of innocentes. 24This earth is geuen into the handes of the impious, he couereth the face of the iudges therof: and if it be not he, who is it then? 25My dayes haue bene swifter then a poste: they haue fled and haue not sene good. 26They haue passed by as shippes carying fruites, as an eagle flying to meate. 27When I shal say: I wil not speake so, I change my face, and am tormented with sorow. 28I ∷[1] feared al my workes, knowing that thou didst not spare the offender. 29But if so also I am impious, why haue I laboured in vayne? 30If I be washed as it were with snow waters, and my handes shal shine as most cleane: 31Yet shal thou dippe me in filth, and my garmentes shal abhorre me. 32For neither I wil answer a man that is like my self: nor that may be heard with me equally in iudgement. 33There is none that may be able to reproue both, and to put his hand betwen both. 34Let him take his rod from me, and let not his dread terrifie me. 35I wil speake, and wil not feare him: for I can not answer fearing.
Chap. X.
Iob scarse able to speake yet sheweth that there is no iniustice nor ignorance in God, neither is his sinne the cause of so great afflictions. 9. Acknowledgeth Gods loue and benefites towards himself. 15. and dreadeth his strict iudgement.
MY soule is wearie of my life, I wil let my speach passe agaynst my self. I wil speake in the bitternes of my soule. 2I wil say to God: Condemne me not: tel me why thou iudgest me so. 3Doth it seeme good to thee, if thou ∷[2] calumniate me, and oppresse me the worke of thy handes, and helpe the counsel of the impious? 4Hast thou eies of flesh: or as a man seeth, shalt thou also see? 5Are thy daies as the daies of man, and are thy yeares as the times of men: 6That thou sekest my iniquitie, and searchest my sinne? 7And thou mayst knowe that I haue done no impious thing, whereas there is no man that can deliuer out of thy hand. 8 ∷[3] Thy handes haue made me, and framed me wholly round about, and dost thou so sodenlie cast me downe headlong? 9Remember I besech thee that as clay thou madest me, and into dust thou wilt bring me agayne. 10Hast thou not as milke milked me, and curded me as cheese? 11With skinne and flesh thou hast clothed me: with bones & sinowes thou hast compacted me. 12Life and mercie thou hast geuen to me, and
- ↑ Feare on mans part, and hope in God, do wel consist together. So both presumption and desperation are auoided.
- ↑ Holie Iob knowing it to be unpossible that God calumniateth anie man, inquireth what is the cause why his goodnes afflicteth the iust?
- ↑ In that I am thy creature thou maist iustly destroy me, but in deede because I am thy creature thou wilt spare me through thy mercy, geuing me thy grace which if I vse wel thou wilt also geue me eternal rest.
