Paraphrase on the Book of Job, Chapter 34
CHAP. XXXIV.
1. WHereupon Elihu goes on1. Furthermore, Elihu answered and said: further to question Iob of, and to give answer to the words he spake against God, and appealing to his friends touching them, hee said:
2. I pray you listen well to what I2. Heare my words, O yee wise men, and give eare unto mee, yee that have knowledge. say, and according to your wisdomes judge of it; give eare to what I speake, and let your understandings censure if it be not right.
3. For a judicious and considerate3. For the eare trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat. eare can as aptly judge of things that are spoken, as the palate of a man can naturally distinguish and relish meats that are eaten.
4. Let us not plead against Iob by4. Let us choose to us judgement: let us know among our selves what is good. ungrounded conjectures, but let us state the controversie against him, so as it is, that it may hold water; let us goe knowingly to worke according to apparant truth, which is the likely way to prevaile with him.
5. For Jobs miscarriage of himselfe5. For Iob hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgement. is evident, and how presumptuously he hath justified himselfe and accused God, is knowne to us all, saying, I am righteous, and God doth not doe me right accordingly, but dealeth too rigorously with mee.
6. I should lie and wrong my selfe6. Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression. if I should not justifie my righteousnesse, and maintaine it, that this my so grievous affliction is without just cause.
7. Did we ever heare the like? or7. What man is like to Job, who drinketh up scorning like water? was there ever any man that durst in this manner as he hath done so mightily upbraid and reproach God, as if hee thirsted to despite him in the way of revenge?
8. Who hath so farre forgot himselfe,8. Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men. as that his carriage under his afflictions is equall, and makes him like to those that never had knowledge of God, but have ever lived in sinne and prophanenesse, yea, hee walks just in their steps, and doth as the wicked do when God afflicts them.
9. Uttering impatient & presumptuous9. For hee hath said, It profiteth a man nothing, that he should delight himselfe with God. speeches; for upon the matter he hath said: That a man is never the better for loving God, and walking with him, the whilest hee justifies his owne righteousnesse, and taxeth God of cruelty.
10. Therefore hearken to what I10. Therefore hearken unto me, yee men of understanding: farre be it from God that he should do wickednesse, and from the Almighty, that hee should commit iniquity. plead against him, and in your wisedoms, judge if he be not to be blamed for it; for, is it not a monstrous thing to fasten injustice upon God, and to dare to lay iniquity to the charge of the Almighty, which is so utterly contrary to his nature, and can by no meanes belong to him, but to us:
11. For it is both his covenant and11. For the worke of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his waies. custome, to render to men according to their works, and to judge them according to their waies.
12. Which he is well able to make12. Yea, surely God will not doe wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgement. appeare, whatsoever we thinke to the contrary; for there is nothing more certaine and sure, than that God will not doe wickedly, neither will the Almighty, who is Judge of all the earth, deale unjustly.
13. Who hath put him in office, or13. Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world? charged him with the supervisourship of the earth? that he should be questioned by him, and account to him, or who but himselfe (thinke we) is fit to dispose of the world, and all things in it in wisdome and justice?
14. If God set his heart against14 If hee set his heart upon man, if hee gather unto himselfe his spirit and his breath; man, and resolve ether in his absolute soveraignty, or for punishment of his sinne to unmake him againe, by taking from him that which at first hee gave him to live and subsist by, that is, his soule and spirit.
15. Then of necessity, man-kinde15. All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turne againe unto dust. must all at once perish, and be annihilated or turned into the matter hee made him of, that is, to dust, and this may he most justly doe.
16. Now then Job, if thou hast understanding16. If now thou hast understanding, heare this; hearken to the voyce of my words. (as I know thou hast) consider with thy selfe, how justly he may doe thus by thee, who art but one, seeing that of his good pleasure onelyonly it is, that all subsist. And now yet further, hearken to what I shall say for thy confuting.
17. Shall he, whom thou wouldest17. Shall even he that hateth right governe? and wilt thou condemne him that is most just? make to delight in doing wrong, be fit to governe and punish wrong-doers, and wilt thou dare to condemne and taxe him thus of injustice, that is even righteousnesse it selfe, and the fountaine whence all floweth?
18. Thou knowest both how undecent18. Is it fit to say to a King, Thou art wicked? and to Princes, Yee are ungodly? and dangerous it is, to taxe an earthly King, and to say to him, Thou art unrighteous, though hee be so, or to say to Princes, that yet are but mortall men, yee are unjust, though it be true.
19. How much more both dangerous19. How much lesse to him that accepteth not the persons of Princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poore? for they all are the worke of his hands. and undecent must it needs be, wrongfully to accuse God hereof, who abhorres injustice and partiality, himselfe not accepting of any whomsoever for personall respects, not the Prince above the Peasant, nor the rich more than the poore; for it is his power that made them equall in nature, and his providence that made them differ in condition.
20. God brings his plagues ofttimes,20. In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and passe away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand. and in many places suddenly, and never expostulates the matter, but in a trice executes judgement upon all, and makes no difference, but sweepes away the ignorant common people, at a time when they are most secure, and least feare it, and the great ones also that was fearelesse of any humane strength, by a way they never dreamed of.
