The Garden of Zion, Part 11 · Biblical figure · Chapter 2 – Chapter 5
Chap. 2.
ANother day the ſons of GOD
came themſelves to preſent
Before the LORD, Satan alſo
among them there he went.
2 Whence comes thou? GOD to Satan ſaid,
then Satan anſwred ſoon,
From going to and fro on Earth,
from walking up and down.
3 Haſt thou conſidred JOB, ſaid GOD,
that there is none him like,
One that feares GOD, and evil eſchewes.
perfect, and upright eke?
Behold, how ſtill he holdeth faſt
even his integrity,
Although that him for to deſtroy
thou (without cauſe) mov'dſt me.
4 Then Satan the LORD anſwerd ſoone,
JOB hath felt little ſtrife:
But skin for skin, all that man hath
will he give for his life.
5 Put foorth thine hand, his bone and fleſh
touch, and in little ſpace
He even out of all patience
will curſe thee to thy face.
6 And the Lord unto Satan ſaid,
Behold, and now perceive
He in thine hand given over is,
but ſee thou his life ſave.
7 So from the preſence of the Lord,
Satan went up and downe,
And ſmot poore Job with painefull boiles,
from the ſole to the crowne.
8 Then a potſheard to ſcrape himſelf,
he tooke all deſolate,
Thus he perplexed in his mind
among the aſhes ſate:
9 Then ſaid his wife, Retain'ſt thou ſtill
thine old integritie?
What meaneſt thou, O fooliſh man?
now curſe thou GOD, and die.
10 But he againe ſaid unto her,
his witleſſe wife to ſchoole,
Thou ſpeakeſt now thou knowes not what,
thou ſpeakeſt like a foole.
Shall we receive good, and not evill
at the hand of the LORD?
…n all this did not holy Job,
with lips ſinne in a word.
11 Now when Jobs three friends heard of all
this evill and great diſgrace
That came on him, they every one
did come from his owne place:
The Temanite, Eliphaz, and
als Bildad the Shuhite,
And Z…phar alſo joyn'd with them,
the wiſe Naamathite:
For they together had all made
appointment of one ſort,
To come, and mourne with their deare freind,
and him for to comfort:
12 But when they did lift up their eyes
afarre, they him no more
Did know, they lifted up their voice,
and weeped very ſore.
And every man his mantle rent,
while thus they had it riven:
They ſprinkled duſt upon their heads
toward the higheſt heaven.
13 So ſeven dayes without ſpeaking wordes,
and ſeven nights they down ſate
Upon the ground, for they did ſee
his grief was very great.
Chap. 3.
THen op'ned Job his mouth anone,
and in greefe curſd his day,
And anſw'ring with a wounded heart,
Job thus began to ſay,
3 Curſd be the day that I was borne,
and let the night like have
That it was ſaid, my mother did
me a man childe conceive.
4 Let that day be darkneſſe alwayes,
let not GODS eye divine
Regard it, neither let the light
upon it ever ſhine.
5 Let darkneſſe it and ſhadowes ſtaine,
let a cloud ſtedfaſtly
Dwell on it; let the blackneſſe of
the day it terrifie.
6 Let darkneſſe ſeaze upon that night;
to the dayes of the yeare
Let it not come, nor numbred be,
with moneths by men heere.
7 Let that night in all times to come,
be ſolitarie ſtill,
Let no voice at all come therein,
that is glade or joyfull.
8 Let them it curſe with all their heart,
that uſe to curſe the day
…ho are ſtill ready to raiſe up
their great mourning alway.
9 Let the ſtarres of its twilight be
darke, let it looke for light
…ut have none; neither let it ſee
the faire dayes dawning bright.
10 Becauſe it of my mothers womb
ſhut not the doores cloſely,
Nor in the dayes of troubles great
hide ſorrow from mine eye.
11 Why died I not even from the womb,
which compaſſd me about?
Why did not I give up the ghoſt,
when from it I came out?
12 Why did the midwives gentle knees
me at my birth prevent?
Or why the breaſts that I ſhould ſuck
gave milk for this intent?
13 For now both ſtill, and quiet I
ſhould have been for my beſt;
I ſhould have ſleeped in the grave,
then had I been at reſt.
