Job:31-37
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I made a covenant with mine eyes ;
why then should I think upon a maid ?
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For what portion of God is there from above ?
and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high ?
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Is not destruction to the wicked ?
and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity ?
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Doth not he see my ways ,
and count all my steps ?
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If I have walked with vanity ,
or if my foot hath hasted to deceit ;
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Let me be weighed in an even balance ,
that God may know mine integrity .
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If my step hath turned out of the way ,
and mine heart walked after mine eyes ,
and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands ;
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Then let me sow ,
and let another eat ;
yea ,
let my offspring be rooted out .
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If mine heart have been deceived by a woman ,
or if I have laid wait at my neighbour '
s door ;
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Then let my wife grind unto another ,
and let others bow down upon her .
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For this is an heinous crime ;
yea ,
it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges .
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For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction ,
and would root out all mine increase .
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If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant ,
when they contended with me ;
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What then shall I do when God riseth up ?
and when he visiteth ,
what shall I answer him ?
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Did not he that made me in the womb make him ?
and did not one fashion us in the womb ?
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If I have withheld the poor from their desire ,
or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail ;
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Or have eaten my morsel myself alone ,
and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof ;
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For from my youth he was brought up with me ,
as with a father ,
and I have guided her from my mother '
s womb ;)
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If I have seen any perish for want of clothing ,
or any poor without covering ;
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If his loins have not blessed me ,
and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep ;
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If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless ,
when I saw my help in the gate :
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Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade ,
and mine arm be broken from the bone .
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For destruction from God was a terror to me ,
and by reason of his highness I could not endure .
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If I have made gold my hope ,
or have said to the fine gold ,
Thou art my confidence ;
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If I rejoiced because my wealth was great ,
and because mine hand had gotten much ;
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If I beheld the sun when it shined ,
or the moon walking in brightness ;
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And my heart hath been secretly enticed ,
or my mouth hath kissed my hand :
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This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge :
for I should have denied the God that is above .
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If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me ,
or lifted up myself when evil found him :
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Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul .
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If the men of my tabernacle said not ,
Oh that we had of his flesh !
we cannot be satisfied .
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The stranger did not lodge in the street :
but I opened my doors to the traveller .
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If I covered my transgressions as Adam ,
by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom :
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Did I fear a great multitude ,
or did the contempt of families terrify me ,
that I kept silence ,
and went not out of the door ?
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Oh that one would hear me !
behold ,
my desire is ,
that the Almighty would answer me ,
and that mine adversary had written a book .
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Surely I would take it upon my shoulder ,
and bind it as a crown to me .
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I would declare unto him the number of my steps ;
as a prince would I go near unto him .
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If my land cry against me ,
or that the furrows likewise thereof complain ;
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If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money ,
or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life :
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Let thistles grow instead of wheat ,
and cockle instead of barley .
The words of Job are ended .
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So these three men ceased to answer Job ,
because he was righteous in his own eyes .
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Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite ,
of the kindred of Ram :
against Job was his wrath kindled ,
because he justified himself rather than God .
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Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled ,
because they had found no answer ,
and yet had condemned Job .
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Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken ,
because they were elder than he .
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When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men ,
then his wrath was kindled .
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And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said ,
I am young ,
and ye are very old ;
wherefore I was afraid ,
and durst not shew you mine opinion .
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I said ,
Days should speak ,
and multitude of years should teach wisdom .
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But there is a spirit in man :
and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding .
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Great men are not always wise :
neither do the aged understand judgment .
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Therefore I said ,
Hearken to me ;
I also will shew mine opinion .
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Behold ,
I waited for your words ;
I gave ear to your reasons ,
whilst ye searched out what to say .
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Yea ,
I attended unto you ,
and ,
behold ,
there was none of you that convinced Job ,
or that answered his words :
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Lest ye should say ,
We have found out wisdom :
God thrusteth him down ,
not man .
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Now he hath not directed his words against me :
neither will I answer him with your speeches .
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They were amazed ,
they answered no more :
they left off speaking .
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When I had waited , (
for they spake not ,
but stood still ,
and answered no more ;)
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I said ,
I will answer also my part ,
I also will shew mine opinion .
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For I am full of matter ,
the spirit within me constraineth me .
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Behold ,
my belly is as wine which hath no vent ;
it is ready to burst like new bottles .
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I will speak ,
that I may be refreshed :
I will open my lips and answer .
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Let me not ,
I pray you ,
accept any man '
s person ,
neither let me give flattering titles unto man .
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For I know not to give flattering titles ;
in so doing my maker would soon take me away .
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Wherefore ,
Job ,
I pray thee ,
hear my speeches ,
and hearken to all my words .
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Behold ,
now I have opened my mouth ,
my tongue hath spoken in my mouth .
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My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart :
and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly .
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The Spirit of God hath made me ,
and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life .
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If thou canst answer me ,
set thy words in order before me ,
stand up .
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Behold ,
I am according to thy wish in God '
s stead :
I also am formed out of the clay .
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Behold ,
my terror shall not make thee afraid ,
neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee .
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Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing ,
and I have heard the voice of thy words ,
saying ,
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I am clean without transgression ,
I am innocent ;
neither is there iniquity in me .
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Behold ,
he findeth occasions against me ,
he counteth me for his enemy ,
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He putteth my feet in the stocks ,
he marketh all my paths .
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Behold ,
in this thou art not just :
I will answer thee ,
that God is greater than man .
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Why dost thou strive against him ?
for he giveth not account of any of his matters .
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For God speaketh once ,
yea twice ,
yet man perceiveth it not .
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In a dream ,
in a vision of the night ,
when deep sleep falleth upon men ,
in slumberings upon the bed ;
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Then he openeth the ears of men ,
and sealeth their instruction ,
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That he may withdraw man from his purpose ,
and hide pride from man .
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He keepeth back his soul from the pit ,
and his life from perishing by the sword .
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He is chastened also with pain upon his bed ,
and the multitude of his bones with strong pain :
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So that his life abhorreth bread ,
and his soul dainty meat .
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His flesh is consumed away ,
that it cannot be seen ;
and his bones that were not seen stick out .
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Yea ,
his soul draweth near unto the grave ,
and his life to the destroyers .
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If there be a messenger with him ,
an interpreter ,
one among a thousand ,
to shew unto man his uprightness :
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Then he is gracious unto him ,
and saith ,
Deliver him from going down to the pit :
I have found a ransom .
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His flesh shall be fresher than a child '
s :
he shall return to the days of his youth :
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He shall pray unto God ,
and he will be favourable unto him :
and he shall see his face with joy :
for he will render unto man his righteousness .
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He looketh upon men ,
and if any say ,
I have sinned ,
and perverted that which was right ,
and it profited me not ;
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He will deliver his soul from going into the pit ,
and his life shall see the light .
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Lo ,
all these things worketh God oftentimes with man ,
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To bring back his soul from the pit ,
to be enlightened with the light of the living .
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Mark well ,
O Job ,
hearken unto me :
hold thy peace ,
and I will speak .
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If thou hast any thing to say ,
answer me :
speak ,
for I desire to justify thee .
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If not ,
hearken unto me :
hold thy peace ,
and I shall teach thee wisdom .
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Furthermore Elihu answered and said ,
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Hear my words ,
O ye wise men ;
and give ear unto me ,
ye that have knowledge .
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For the ear trieth words ,
as the mouth tasteth meat .
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Let us choose to us judgment :
let us know among ourselves what is good .
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For Job hath said ,
I am righteous :
and God hath taken away my judgment .
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Should I lie against my right ?
my wound is incurable without transgression .
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What man is like Job ,
who drinketh up scorning like water ?
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Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity ,
and walketh with wicked men .
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For he hath said ,
It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God .
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Therefore hearken unto me ,
ye men of understanding :
far be it from God ,
that he should do wickedness ;
and from the Almighty ,
that he should commit iniquity .
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For the work of a man shall he render unto him ,
and cause every man to find according to his ways .
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Yea ,
surely God will not do wickedly ,
neither will the Almighty pervert judgment .
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Who hath given him a charge over the earth ?
or who hath disposed the whole world ?
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If he set his heart upon man ,
if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath ;
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All flesh shall perish together ,
and man shall turn again unto dust .
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If now thou hast understanding ,
hear this :
hearken to the voice of my words .
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Shall even he that hateth right govern ?
and wilt thou condemn him that is most just ?
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Is it fit to say to a king ,
Thou art wicked ?
and to princes ,
Ye are ungodly ?
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How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes ,
nor regardeth the rich more than the poor ?
for they all are the work of his hands .
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In a moment shall they die ,
and the people shall be troubled at midnight ,
and pass away :
and the mighty shall be taken away without hand .
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For his eyes are upon the ways of man ,
and he seeth all his goings .
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There is no darkness ,
nor shadow of death ,
where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves .
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For he will not lay upon man more than right ;
that he should enter into judgment with God .
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He shall break in pieces mighty men without number ,
and set others in their stead .
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Therefore he knoweth their works ,
and he overturneth them in the night ,
so that they are destroyed .
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He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others ;
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Because they turned back from him ,
and would not consider any of his ways :
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So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him ,
and he heareth the cry of the afflicted .
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When he giveth quietness ,
who then can make trouble ?
and when he hideth his face ,
who then can behold him ?
whether it be done against a nation ,
or against a man only :
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That the hypocrite reign not ,
lest the people be ensnared .
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Surely it is meet to be said unto God ,
I have borne chastisement ,
I will not offend any more :
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That which I see not teach thou me :
if I have done iniquity ,
I will do no more .
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Should it be according to thy mind ?
he will recompense it ,
whether thou refuse ,
or whether thou choose ;
and not I :
therefore speak what thou knowest .
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Let men of understanding tell me ,
and let a wise man hearken unto me .
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Job hath spoken without knowledge ,
and his words were without wisdom .
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My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men .
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For he addeth rebellion unto his sin ,
he clappeth his hands among us ,
and multiplieth his words against God .
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Elihu spake moreover ,
and said ,
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Thinkest thou this to be right ,
that thou saidst ,
My righteousness is more than God '
s ?
