiplying unjust and uncomfortable language against me?
3. You have I know not how often3. These tenne times have yee reproached me: you are not ashamed that you make your selves strange to me. unjustly upbraided me, and which is strange, you that are mine old acquaintance, and which make shew to be my friends, never blush to consider in what an unfriendly and strange manner you behave your selves toward mee, as if you neither bare any love to mee, nor had any knowledge of mee.
4. But be it granted that I and my4. And be it indeed▪ that I have erred, mine errour remaineth with my selfe. waies have beene too-blame, yet you have not at all convinced mee of any errour, that I might know what to amend, in all this time and talke, and till you can doe that (which I know you can never doe) all that you say is but mere surmises, and serves me to no use, but that still I am the same I was, never better.
5. But if your flourishing estate do5. If indeed you will magnifie your selves against mee, and plead against me my reproach: make you value your selves above me, and that you will needs insultingly reproach me with mine afflictions:
6. Then know and consider, that it6. Know now, that God hath overthrowne mee, and hath compassed me with his net. is God that hath thus cast mee downe, and if I be caught, it is he that hath ensnared mee with that you call his net, who can for all your high conceits (as justly when hee pleaseth) doe as much for you.
7. O that the Lord would hearken7. Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgement. to mine out-cry, which I am forced to make, by reason of the unjust calumnies that these men lay on me, but he is pleased not to grant me audience, yea, though mine injuries compell mee to make earnest and vehement praier, yet can I find no reliefe, nor have any right done me on these my false accusers.
8. He hath every way hedged mee8. He hath senced up my way, that I cannot passe, and hee hath set darknesse in my paths. out of happinesse and content, so that though I seeke it never so, I cannot finde it, yea, hee hath so eclipsed mee, that I cannot see which way to take to administer the least comfort to my selfe.
9. The good report and esteeme9. He hath stript mee of my glory, and taken the crowne. from my head. wherewith once I was dignified, hee hath quite stript me of, in the hearts of all men, and turned it into disgrace.
10. He hath indeed, every way, and10. He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath hee removed like a tree. in every thing, destroyed mine hope and happinesse, and I am quite out at all; yea, there is no more hope of me for hereafter, than of a tree that is plucked up by the roots.
11. Hee hath mightily opposed11. He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth mee unto him, as one of his enemies. himselfe against me, and seemes to account no better of me, than an utter enemy that hee meanes to pursue to death.
12. He hath mustered his forces together12. His troupes come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle. against me, even a whole army of plagues, which have blocked mee up, and shut mee out of all hope, and have besieged me so straightly, that I can no way in all the world find reliefe.
13. He hath not left me a friend to13 Hee hath put my brethren farre from mee, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from mee. helpe or comsort me, but those which were as neere and deare to me as brethren, and which should have been so to me, he hath quite turned their hearts from mee; my very bosome-friends and acquaintance will not now owne me for any friend of theirs, but behave themselves as strangers toward mee.
14. Those of mine owne blood and14. My kinsfolke have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me. kindred (from whom I expected other) have refused to doe the offices of of love and kindnesse to me in this my misery, and those that daily frequented me, and were intimately acquainted with me, make now as if they never knew me.
15. Those that should owe me speciall15. They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count mee for a stranger; I am an aliant in their sight. respect, who have lived under me in mine owne house, yea, and my maids which by their sexe should be of a more tender and pitifull disposition, and more dutifull carriage notwithstanding all decorums and obligations to the contrary, shew mee no respect, but now by reason of this condition which they see me in, they cast me off, as if they never had had any relation to mee.
16. I called my servant as I was16. I called my servant, and he gave mee no answer, I intreated him with my mouth. wont to doe, and in a regardlesse manner he turned his backe upon mee, yea, I intreated him with this same mouth, that was wont to command him, but all would not doe.
17. My very wife thinkes much to17. My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the childrens sake of mine owne body. come neere mee, that was wont to lie in my bosome, yea, although I prayed and importuned her, with the strongest and endearingest perswasions I could use, and that which I thought likeliest to prevaile, even for the conjugall bond sake that was between us, and the motherly respect shee bare to the children, that in it she hath had by me, yet I could not prevaile.
