The Book of Job Paraphrased, Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
ARGUMENT.
In this Chapter Eliphaz renews the Diſpute with more eagerneſs and fierceneſs then before; being very angry that Job ſlighted them ſo much, and thought himſelf ſo wiſe, (as he interpreted it,) that he diſdained their Exhortations, and would not follow the Counſel they had given him, of Confeſſing his Sins, and praying to God for Forgiveneſs: (V. 8. VIII. 4, 5, 6.) But (except this one Argument, that he need not be aſhamed to confeſs his Guilt, when he conſidered how prone all men are to ſin) there is nothing new in his Diſcourſe: but he merely urges what he had aſſerted at firſt, from his own and the wiſeſt mens obſervations, That they are not the Good, but the Wicked, whom God puniſhes with ſuch Calamities as now were faln upon Job. And with great ornaments of ſpeech he moſt admirably deſcribes the Vengeance which God is wont to take upon impious Tyrants: having his Eye, I ſuppoſe, upon Nimrod, or ſome ſuch mighty Oppreſſour.
1. THEN anſwered Eliphaz the Temanite, and ſaid,1. THEN Eliphaz, incenſed with theſe Reproaches, roſe up again, and ſaid,
2. Should a wiſe man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the eaſt-wind?2. Doſt thou pretend to be wiſe, who anſwereſt us with ſuch empty Diſcourſes; and whoſe heart is ſwoln with ſuch pernicious Opinions, and vents them with ſo much vehemence?
3. Should he reaſon with unprofitable talk? or with ſpeeches wherewith he can doe no good?3. Is this thy Wiſedom, which teaches thee to wrangle to no purpoſe; and to pour out words, for which one is never the better?
4. Yea, thou caſteſt off fear, and reſtraineſt prayer before God.4. The better, did I ſay? they diſtroy all Religion, and diſcourage men from pouring out their Complaint in prayer to God.
5. For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou chuſeſt the tongue of the crafty.5. Thou rather teacheſt them to diſpute with Him; whereby thou haſt proclaimed thine Iniquity, while with fallacious words thou ſeekeſt how to diſſemble it.
6. Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips teſtify againſt thee.6. I need produce no farther teſtimony againſt thee; for thy own mouth hath done the buiſineſs, and condemned thee of Impiety.
7. Art thou the firſt man that was born? or waſt thou made before the hills?7. Thou art but a Man, why doſt thou talk as if thou wert God; or at leaſt wert made before the World?
8. Haſt thou heard the ſecret of God? and doſt thou reſtrain wiſedom to thy ſelf?8. Waſt thou admitted into God's ſecret Counſels, and thereby ingroſſedſt all Wiſedom to thy ſelf?
9. What knoweſt thou that we know not? what underſtandeſt thou which is not in us?9. Wherein (to retort thy own words upon thee) doth thy Knowledge exceed ours? Let us hear what Secret thou haſt learnt, which we do not underſtand.
10. With us are both the gray-headed, and very aged men, much elder then thy father.10. If by age and long experience men acquire Wiſedom; there are ſome of us who are much elder then thy Father.
11. Are the conſolations of God ſmall with thee? is there any ſecret thing with thee?11. Why doſt thou ſlight then thoſe Divine Conſolations which we have given thee? Haſt thou ſome ſecret ones, which no-body elſe knows of?
12. Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thine eyes wink at,12. What makes thee have ſuch an high opinion of thy ſelf, and in this manner contemn us?
13. That thou turneſt thy ſpirit againſt God, and letteſt ſuch words go out of thy mouth?13. Nay, oppoſe thy ſelf to God, and take the boldneſs to argue with Him?
14. What is man, that he ſhould be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he ſhould be righteous?14. Thou wilt maintain thy Innocence, thou ſayeſt; but thou forget teſt ſure what thou art, and whence thou comeſt: elſe thou wouldſt not ſtand upon thy Juſtification, nor complain that thou art wronged.
15. Behold, he putteth no truſt in his ſaints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his ſight.15. Remember what I told thee before, (IV. 18.) that the Angels are not immutably good; the Heavenly inhabitants, I ſay, are not without their ſpots.
16. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?16. What a loathſom and filthy creature then is Man, who is as prone to ſin, as he is to drink when he is dry?
