The Book of Job Paraphrased, Chapter 42
CHAP. XLII.
ARGUMENT.
This Chapter concludes the Book, with an account how Job compleated the Submiſſion which he had begun before to make to God. Whoſe Pardon he ſorrowfully begs; confeſſing and repenting of his Fault; reſigning himſelf intirely to be inſtructed by Him: but reſolving never hereafter to complain, nor to move any queſtions about his Providence. This Repentance God accepts; and for his ſake grants a Pardon alſo to his Friends, whom he condemns as more faulty then Job. Who after this receives extraordinary marks of God's Favour; and hath ſuch an ample Recompence made him for his Loſſes, as may incourage all poſterity to perſevere in well doing and patient ſuffering; believing ſtedfaſtly that nothing can be done or permitted by God without much reaſon, (whoſe Wiſedom ſhines ſo gloriouſly in all his Works,) and humbly expecting a comfortable iſſue out of all our Troubles.
1. THEN Job anſwered the LORD, and ſaid,1. THESE words ſo lively repreſented the Power, and Wiſedom of God in his Works, that Job, ſeeing his errour more clearly then ever, ſubmitted himſelf unto the Great Lord of all, and ſaid;
2. I know that thou canſt do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.2. I am abundantly ſatiſfied that thy Power is as large as thy Will; and that nothing can hinder Thee from effecting every thing which Thou deſigneſt: but as Thou hadſt reaſon to caſt me down, ſo Thou canſt reſtore me and lift me up again.
3. Who is he that hideth counſel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I underſtood not; things too wonderfull for me, which I knew not.3. I am ſenſible alſo of the Juſtice of the Reproof which Thou haſt given me (XXXVIII. 2.) and do confeſs I very much forgot my ſelf, when I adventured to talk ſo ignorantly of thy wiſe Adminiſtrations. It was that which made me ſo raſh as to diſcourſe of things far above my reach; wonderfull things, which I ought humbly to admire, not arrogantly cenſure.
4. Hear, I beſeech thee, and I will ſpeak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.4. Be not angry with me, I beſeech Thee, but graciouſly hear me ſpeaking in thy own words. I do not pretend to give an account of thy wonderfull Works and of thy Providence; and therefore ask me no more Queſtions, (XXXVIII. 3.) but let me learn of Thee, and do Thou inſtruct my Ignorance.
5. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye ſeeth thee.5. Something I did know before, of thy Greatneſs, and Mightineſs, and Wiſedom; but nothing ſo clearly as I do now, by this revelation and viſible appearance of thy dreadfull Majeſty.
6. Wherefore I abhor my ſelf, and repent in duſt and aſhes.6. Which touches me with a ſenſible diſpleaſure againſt my ſelf, for my undecent Complaints, and vehement Expoſtulations, and eager Deſires to die or to be delivered: I condemn them all, (together with whatſoever I have ſpoken too boldly about thy Government,) and in the moſt ſorrowfull manner repent, that I have juſtified my ſelf ſo much, and Thee ſo little.
7. ¶ And it was ſo, that after the LORD had ſpoken theſe words unto Job, the LORD ſaid to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled againſt thee, and againſt thy two friends: for ye have not ſpoken of me the thing that is right, as my ſervant Job hath.7. Which ingenuous Confeſſion pleaſed the Lord ſo much, that He did not chide Job any farther: but turning his voice to Eliphaz, (his principal Accuſer,) He ſaid, I am angry with thee and with thy two Friends: For you have made a perverſe conſtruction of the Afflictions I ſent upon Job; whom, notwithſtanding all his Errours, I acknowledge to be my Servant, and to have ſpoken better of Me then you have done.
