Paraphrase on the Book of Job, Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX.
1. THus it was with mee heretofore:1, But now, they that are younger than I, have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogges of my flocke. whilest I prospered, I was had in honour, and esteeme of all men, but now that God hath turned the scales, and cast me into affliction, all men (to see how variable their judgments are without reason) have me in contempt, yea, even those that are younger than I, who by all lawes of God and nature, owe mee respect for mine age sake, and which heretofore stood in awe of mee, doe now scorne mee, whose fathers were beggarly shackrags and base conditioned rascalls, whom I scorned to imploy in the meanest office I had; for I had none bad enough for such base companions, who were of such conditions that for my part, I valued my very shepheards curs beyond them.
2. Men, that neither I, nor any man2. Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit mee, in whom old age was perished? else, could make use of; for they were never good for any thing, but had wasted out their whole time unprofitably in idlenesse and lewd living.
3. Such as through their base pranks,3. For want and famine they were solitary: flying into the wildernesse in former time desolate and waste? and vile conditions, durst not appeare in open view, but were driven to such straits, that they have not knowne which way to turne them, nor what course to take to get a bellie full of meat; for heretofore, when it was otherwaies with mee than now it is, they were glad for feare of me, to take their heeles, and flie farre enough off, into remote and unfrequented places, and there to lurke where I could not light on them.
4. Who, to avoid me, have beene4. Who cut up Mallowes by the bushes, and Juniper roots for their meat. faine to live in a most penurious beggarly manner, feeding on nothing but Mallowes and Juniper roots, and such like things in the time of their banishment.
5. Men of such vile conditions, that5. They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thiefe.) not I only, but no man else could abide them, they were never thought worthy to live in any civill society, but were out-lawed of all men, and hated as if they had beene the arrantest thieves in the world.
6. So as that they were forced for6. To dwell in the clifts of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rockes. feare and shame, to dwell in remote obscure places, and durst not shew their heads:
7. But lived like wilde Asses, having7. Among the bushes they brayed, under the nettles they were gathered together. no company but themselves, and their hiding place was among bushes and nettles, where they hoped no body could finde them, or would come to seeke them.
8. They were children of most wicked8. They were children of fooles, yea, child en of base men: they were viler than the earth. and despicable men, such as were not thought worthy to goe upon the ground.
9. And now these very fellows stick9. And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword. not to come out of their holes, and to shew their faces in affront of mee, and to triumph over mee with scornfull Balads and by-words.
10. They abhorre, and disdainfully10. They abhorre me, they flie farre from mee, and spare not to spit in my face. keepe a loofe of mee, as scorning to come neere; they beard and affront mee in the vilest manner that can be imagined.
11. Because the Lord hath brought11. Because hee hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me. me low, & bereaved me of that power and honour which I formerly injoyed, and wherewith I held them straitly under; therefore they now take the liberty and opportunity to despise me, and in an unbridled manner without feare, shame, or manners, offer mee abuse, and let loose the reines of all disrespect and contempt upon me.
12. A rowt of lawlesse youngsters12. Upon my right hand rise the youth, they push away my feet, and they raise up against mee the waies of their destruction. that could never abide mee; for because I was ever most severe against them, have rebelliously assaulted me, and by strong hand robbed mee of all my worldly substance and support at once, utterly disabling me of all power to right or helpe my selfe, and have fully compassed my ruine, which they have long wished and intended to me, and have blocked up every doore of hope and possibility of better.
13. They hated my courses, and13. They marre my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper. could not away with my waies, and therefore their desire was to overthrow both mee and them, and to this end they forwarded my destruction all that ever they could possible: They needed none to animate or put them on to so mischievous a businesse.
14. For they were forward enough14. They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me. to it of themselves, rushing in upon me with all their violence at once, and slacking no time, but fell pell mell upon all that ever I had, adding one mischiefe to another, so fast as ever they could act it, when they saw opportunity and the breach once made.
15. All manner of formidable evils15. Terrours are turned upon me: they pursue my soule as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as a cloud. have light upon mee, they have suddenly and vehemently surprised mee, to the great affrighting and amazing of my soule, when as all my welfare is thus vanished in a moment.
16. In so much as my soule and16. And now my soule is poured out upon mee; the daies of affliction have taken hold upon mee. spirit is quite wasted and spent with sorrow, my afflictions have so sore oppressed mee.