14 With Kings, and alſo counſellers,
men of the earth moſt rare,
Who in places moſt deſolate
did build their houſes faire.
15 Or with Princes who gliſtring gold
had in their treaſures ſtill:
Who their houſes adorned well,
with ſilver fine did fill:
16 Or as an hid untymly birth,
I ſurely had not beene,
As infants in their mothers wombe,
which light have never ſeene:
17 There ceaſe alwayes the wicked men,
From troubling the oppreſt;
And there from toile and carking care
the weary be at reſt.
12 The priſoners there together reſt,
they not at any houre
Do heare the voice which doth proceed
from the great opreſſour.
18 Theſe that be ſmall, and alſo gerat,
even there together be;
And the ſervant for toilſome taske
is from his maſter free.
20 Wherefore is light given unto him
that is in miſerie,
And life upon the earth to them
that in ſoul bitter be?
21 Which every day do long for death,
but it comes not therefore;
…nd dig for it, even more then for
hid treaſures and great ſtore.
22 Which doe exceedingly rejoice,
and alwayes gladneſſe have,
…n their greateſt afflictions,
when they can find the grave.
23 And why is light given to a man,
whoſe way is alwayes hid,
…nd whom the Lord hath hedged in,
and from evill will not red?
24 For my ſighing before I eat,
doth come and me about,
…y roarings loud like waters great
are largely powred out.
25 For that which I ſtill greatly fear'd,
is come now upon me,
…nd that whereof I was afraid,
is to me come ſurelie
26 In ſafety I was not alwayes,
nor yet ſtill had I reſt,
… was far from all quietneſſe;
yet troubles me oppreſt.
Chap. 4.
WHen this was ſaid, then Eliphaz
the Temanite that day
Did forme an anſwer, and to Job
after this ſpeach did ſay.
If we aſſay to ſpeake with thee,
as friends, and ſo be bold,
Will thou be greev'd? But who from words
can well himſelfe withhold?
3 Behold thou haſt inſtructed well
diverſe in numbrous bands,
And thou by thy moſt wiſe comforts,
haſt ſtrengthned the weak hands.
4 Thy words have well upholden him
that was in miſeries
Straight falling, and thou ſtrengthned haſt
the weak and feeble knees.
5 But now it is upon thee come,
thou fainteſt more and more,
It now thee toucheth in the quick,
and thou art troubled ſore.
6 This is thy fear, and confidence,
which now is made to hop,
The uprightneſſe of all thy wayes,
and even thy ſtrongeſt hope.
Who ever periſh'd innocent,
remember I thee pray?
O! where was ever the righteous man
cut off in any way?
Even as I have ſeen ſurely they
that plow iniquity,
…nd ſow the ſeed of wickedneſſe,
the ſame reape certainely.
They periſh by the blaſt of GOD,
as by a bloody war,
…nd by the breath of his noſtriles
they all conſumed are.
10 The roaring of the Lion and
the voice of Lions fierce,
…nd als of young Lions thee teeth
are broken with diſgrace.
11 The old Lion doth periſh for
lack of his prey and food,
…nd the ſtout Lions Whelps anone
are ſcattred all abroad.
12 A thing unto me by the Lord
was brought moſt ſecretly,
little thereof by mine eare
received was ſurely.
13 In thoughts that come moſt ſtrangely from,
the viſions of the night:
When deep ſleep falleth upon men,
depriv'd of ſenſe or ſight.
14 A panick fear then came me on,
I then began to quake,
With this fear was a trembling, which
made all my bones to ſhake.
15 In this meane time appear'd a ſprite,
which paſſd my face before,
The haire of all my fleſh ſtood up,
for I was troubled ſore.
16 It ſtood ſtill there moſt ſtedfaſtly,
but what did then concerne
The viſage, and the forme thereof
I could not well diſcerne.
An image was before mine eyes,
there was a deep ſilence,
And I did clearly heare a voice
ſpeake theſe words in this ſenſe,
17 Shall any among mortall men,
more juſt then the Lord be?
Or ſhall a man whom GOD hath made,
yet be more pure then he?