8. Therefore take unto you now ſeven bullocks and ſeven rams, and go to my ſervant Job, and offer up for your ſelves a burnt-offering; and my ſervant Job ſhall pray for you, for him will I accept: leſt I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not ſpoken of me the thing which is right, like my ſervant Job.8. And therefore take no leſs then ſeven Bullocks, and as many Rams, and carry them to my Servant Job; whom I appoint to be your Prieſt, to offer for you a Burnt-offering, in token of my abſolute Dominion over all Creatures. And that faithfull Servant of mine ſhall pray for you, and obtain your Pardon: for I have a great love to him, and will be favourable to you for his ſake. Do not fail to go about this, leſt I inflict ſome grievous puniſhment upon you; becauſe, as I ſaid, you have made an ill repreſentation of my Providence, and repeated thoſe things confidently, which my Servant Job ſhewed you to be falſe.
9. So Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD alſo accepted Job.9. So Eliphaz and his two Companions ſubmitted themſelves alſo unto God, and went, as He commanded them, and deſired Job to intercede for them. And the Lord heard his Prayer, and was reconciled to them.
10. And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: alſo the LORD gave Job twice as much as be had before.10. And at that very time when Job was performing this charitable office for his Friends, the Lord was pleaſed to begin to reſtore to him all thoſe things which had been taken away from him: and never ceaſed, till He had not onelyonly eſtabliſhed him in his former Splendour, but made him twice as rich as he was before.
11. Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his ſiſters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his houſe: and they bemoned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man alſo gave him a piece of money, and every one an ear-ring of gold.11. All his Kindred likewiſe and his familiar Acquaintance (whom his unuſual Affliction had eſtranged from him, XIX. 3.) when they heard of the wonders the Lord had done for him, came to viſit him and feaſt with him: And after they had condoled his Miſery, and teſtified their ſorrow for all that had befaln him, they congratulated his happy Recovery; and, in token of their joy, every one of them preſented him with a piece of money, and a pendant of gold.
12. So the LORD bleſſed the latter end of Job more then his beginning: for he had fourteen thouſand ſheep, and ſix thouſand camels, and a thouſand yoke of oxen, and a thouſand ſheaſſes.12. Thus the Lord impoveriſhed this good Man, onelyonly to make him richer. For in ſtead of ſeven thouſand Sheep, which he had before his Troubles, he found he had fourteen thouſand, when they were ended; and for three thouſand Camels, which were taken from him, the Lord gave him ſix thouſand: and multiplied his yoke of Oxen, which were but five hundred, into a thouſand; and his ſhe-Aſſes, in the ſame proportion.
13. He had alſo ſeven ſons, and three daughters.13. His Wife alſo became very fruitfull, and brought him as many Children as he had loſt; ſeven Sons, and three Daughters.
14. And he called the name of the firſt, Jemima, and the name of the ſecond, Kezia, and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.14. And to preſerve the memory of ſo marvellous a Deliverance, (of which they were ſo many living monuments,) he called the name of the firſt Jemima, that is, the Day; becauſe of the Felicity wherein he now ſhone, after a ſad Night of Affliction, wherein he had lain: and the ſecond, Keſia, (a Spice of an excellent ſmell;) becauſe God had healed his filthy ſtinking Ulcers, which made even his Wife refuſe to come near him, XIX. 17: and the laſt he called Kerenhappuch, i. e. Plenty reſtored, or, an Horn of varniſh; becauſe God had wiped away the tears which fouled his face, (as he complains XVI. 16.)
15. And in all the land were no women found ſo fair as the daughters of Job, and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.15. The Beauty alſo of theſe Women proved as bright as their Names; for there were none ſo amiable in all that Country: and their Father did not (as the manner was) endow them with a ſmall portion of his goods, but (having a large eſtate, and a great affection to them) he made them Coheirs with their Brethren, in the inheritance which he left them.
16. After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and ſaw his ſons, and his ſons ſons, even four generations.16. After which glorious Reſtitution of Himſelf and his Family, his years were multiplied as well as his eſtate: For the Lord added almoſt an Age and an half (no leſs then an hundred and forty years) to thoſe he had lived before; ſo that he had the pleaſure to ſee his Childrens Children to the fourth generation:
17. So Job died, being old and full of days.17. And departed not out of the World till he was ſo fully ſatisfied, that he deſired not to live any longer.