17. I will ſhew thee, hear me; and that which I have ſeen, I will declare,17. Do not ſtop thine ears whilſt I ſhew thee thine errour; and I will ſay nothing but what mine own eyes have ſeen,
18. Which wiſe men have told from their fathers, and have not bid it;18. And which wiſe men have obſerved, and their Fathers before them, who have reported it to their Children:
19. Ʋnto whom alone the earth was given, and no ſtranger paſſed among them.19. And they no mean perſons neither, but ſuch as were alone thought worthy to be intruſted with the Government of whole Countries; which no forrein power could enter (as they have done thine) while they ruled.
20. The wicked man travelleth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppreſſour.20. The wicked Tyrant (this is their and my obſervation) is never free from inward Torment; all his life long he is in dread of ſome greater Oppreſſour then himſelf.
21. A dreadfull ſound is in his ears; in proſperity the deſtroyer ſhall come upon him.21. His Guilt ſo purſues him, that it makes him fear ſome miſchief or other is ſtill falling on him; and in the moſt peaceable time he doth not think himſelf in ſafety.
22. He believeth not that he ſhall return out of darkneſs, and he is waited for of the ſword.22. When he lies down, he is afraid he ſhall be kill'd before the morning; and fanſies nothing but naked ſwords round about him.
23. He wandreth abroad for bread, ſaying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkneſs is ready at his hand.23. He ſhall wander to get a Morſel of bread where he can find it; and when he hath it, he ſhall imagine it will prove his poiſon.
24. Trouble and anguiſh ſhall make him afraid; they ſhall prevail againſt him, as a king ready to the battel.24. The Diſtreſs and Anguiſh wherein he ſees himſelf ſhall affright him; they ſhall preſs upon him, and overpower him, as a King doth his Enemies whom he hath ſurrounded with his forces.
25. For he ſtretcheth out his hand againſt God, and ſtrengtheneth himſelf againſt the Almighty.25. Which will be a juſt puniſhment of his audacious Impiety; becauſe he defied God, and reſolutely ſet himſelf in oppoſition to the Almighty:
26. He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick boſſes of his bucklers.26. Who will ſuddenly lay faſt hold on him and kill him, though he be never ſo well armed:
27. Becauſe he covereth his face with his fatneſs, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.27. Becauſe he minds nothing but his belly; and, caſting away all fear of God, nouriſhes up himſelf in Luxury, Pride, and Haughtineſs;
28. And he dwelleth in deſolate cities, and in houſes which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.28. Poſſeſſing Cities which he hath laid deſolate; and Houſes out of which he hath driven the owners, and which are running to ruine.
29. He ſhall not be rich, neither ſhall his ſubſtance continue, neither ſhall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.29. But the Riches he hath gotten by ſuch Violence and Oppreſſion ſhall come to Nothing: He may deſign great things, but ſhall leave them imperfect.
30. He ſhall not depart out of darkneſs, the flame ſhall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth ſhall he go away.30. When his Troubles begin, they ſhall not end, till they have deſtroyed both him and his Children: One word of God's mouth (ſo mad a thing it is to ſet himſelf againſt Heaven) will utterly conſume him.
31. Let not him that is deceived truſt in vanity: for vanity ſhall be his recompence.31. Let ſuch Examples teach him that is ſeduced into evil ways, not to truſt to ſuch uncertain Greatneſs; for vexatious Diſappointments ſhall be all that he will get by it.
32. It ſhall be accompliſhed before his time, and his branch ſhall not be green.32. He ſhall meet with them, when he little thinks of it; and ſee his Children wither away as well as himſelf.
33. He ſhall ſhake off his unripe grape as the vine, and ſhall caſt off his flower as the olive.33. They ſhall die before their time; as the unripe Grape, or the Bloſſom of the vine or olive, are ſtruck with hail, or bitten off by the froſt.
34. For the congregation of hypocrites ſhall be deſolate, and fire ſhall conſume the tabernacles of bribery.34. The moſt numerous Families of ſuch ungodly men ſhall have none in them left: the Divine Vengeance ſhall deſtroy the Houſe which was built with illgotten goods.
35. They conceive miſchief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.35. And they juſtly deſerve to be thus puniſhed, becauſe all they deſign and doe is nothing but the Oppreſſion and Ruine of their Subjects: againſt whom, when one Deſign miſcarries, they conceive new arts to undo them.