21. For he is both able and exceeding21. For his eyes are upon the waies of man, and hee seeth all his goings. carefull to doe justice, to that end diligently beholding every mans waies, so that he cannot be mistaken in the execution of judgement, who overseeth and knoweth all their courses better than themselves.
22. Yea, hee sees them all, and that22. There is no darknesse, nor shadow of death, wherein the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. most clearely; for there is nothing can hide the most secretst sinnes of a wicked man from the sight of God.
23. So that however it may seeme23. For hee will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgement with God. to us, God hath justice on his side; for he will punish no men wrongfully, nor by any unjust dealing will he give him just cause to complaine.
24. He punisheth all sorts of men,24. He shall breake in pieces mighty men without number, (or as in the margin, without searching out) and set others in their stead. not sparing those of the highest ranke, who yet are his Vicegerents on earth, but proceeds against them, and that without any legall processe and examination of witnesses, but of his owne accord, displaceth them, and placeth others in their steads.
25. Wherefore we may be sure he25. Therefore he knoweth their workes, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed. hath just cause for what he does, and that it is for their deservings that on a sudden unlooked for hee comes so fiercely upon them without warning or discussion of the cause, and quite destroyes them.
26. Though, as I say, they be his26. He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others. Vicegerents, and next to himselfe, yet he spares them not, but being wicked, they fare alike with others that are so, his justice impartially plaguing them in an exemplary manner.
27. And the cause, no doubt, is this,27. Because they turned backe from him, and would not consider any of his waies. for that in the pride of their hearts, which great men are subject to, they refused obedience, and would not learne his waies to walke in them.
28. So that by their insolencies they28. So that they cause the cry of the poore to come unto him, and hee heareth the cry of the afflicted. have caused the poore mans cry to come up to God, and he shewes it upon them that he hath heard the cry of the oppressed against them.
29. God is he that blesseth and afflicteth29. When hee giveth quietnesse, who then can make trouble? and when hee hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a Nation, or against a man only. as he sees good, which no man is able by any reason or allegation, to prevent or alter, and therefore should not dare to quarrell or question him; for when he in grace giveth happines, who is there that can make unhappy? And on the contrary, if he in his just displeasure withhold his favour, who then can change his minde and countenance when hee frownes, whether it be against more or lesse, a single man, or a whole commonwealth?
30. Thus does hee with great and30. That the hypocrite reigne not, lest the people be ensnared. absolute power, and in much justice over-rule and order things, that so he may controll the insolent wicked man, and hinder his tyrannifing, and prevent the peoples oppressing, which themselves cannot.
31. Surely then, if God be so just and31. Surely it is meete to be said unto God; I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more. so powerfull; it is a thing meet when we are under his afflicting hand, not proudly to expostulate the matter with him upon our owne innocency, but to acknowledge him just, however absolute hee seemes in laying his chastisement upon us and our selves to have deserved it, so as humbly to beg for pardon, and promise amendment.
32. And if we know not our fault,32. The which I see not, teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will doe no more. yet assuredly to believe we are in fault, and therefore to intreat the Lord to open our eyes, that wee may see and know that by our selves, which hath offended him, and which hee would have amended, with humble and hearty promise of it.
33. Thinkst thou it fit that the great33. Should it be according to thy minde? he will recompence it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose, and not I: therefore speak what thou knowst. God of heaven should be counselled by thee, in what measure he should correct, or in what way hee should amend sinne, no, hee'll goe his owne way, and doe as hee sees good, say thou what thou canst, or however it please or displease thee; and for mine owne part, I dare not entertaine a thought of prescribing any manner of course to him in his proceedings, nor censure any of his doings: therefore, if thou canst acquit thy selfe of this crime and accusation which I have laid to thy charge, as thou didst of theirs, why, speake for thy selfe what thou canst say.
34. Nay, I appeale to any man of34. Let men of understanding tell mee, and let a wiseman hearken unto mee. understanding if I speake not truth, and justly taxe thee, yea, let any man that heares me without prejudice, and is able to judge, taxe mee if I say amisse.
35. When as I blame thee for thy35. Iob hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisedome. pride, which is undeniable in thy behaviour and carriage towards God, which hath beene very foolish and provoking, as thy speeches can witnesse.
36. My desire of God is, that Job 36. My desire is, that Iob may be (or as in the margin, my father let Iob be) tried unto the end, because of his answers for wicked men.may be throughly convinced of his fault, and at last be brought upon his knees, and made to eate his words, and to glorifie the justice of God by humbly confessing his sinne, that so the mouths of wicked men may be stopped, to whom he hath given great advantage to blaspheme by his accusing God of hard and unrighteous dealing.
37. For in stead of humbling himselfe,37. For he addeth rebellion unto his sinne, he clappeth his hands amongst us, and multiplieth his words against God. and confessing his sin, for which he suffers, and asking pardon for it, he hath added rebellion thereunto, not sticking, as it were, to cry victoria against God himselfe in his owne justification, even to all our faces, and with strange pertinacie to quarrell and upbraid God.