The Book of Job Paraphrased, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
ARGUMENT.
This Chapter is a plain Narration of the flouriſhing condition wherein Job lived, before the envy and malice of the Devil brought upon him the ſoreſt Calamities; which are particularly deſcribed, with the occaſion of them, and his admirable Conſtancy under them: whereby he became as eminent an example of Patience in Adverſity, as he had been of Piety and all manner of Vertue in his Proſperity.
1. THere was a man in the land of Ʋz, whoſe name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eſchewed evil.1. IN the time of the ancient Patriarchs, before the giving of the Law of Moſes, there lived in Arabia a perſon of great eminence, whoſe name was Job: A man not more illuſtrious for his Birth or Place, then for the height of his Vertue; which appeared in a moſt unblamable life, void of all hypocriſie, both in his Piety toward God, and in his dealings with men, and all other ways.
2. And there were born unto him ſeven ſons, and three daughters.2. Whom God therefore had ſo wonderfully bleſſed, that his outward Proſperity was equal to the Perfections of his Mind. For firſt, He had given him the ſweet fruits of Marriage, in a numerous iſſue of ſeven Sons and three Daughters:
3. His ſubſtance alſo was ſeven thouſand ſheep, and three thouſand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred ſhe-aſſes, and a very great houſhold; ſo that this man was the greateſt of all the men of the eaſt.3. And then enriched him abundantly with the wealth of that country; which conſiſted in ſeven thouſand Sheep, three thouſand Camels, five hundred yoke of Oxen, as many She-aſſes; with ſuch a very great Tillage, and ſo many Servants, that in thoſe Eaſtern parts he had neither ſuperiour nor equal.
4. And his ſons went and feaſted in their houſes everyone his day, and ſent and called for their three ſiſters, to eat and to drink with them.4. And together with all this Happineſs, he had the pleaſure to ſee his Children live in love and unity. For it was the cuſtom of his Sons to meet at each others houſes, and to make a feaſt every one upon his birth-day: (III. 1.) And he whoſe turn it was to treat the reſt, always invited their three Siſters to come and be merry with them.
5. And it was ſo, when the days of their feaſting were gone about, that Job ſent and ſanctified them, and roſe up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings, according to the number of them all: for Job ſaid, It may be that my ſons have ſinned, and curſed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.5. This Feaſt was wont to laſt ſeven days; at the end of which their good Father never failed to ſend a Meſſenger to them, to call upon them, to prepare themſelves by faſting and prayer for the Sacrifice he meant to offer for them: And when they were aſſembled, he roſe up early in the morning, (the fitteſt time for devotion,) and prayed to God, by offering burnt-offerings, for every one of them; becauſe he was afraid they might have done or ſpoken ſomething that was profane, and misbecoming their Religion, when their minds, looſened by mirth, were leſs upon their guard. And thus he did conſtantly after every Feaſt.
6. para; Now there was a day, when the ſons of God came to preſent themſelves before the LORD, and Satan came alſo among them.6. But his great Piety was not ſufficient to preſerve him from falſe accuſations. For, as Job ſet a time for his Children to examine themſelves, ſo there are certain ſeaſons when the Angels come and ſtand in the Divine preſence, to give an account of their Miniſtry, and to receive commands from God the Judge and Governour of the world: and Satan, that ſubtle adverſary of mankind, came one day and thruſt in himſelf among them.
7. And the LORD ſaid unto Satan, Whence comeſt thou? Then Satan anſwered the LORD, and ſaid, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.7. And the Lord (to make him ſenſible he was not an abſolute Prince, but His Subject) called to him, and demanded an account of him, where he had been, and from whence he came. To which he gave an anſwer, which expreſſed, as the great reſtleſneſs of his mind and his unwearied diligence, ſo the limitation of his power, which extends onelyonly to this lower world; for he told Him, he came from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8. And the LORD ſaid unto Satan, Haſt thou conſidered my ſervant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and eſcheweth evil?8. Then the Lord ſaid to him again; After all thy inquiſitiveneſs and buſy ſearch, thou haſt nothing to object againſt the Integrity of my Servant Job; a man that excells in Piety, and Juſtice, and all other Vertues, which he practiſes exactly and ſincerely.
9. Then Satan anſwered the LORD, and ſaid, Doth Job fear God for nought?9. Yes, ſaid Satan; He ſerves himſelf rather then Thee: it is not Thy pleaſure which he regards, but his own profit.
10. Haſt thou not made an hedge about him, and about his houſe, and about all that he hath on every ſide? thou haſt bleſſed the work of his hands, and his ſubſtance is increaſed in the land.10. Haſt not Thou payed him well for his pains? and ſo inviron'd him and his Family, and all belonging to him in every place, that no harm can come to them? whereby all his buſineſs proſpers, and his flocks and his herds are ſo increaſed, that the country can ſcarce hold them.
11. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curſe thee to thy face.11. But I am confident, if Thou wilt but imploy that power to plague him, which hath ſo long preſerved him, he will, not onelyonly in his heart but, openly deny thy Providence.
12. And the LORD ſaid unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power, onelyonly upon himſelf put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the preſence of the LORD.12. Then the Lord (who was willing to prove thy Vertue of his Servant in an afflicted eſtate, as He had done in a proſperous) withdrew the protection He had given him, and granted Satan a commiſſion to diſpoſe of all belonging to Job according as he pleaſed; excepting onelyonly his Perſon, which He commanded him not to touch. This was joyfull news to that malicious Spirit; who went immediately to doe what he had long deſired.
13. para; And there was a day when his ſons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldeſt brother's houſe:13. And within a ſhort time found an opportunity to try the Conſtancy of Job, by doing him all the miſchief poſſible, in one and the ſame day: which was the Birth-day of his eldeſt Son, when all his Children (far from fearing any evil) were met, according to their cuſtom, at his houſe, to feaſt and rejoyce together.
14. And there came a meſſenger unto Job, & ſaid, The oxen were plowing, and the aſſes feeding beſide them;14. Then it was that Satan put in execution what he had deſigned; and firſt of all ſtirred up a thieviſh ſort of people in Arabia, to fall upon that part of his land which was next to them. Of which tidings was preſently brought to Job by a meſſenger, ſaying,
15. And the Sabaeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have ſlain the ſervants with the edge of the ſword; and I onelyonly am eſcaped alone to tell thee.15. As the Oxen were at plough, and the Aſſes in a paſture hard by them, the Sabaeans made an inrode into thy country, and carried them all away; having ſlain, by an unexpected aſſault, all thoſe who ſhould have preſerved them, except my ſelf alone, who made an eſcape to acquaint thee with it.
16. While he was yet ſpeaking, there came alſo another, and ſaid, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burnt up the ſheep, and the ſervants, & conſumed them; and I onelyonly am eſcaped alone to tell thee.16. He had not quite delivered his meſſage before another of his Servants arrived, (as evils ſeldom come ſingle,) to tell him that there had been a very great lightning in thoſe parts, where his Sheep were feeding; which had conſumed both them and the Shepherds, and left none ſurviving, but himſelf alone, to give him notice of this diſaſter.
17. While he was yet ſpeaking, there came alſo another, and ſaid, The Chaldaeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and ſlain the ſervants with the edge of the ſword; and I onelyonly am eſcaped alone to tell thee.17. He had not finiſhed his narration before another meſſenger was at the door, ſaying, Our neighbours, the Chaldaeans, ſeeking for booty, divided themſelves into three parties, who ſet upon us all at once: and they have carried away the Camels, and killed all the Servants that look'd after them, except my ſelf, who made a ſhift to ſave my ſelf by flight, to bring thee news of this invaſion.
18. While he was yet ſpeaking, there came alſo another, and ſaid, Thy ſons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldeſt brother's houſe:18. Before he had concluded came in another, the moſt dolefull Meſſenger of all, ſaying, Thy Children, as thou knoweſt, were feaſting with their elder Brother;
19. And behold, there came a great wind from the wilderneſs, & ſmote the four corners of the houſe, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I onelyonly am eſcaped alone to tell thee.19. And behold, on a ſudden there aroſe a violent wind; which coming from the deſart, and whirling about the houſe, took away the four corners of it, and buried them all in its ruines: and there is not one of the gueſts eſcaped, that I know of, but onelyonly my ſelf, to be the meſſenger of this great Calamity.
20. Then Job aroſe, and rent his mantle, and ſhaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worſhipped,20. Then Job (who had heard all the reſt without diſturbance) was overcome with grief at this laſt word, and, laying aſide all other thoughts, gave up himſelf to the moſt lamentable ſorrow: for he rent his upper garment, cut off the hair of his head, and threw himſelf upon the ground. Where he deceived the Devil's expectation; for he moſt reverently adored, as became his Piety, the Divine Majeſty, and ſubmitted himſelf to his will, ſaying,
21. And ſaid, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked ſhall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; bleſſed be the name of the LORD.21. I am but what I was at firſt, and what I muſt have been again at laſt: and He that hath ſtript me of all before I die, hath taken away nothing but what He gave. Let Him therefore be praiſed, who is the donour of all good things, and the diſpoſer of all events.
22. In all this Job ſinned not, nor charged God fooliſhly.22. This was the worſt word rhat he ſpake, when all theſe evils came upon him ſo unexpectedly, and ſo thick together: All the reſt was like this; and nothing dropt from his mouth which in the leaſt accuſed or queſtioned the Providence of God.