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For thou saidst ,
What advantage will it be unto thee ?
and ,
What profit shall I have ,
if I be cleansed from my sin ?
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I will answer thee ,
and thy companions with thee .
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Look unto the heavens ,
and see ;
and behold the clouds which are higher than thou .
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If thou sinnest ,
what doest thou against him ?
or if thy transgressions be multiplied ,
what doest thou unto him ?
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If thou be righteous ,
what givest thou him ?
or what receiveth he of thine hand ?
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Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art ;
and thy righteousness may profit the son of man .
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By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry :
they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty .
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But none saith ,
Where is God my maker ,
who giveth songs in the night ;
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Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth ,
and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven ?
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There they cry ,
but none giveth answer ,
because of the pride of evil men .
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Surely God will not hear vanity ,
neither will the Almighty regard it .
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Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him ,
yet judgment is before him ;
therefore trust thou in him .
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But now ,
because it is not so ,
he hath visited in his anger ;
yet he knoweth it not in great extremity :
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Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain ;
he multiplieth words without knowledge .
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Elihu also proceeded ,
and said ,
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Suffer me a little ,
and I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on God '
s behalf .
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I will fetch my knowledge from afar ,
and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker .
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For truly my words shall not be false :
he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee .
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Behold ,
God is mighty ,
and despiseth not any :
he is mighty in strength and wisdom .
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He preserveth not the life of the wicked :
but giveth right to the poor .
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He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous :
but with kings are they on the throne ;
yea ,
he doth establish them for ever ,
and they are exalted .
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And if they be bound in fetters ,
and be holden in cords of affliction ;
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Then he sheweth them their work ,
and their transgressions that they have exceeded .
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He openeth also their ear to discipline ,
and commandeth that they return from iniquity .
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If they obey and serve him ,
they shall spend their days in prosperity ,
and their years in pleasures .
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But if they obey not ,
they shall perish by the sword ,
and they shall die without knowledge .
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But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath :
they cry not when he bindeth them .
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They die in youth ,
and their life is among the unclean .
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He delivereth the poor in his affliction ,
and openeth their ears in oppression .
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Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place ,
where there is no straitness ;
and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness .
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But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked :
judgment and justice take hold on thee .
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Because there is wrath ,
beware lest he take thee away with his stroke :
then a great ransom cannot deliver thee .
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Will he esteem thy riches ?
no ,
not gold ,
nor all the forces of strength .
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Desire not the night ,
when people are cut off in their place .
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Take heed ,
regard not iniquity :
for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction .
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Behold ,
God exalteth by his power :
who teacheth like him ?
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Who hath enjoined him his way ?
or who can say ,
Thou hast wrought iniquity ?
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Remember that thou magnify his work ,
which men behold .
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Every man may see it ;
man may behold it afar off .
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Behold ,
God is great ,
and we know him not ,
neither can the number of his years be searched out .
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For he maketh small the drops of water :
they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof :
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Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly .
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Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds ,
or the noise of his tabernacle ?
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Behold ,
he spreadeth his light upon it ,
and covereth the bottom of the sea .
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For by them judgeth he the people ;
he giveth meat in abundance .
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With clouds he covereth the light ;
and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt .
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The noise thereof sheweth concerning it ,
the cattle also concerning the vapour .
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At this also my heart trembleth ,
and is moved out of his place .
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Hear attentively the noise of his voice ,
and the sound that goeth out of his mouth .
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He directeth it under the whole heaven ,
and his lightning unto the ends of the earth .
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After it a voice roareth :
he thundereth with the voice of his excellency ;
and he will not stay them when his voice is heard .
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God thundereth marvellously with his voice ;
great things doeth he ,
which we cannot comprehend .
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For he saith to the snow ,
Be thou on the earth ;
likewise to the small rain ,
and to the great rain of his strength .
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He sealeth up the hand of every man ;
that all men may know his work .
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Then the beasts go into dens ,
and remain in their places .
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Out of the south cometh the whirlwind :
and cold out of the north .
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By the breath of God frost is given :
and the breadth of the waters is straitened .
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Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud :
he scattereth his bright cloud :
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And it is turned round about by his counsels :
that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth .
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He causeth it to come ,
whether for correction ,
or for his land ,
or for mercy .
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Hearken unto this ,
O Job :
stand still ,
and consider the wondrous works of God .
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Dost thou know when God disposed them ,
and caused the light of his cloud to shine ?
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Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds ,
the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge ?
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How thy garments are warm ,
when he quieteth the earth by the south wind ?
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Hast thou with him spread out the sky ,
which is strong ,
and as a molten looking glass ?
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Teach us what we shall say unto him ;
for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness .
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Shall it be told him that I speak ?
if a man speak ,
surely he shall be swallowed up .
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And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds :
but the wind passeth ,
and cleanseth them .
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Fair weather cometh out of the north :
with God is terrible majesty .
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Touching the Almighty ,
we cannot find him out :
he is excellent in power ,
and in judgment ,
and in plenty of justice :
he will not afflict .
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Men do therefore fear him :
he respecteth not any that are wise of heart .
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Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind ,
and said ,
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