18 Behold in his ſervants moſt deare,
whom he with graces large
Endewes, he truſts not, his Angels
with folly he doth charge.
19 How much leſſe on all ſuch that dwell
in baſe houſes of clay
Whoſe ground is duſt, which cruſhed are
before the moth alway.
20 From morning to the evening they
are certainly deſtroy'd,
They periſh ſtill without regard,
which they can not avoid.
21 Doth not their great excellencie,
in them ſtill go away,
And ſo without wiſedome like fooles,
go to their dying day.
Chap. 5.
CAll now if there be any that
will ſurely anſwere thee,
To which of the Saints wilt thou turne
thy ſelfe to juſtifie.
2 For wrath from the Almighty God
the fooliſh man doth kill,
And envie ſlayes the ſilly one,
without wiſedome or skill.
3 I have ſeene taking root anone,
the fooliſh without grace,
But in a moment ſuddenly
I curſd his dwelling place,
4 His children far from ſafety are,
they are cruſh'd in the gate,
There is none to deliver them
before the judgement ſeat.
5 Whoſe harv'ſt the hungry eateth up,
for their poor maintenance,
Even from the thornes, the robber als
devours their whole ſubſtance.
6 Although affliction from the duſt
to come be not once found,
Neither do troubles great alſo
even ſpring out of the ground.
7 Yet poor man unto trouble great,
and fearfull miſerie
Is alwayes borne, moſt like the ſparks
that ſtill upward do flee.
8 I unto the Almighty GOD,
would ſeek with all my heart,
And unto GOD would I commit
my cauſe in every part.
9 Which great things and unſearchable,
by his arme Almightie
Doth work, and things moſt marveilous
which without number be.
10 Who gracious upon the earth
for watring giveth raine,
…nd alſo water ſends upon
the fields of all the plaine.
11 Hee in his wiſedome ſets on high
men of moſt low degree,
…hat thoſe which mourne to ſafety may
at laſt exalted be.
12 The devices of crafty men
he diſappointeth wiſe,
…o that their hands can not performe
their wicked enterpriſe.
13 He by his wiſedome takes the wiſe
their craftineſſe among:
…nd the counſell of froward men
is cari'd all headlong.
14 They in their courſe with darkneſſe meet,
in the dayes time of light,
And wandring in the noone day groop,
as in the darkeſt night.
15 But he well ſaveth from the ſword,
the poor of all the land,
And from their vile blaſphemous mouth,
and from the mighties hand.
16 So the moſt indigent and poor
hath hope in miſery,
And the great GOD doth ſtop the mouth
of vile iniquity.
17 Behold whom the Lord God corrects
he ſure is moſt happy,
Therefore the chaſtning not deſpiſe
of him that's Almighty.
18 For he makes ſore, and bindeth up,
he woundeth, but the hole
He cloſeth up, his hands againe
do perfectly make whole.
19 In troubles ſix, by power great,
he ſhall deliver thee:
Yea in ſeven alſo by no evil
thou ſhalt then touched be.
20 In famine he ſhall thee redeeme
from death, and in a word,
In war he ſhall thee ſave even from
the power of the ſword.
21 From the ſcourge of the wicked tongue
thou ſafely hid ſhalt be:
Thou need'ſt not feare deſtruction
when it comes ſuddenly.
22 At famine and deſtruction
thou ſafe ſhall laugh alway:
The raging beaſts upon the earth
thee ſhall not once afray
23 For with the ſtones of all the field
thou in a league ſhalt be
…he beaſts which in the field remaine
ſhall be at peace with thee.
24 Thou ſhalt know that thy Tabernacle
ſhall alwayes be in peace.
Thy dwelling place thou viſit ſhalt
and from all ſin ſhalt ceaſe.
25 Thou ſhalt know alſo that thy ſeed
in all the land about
…hall be great and thine off spring as
graſſe that from earth doth ſprout.
26 Thou to thy grave at laſt ſhall come
in a full age moſt like
A ſhock of corne that commeth in
in his ſeaſon all ripe.
27 Loe this we have ſearch'd; it is ſo;
That it well underſtood
May be by thee now heare it well,
and know it for thy good.