18. Yea, to make up my misery,18. Yea, yong children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me. that which I little expected, even yong children that should be better nourtured, and which usually are more pitifully and respectfully disposed, have yet despisingly behaved themselves toward me, and if I doe but shew my selfe, so sooneas ever they see mee in what case I am, they speake against me, and passe their opinion upon mee, as they have heard others doe.
19. There is not any one for mee;19. All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved, are turned against me. all my most inwardest and bosomefriends have mee in detestation, because of my affliction, and their ill opinion of mee for it, and they whom I most entirely loved, requite me with injury and opposition.
20. I am so pined away, that my20. My bone cleaveth to my skin and (or as in the margin, as) to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skinne of my teeth. bones and skin are met and grow together, as once did my flesh and they, having now no flesh left to part them; But indeed, to speake properly, I have nothing that I can call skin about mee (being all over of a scab) saving my gums, which only have escaped this contagion.
21. O consider my misery, and be not21. Have pity upon mee, have pity upon me, O yee my friends, for the hand of God hath touched me. so hard-hearted toward me, but be intreated of mee to shew me some compassion, you that I have ever taken for my friends, which is your duty to doe, and the thing which God expecteth from you, now that he afflicts me.
22. Why doe you take upon you to22. Why doe yee persecute mee as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh? afflict mee because God doth so (have you the like authority) or so masterfully to censure and judge me for an hypocrite, which is proper onelyonly to God (who searcheth the heart) both to know and punish; is it not enough for you to see my body thus tormented, but you will heape more extremity upon mee, labouring to oppresse my spirit also?
23. O that what I am about to23. O that my words were now written, ô that they were printed in a booke! speake were eternized to all posterity in the usuall way of writing and printing!
24. Or rather in some more legible24. That they were graven with an iron pen and lead, in the rocke for ever! and permanent way, as by graving them with capitall letters in some durable stone, for the vindicating of my sincerity to after ages, and for the learning and encouraging of all upright hearted men against afflictions and oppositions.
25. For this with a good conscience25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that hee shall stand at the later day upon the earth. I dare, and can affirme, which no hypocrite can say after me; That upon good proofes and infallible evidences I assuredly know, That (howsoever I seeme, and am judged by you here a cast-away and reprobate man) I truely and faithfully rest upon the promise; and that my soule is safe (by the mercy of God) in him whom hee hath appointed to redeeme it, who shall one day live and triumph over all his sufferings, and so shall I over mine, by and with him; I meane no phantasticall Saviour, such as vaine men through selfe-love take up and make to themselves, but him whom I know full well, is, and must be, as well a Judge as a Saviour, and therefore it booteth me little to dissemble, who (it rejoyceth my heart to thinke) shall one day judge the world in righteousnesse, and then shall mine innocency appeare.
26. And though not only my skin,26. And though after my skin wormes destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. but this whole body be utterly consumed & eaten to death of wormes, both skin, flesh, and bones; yet for my Saviours sake who shall rise from death, and live in despite of it, my flesh (so consumed) shall be framed a new into such a body, and raised againe to such a life as wherein I shall see God completely, face to face.
27. I meane, I shall not see him as27. Whom I shall see for my selfe, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reines be consumed within mee. the wicked shall at the last day, to be anothers God, and none of theirs, but that I shall so see him, as that I shall enjoy him for my God, Father and Saviour, I say, mine owne eyes shall see him and rejoyce in him, for mine own God, and not anothers, though now hee be pleased thus extremely to afflict mee, both within and without.
28. One would thinke this faithfull28. But yee should say, why persecute wee him, seeing the roote of the matter is found in me? confession & profession of my faith in the purenesse of my conscience, should make you better bethinke your selves, then thus to persecute mee with false and injurious occasions, seeing that however you may condemne me for a sinner, which I confesse to God and all the world, yet there is apparantly in mee that which may and doth interest me in Gods saving and speciall favour, notwithstanding both my sins and his afflictions, to wit, a faithfull uprightnesse which you ought to cherish, and not to oppose and suppresse.
29. And looke well to it; be yee29. Be yee afraid of the sword, for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that yee may know there is a judgement. afraid to goe on in this way, lest God unsheath his sword against you for it; for if you persevere in your persecuting injustice and uncharitablenesse til his wrath be kindled against you, punishment will befall you, that so you may learne to feare to doe wrong, and know there is a just revenger thereof, and that judgement belongs thereto.