The Book of Job Paraphrased, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
ARGUMENT.
The firſt part of this Chapter is a continuation of the Narration, which was begun in the foregoing, of the Calamities which befell this good man; whom God ſuffered the Devil to afflict in his Body, as he had already done in his Goods and Children. And then follows a farther teſtimony of his Conſtancy, notwithſtanding his Wife's angry and profane accuſation of the Divine Providence. Though, it is true, he was ſo much dejected to ſee himſelf reduced to this extremity of Miſery, that neither he, nor his Friends that came to viſit him, were able for ſeveral days to ſpeak a word.
1. AGAIN there was a day when the ſons of God came to preſent themſelves before the LORD, and Satan came alſo among them to preſent himſelf before the LORD.1. AFter theſe things, the Angels going again to attend the pleaſure of the Divine Majeſty, and to give an account of their ſeverall charges; Satan alſo openly appeared among them, and preſented himſelf, as ready and deſirous to be examined about his management.
2. And the LORD ſaid unto Satan, From whence comeſt thou? And Satan anſwered the LORD, and ſaid, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.2. But, not daring to ſpeak before he was called, he waited till the Divine Majeſty asked where he had been, and what he had done. To which he anſwered as he had done before, that he had not loſt his time, but had fetch'd a circuit round about the earth, to find opportunity for the exerciſe of his power.
3. 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? and ſtill he holdeth faſt his integrity, although thou movedſt me againſt him, to deſtroy him without cauſe.3. Well then, ſaid the Lord, art not thou convinced how true a Character I gave of my Servant Job, and how much thou haſt calumniated him? For he ſtill reſolutely continues as perfectly Vertuous as he was in his Proſperity, though I have conſented to theſe miſerable Calamities, which he ſuffers undeſervedly.
4. And Satan anſwered the LORD, and ſaid, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.4. To which Satan anſwered again and ſaid, that his Conſtancy was not ſo wonderfull; ſince a man hath reaſon to think himſelf rich, who is in health. Who is there that will not give another's skin, to ſave his own? nay, part with his Children, as well as his Goods, to ſave his Life?
5. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his fleſh, and he will curſe thee to thy face.5. But inlarge now my commiſſion a little farther, and let me afflict his Body, ſo that it touch him to the very quick; and he will openly renounce Thee, and deny thy Providence.
6. And the LORD ſaid unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand, but ſave his life.6. To which the Divine Majeſty (knowing the fidelity of Job, which hereby would become more illuſtrious) was pleaſed to yield; and ſaid, Behold, I give thee the ſame power over his Perſon, which thou hadſt over his Family and Goods: inflict what Diſeaſes thou wilt upon him, ſo they do not kill him.
7. ¶ So went Satan forth from the preſence of the LORD, and ſmote Job with ſore boils, from the ſole of his foot unto his crown.7. No ſooner had Satan obtained this new graunt, but, withdrawing himſelf from the preſence of the Divine Majeſty, he went to purſue his miſchievous deſires; and ſmote Job from top to toe with a fiery Ulcer, whoſe ſharp humour was extream grievous and painfull, and prick'd him (according to his wiſh) to the very bone.
8. And he took him a potſherd to ſcrape himſelf withall; and he ſate down among the aſhes.8. The filthineſs of the Diſeaſe alſo increaſed that ſorrow and heavineſs which before had ſeized on him, and made him ſit down in the aſhes: where he laid hold on what came next to hand, a piece of a broken pot, to wipe away the foul Matter which iſſued out of his Boils.
9. ¶ Then ſaid his wife unto him, Doſt thou ſtill retain thine integrity? curſe God, and die.9. And it was a farther addition to his Grief, to hear his dear Conſort (whom the Divine goodneſs he thought had ſtill left to help him to bear his Affliction) utter this profane ſpeech; What a folly is it ſtill to perſiſt in the Service of God, when all thou getteſt by it is to give Him thanks, and periſh?
10. But he ſaid unto her, Thou ſpeakeſt as one of the fooliſh women ſpeaketh: what? ſhall we receive good at the hand of God, and ſhall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job ſin with his lips.10. Theſe words ſtruck him to the very heart: but, in ſtead of being angry with God, he onelyonly ſeverely reproved her; telling her, that ſhe talked like one of the wicked women: and then piouſly repreſented to her, that we ought to take nothing ill which comes from the hand of God; (as all evil things do, as well as good;) and the more good we have received from Him, the leſs reaſon we have to complain when we ſuffer any evil. No diſcourſe but ſuch as this was heard to come from his mouth.
11. ¶ Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him, & to comfort him.11. Now there dwelt in the neighbouring Provinces three great men, with whom Job had long maintained a particular friendſhip; who, hearing the ſad tidings of his Sufferings, came every one from his country to viſit him. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; who all three met at his houſe on the ſame day, according to an appointment they had made, to come and condole with him, and comfort him.
12. And when they lift up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, & ſprinkled duſt upon their heads toward heaven.12. But as ſoon as ever they entred into the place where he lay, they were ſurpriſed with ſo miſerable a ſpectacle of deformity, that they ſhrieked aloud, as men affrighted, and burſt out into tears, and rent their garments, and threw duſt into the air; which, falling on their heads, expreſſed the confuſion they were in, to find him ſo covered over with Ulcers that they could not know him.
13. So they ſats down with him upon the ground ſeven days, and ſeven nights; and none ſpake a word unto him: for they ſaw that his grief was very great.13. And when they approached nearer him, they onelyonly ſate down upon the earth, in the ſame mournfull poſture wherein they found him; but were not able (ſo much were they aſtoniſhed) for ſeven days and nights to ſay one word of the buſineſs about which they were come to him. And indeed his Grief was ſo exceeding great, that they did not well know what to ſay; till time, which alters all things, had aſſwaged a little both his Grief and theirs.