Chap. XVI.
Iob moued by his importune freindes, 4. expostulateth their seueritie, 12. further describeth his afflictions, and appealeth to Gods iudgement, that he suffereth more then his sinnes deserue.
BVt Iob answering sayd: 2I haue heard often times such things, ∷[1] heauie conforters you are al. 3Shal wordes ful of winde haue an end? or is anie thing trublesome to thee, if thou speake? 4I also could speake thinges like to you: and would God your soule were for my soule. 5I also would confort you with wordes, and would wag my head vpon you. 6I would strengthen you with my mouth, and would moue my lippes, as sparing you. 7But what shal I doe? If I speake, my paine wil not rest: and if I hold my peace, it wil not depart from me. 8But now my sorow hath oppressed me, and al my limmes are brought to nothing. 9My wrinkles giue testimonie against me, and ∷[2] a false speaker is raysed vp against my face contradicting me. 10He hath gathered his furie vpon me, and threatening me hath gnashed against me with his teeth, mine enemy hath beheld me with terrible eies. 11They haue opened their mouthes vpon me, and exprobating haue strooken my cheke, they are filled with my paines. 12God hath shut me vp with the wicked man, and hath deliuered me to the hands of the impious. 13I sometime that welthie one sodenly am broken: he hath held my necke, broken me, and set me to himself as it were a marke. 14He hath compassed me with his speares, he hath wounded my loynes, he hath not spared, and hath powred out on the earth my bowels. 15He hath cut me with wound vpon wound, he hath come violently vpon me as it were a giant. 16I haue sowed sackcloth vpon my skinne, and haue couered my flesh with ashes. 17My face is swollen with weeping, and my eyeliddes are dimme. 18These thinges haue I suffred ∷[3] without the iniquitie of my hand, wheras I had cleane prayers to God. 19Earth couer not my bloud, neither let my crie find place in thee to be hid. 20For behold my witnesse is in heauen, and he that knoweth my conscience on high. 21My freindes ful of wordes: mine eie distilleth vnto God. 22And would God a man might so be iudged with God, as the sonne of man is iudged with his companion. 23For behold the short yeares passe away, and I walke the path, by the which I shal not returne.
- ↑ True and freindlie comforters ought to heare the afflicted with patience, and not vnmercifully charge him with crimes which they neither know, nor his conscience is guiltie of.
- ↑ A great affliction, when one ful of paine and distres is also forced to defend his owne innocencie against calumniators.
- ↑ As the aduersaries stil obiect great iniquitie to him so he yeldeth them the same true answer.