17. Besides the losse of my estate,17. My bones are pierced in me in the nightseason; and my finewes take no rest. my bodily paine is so great also, that my very bones and sinewes which should strengthen me, can themselves gather no strength through paine and restlesnesse in my very bed.
18. By the extremity of my disease,18. By the great force of my disease, is my garment changed: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat. and by the matter that it forceth outward in boiles and sores, the issuings whereof my clothes soake in, it commeth to passe they are utterly stained and spoiled, and so stiffened with that congealed matter, as that they which once sate loose and easie to my body, are all over now as hard and strait upon me as my collar.
19. God hath, as it were, trampled19. He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust & ashes. me to dirt, and made me like an heape of dust and ashes.
20. And furthermore, in all this20. I cry unto thee, and thou dost not heare me; I stand up, and thou regardest me not. extremity I cry to God, and can get no answer nor reliefe; I present my selfe before him in prayer, and offer my selfe to his view, to see if such a pitifull spectacle and suppliant, can move any thing with him, but it availes me nothing.
21. Thou hast not dealt so well with21. Thou art become cruell to mee: with thy strong hand thou opposest thy selfe against me. mee heretofore, but now thou dealest as ill; thy infinite goodnesse seemes to be turned into infinite severity and hard-hearted cruelty; for one would thinke that with all the maine force of thy mighty power thou opposest thy selfe gainst me, so as that thou couldst not use me worse than thou dost.
22. As the whirlepust lifts up the22. Thou liftest mee up to the wind: thou causest mee to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance. dust, and carries it farre away; so hast thou as with a sudden blast, translated mee out of all health and happinesse, that the earth and this life can afford, and hast separated me as such an infinit distance from them, that I am sure we can never meet againe; for my flesh is already falling asunder peacemeale, and turning to dust, as if it were in the grave.
23. And this thou dost, because I23. For I know that thou wilt bring mee to death, and to the house appointed for all living. know thou art purposed utterly to make an end of me, and by afflictions to bring me to the grave, whither all men living must come sooner or later, one way or other, as it pleaseth thee.
24. Howbeit I am sure of this, That24. How be it he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction. the Lord will not trouble mee here, but that there I shall have rest, both I and others that are innocent like my selfe, whom yet here hee is pleased to exercise under affliction, and to make grone under heavie pressures.
25. I did not carry my selfe towards25. Did not I weepe for him that was in trouble? was not my soule grieved for the poore? other men, as other men carry themselves toward me, and therefore I hoped for better. I am sure I wept for them that were in trouble, and my soule had a fellow-feeling of the poore mans misery that at any time befell him.
26. And now that I ought to have26. When I looked for good, then evill came unto mee: and when I waited for light, there came darknesse. beene so dealt withall by others, it's nothing so, but whereas I expected and hoped to have found some pity, I finde none; and in stead of that comfort I hoped to have received from my friends and companions, I can find nothing but discomfort.
27. With most compassionate sympathie27. My bowels boiled and rested not: the daies of affliction prevented mee: did my bowells earne over the afflicted, so that I could have no quiet in my selfe, for grieving and taking thought for them, I was seldome or never without sorrow for some one or others affliction.
28. Such was my fellow-feeling,28. I went mourning without the Sun; I stood up, and I cried in the congregation. and my heart tooke on so sore for them, that nothing could comfort me, me thought the Sun shone not warme upon me the whilest: yea, so sensible was I of their pressures, that I could not containe my selfe, but made their cases knowne in an open and pitifull manner to other men, to raise them more friends, and to move others also as well as my selfe to pity and pray for them.
29. But on the contrary, I am unpitied29. I am a brother to Dragons, and a companion to Owles. and forsaken of all men, a solitary and forlorne man in these my miseries.
30. These things make me in a lamentable30. My skin is blacke upon me, and my bones are burnt with heat. state, so that my skin with sorrow and anguish, is quite changed from white to blacke, and my bones are, as it were, consumed with inward torment of soule.
31. Every thing increaseth sorrow,31. My harpe also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weepe. nothing in the world affords mee any comfort, so that all my musicall instruments have quite changed their tune, and now there is nothing but wo and lamentation heard from me.