Job 30:1-31 - Job's Final Defense Continued

¹ But now, they that are mine inferiors and younger than I, have me in derision; yea even they, whose fathers I would have thought scorn to have set with the dogs of my cattle. ² The power and strength of their hands might do me no good, and as for their age, it is spent and past away without any profit. ³ For very misery and hunger, they went about in the wilderness like wretches and beggars, ⁴ plucking up herbs from among the bushes, and the Juniper's root was their meat. ⁵ And when they were driven forth, men cried after them, as it had been after a thief. ⁶ Their dwelling was beside foul brooks, yea in the caves and dens of the earth. ⁷ Upon the dry heath went they about crying, and under the thorns they gathered themselves together. ⁸ They were children of fools and villains, which are dead away from the world.

⁹ Now am I their song, and am become their jesting stock; ¹⁰ they abhor me, they flee far from me, and stain my face with spittle, ¹¹ for the LORD hath opened his quiver: he hath hit me, and put a bridle in my mouth. ¹² Upon my right hand they rose together against me; they have hurt my feet, made a way to destroy me, ¹³ and my path have they clean marred. It was so easy for them to do me harm, that they needed no man to help them. ¹⁴ They fell upon me, as it had been the breaking in of waters, and came in by heaps to destroy me. ¹⁵ "Fearfulness is turned against me. Mine honour vanisheth away more swiftly than wind, and my prosperity departeth hence like as it were a cloud.

¹⁶ Therefore is my mind poured full of heaviness, and the days of trouble have taken hold upon me. ¹⁷ My bones are pierced through in the night season, and my sinews take no rest. ¹⁸ With all their power have they changed my garment, and girded me therewith, as it were with a coat. ¹⁹ I am even as it were clay, and am become like ashes and dust.

²⁰ When I cry unto thee, thou doest not hear me: and though I stand before thee, yet thou regardest me not. ²¹ Thou art become mine enemy, and with thy violent hand thou takest part against me. ²² In times past thou didst set me up on high, as it were above the wind, but now hast thou given me a very sore fall. ²³ Sure I am, that thou wilt deliver me unto death: whereas a lodging is prepared for all men living.

²⁴ Now use not men to do violence unto them, that are destroyed already; but where hurt is done, there use they to help. ²⁵ Did not I weep in the time of trouble? Had not my soul compassion upon the poor? ²⁶ Yet nevertheless, whereas I looked for good, evil happened unto me; and whereas I waited for light, there came darkness. ²⁷ My bowels seeth within me, and take no rest, for the days of my trouble are come upon me. ²⁸ Meekly and lowly came I in, yea and without any displeasure; I stood up in the congregation, and communed with them. ²⁹ But now I am a companion of dragons, and a fellow of ostriches. ³⁰ My skin upon me is turned to black, and my bones are burnt with heat; ³¹ my harp is turned to sorrow, and my pipe to weeping.

¹ I made a covenant with mine eyes, that I would not look upon a damsel. ² For how great a portion shall I have of God from above? And what inheritance from the Almighty on high? ³ As for the ungodly and he that joineth himself to the company of wicked doers: shall not destruction and misery come upon him? ⁴ Doth not he see my ways, and tell all my goings?

⁵ If I have cleaved unto vanity, or if my feet have run to deceive, ⁶ let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may see my innocence.

⁷ If so be that I have withdrawn my foot out of the right way, if my heart hath followed mine eyesight, if I have stained or defiled my hands, ⁸ then shall I sow, and another eat; yea, my generation and posterity shall be clean rooted out.

⁹ "If my heart hath lusted after my neighbour's wife, or if I have laid wait at his door: ¹⁰ O then let my wife be another man's harlot and let others lie with her. ¹¹ For this is a wickedness and sin, that is worthy to be punished; ¹² yea, a fire that utterly should consume, and root out all my substance.

¹³ Did I ever think scorn to do right unto my servants and maidens, when they had any matter against me? ¹⁴ But seeing that God will sit in judgment, what shall I do? And for so much as he will needs visit me, what answer shall I give him? ¹⁵ He that fashioned me in my mother's womb, made he not him also? Were we not both shapen alike in our mother's bodies?

¹⁶ "When the poor desireth anything of me, have I denied it them? Have I caused the widow stand waiting for me in vain? ¹⁷ Have I eaten my portion alone, that the fatherless hath had no part with me? ¹⁸ For mercy grew up with me from my youth, and compassion from my mother's womb. ¹⁹ Have I seen any man perish through nakedness and want of clothing? Or any poor man for lack of raiment, ²⁰ whose sides thanked me not, because he was warmed with the wool of my sheep? ²¹ Did I ever lift up my hand to hurt the fatherless; yea, in the gates where I saw myself to be in authority? ²² Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder, and mine arm holes be broken from the joints. ²³ For I have ever feared the vengeance and punishment of God, and knew very well that I was not able to bear his burden.

²⁴ "Have I put my trust in gold? Or, have I said to the finest gold of all, 'Thou art my confidence?' ²⁵ Have I rejoiced because my substance was great, and because my hand gat so much? ²⁶ Did I ever greatly regard the rising of the sun? Or, had I the going down of the moon in great reputation? ²⁷ Hath my heart meddled privily with any deceit? Or, did I ever kiss mine own hand? ²⁸ That were a wickedness worth to be punished, for then should I have denied the God that is above.

²⁹ Have I ever rejoiced at the hurt of mine enemy? Or was I ever glad, that any harm happened to him? Oh no. ³⁰ I never suffered my mouth to do such a sin, as to wish him evil. ³¹ Yet they of mine own household say, 'Who shall let us to have our belly full of his flesh?' ³² I have not suffered a stranger to lie without, but opened my doors unto him. ³³ "Have I kept secret my sin, and hid mine iniquity as Adam did? ³⁴ For if I had feared any great multitude of people, or if I had been despised of the simple; Oh then should I have been afraid. Thus have I quietly spent my life, and not gone out at the door.

³⁵ O that I had one which would hear me. Lo, this is my cause: Let the almighty give me answer, and let him that is my contrary party, sue me with libel. ³⁶ Then shall I take it upon my shoulder, and as a garland about my head. ³⁷ I have told the number of my goings, and delivered them unto him as to a prince.

³⁸ But if cause be that my land cry against me, or that the furrows thereof make any complaint; ³⁹ if I have eaten the fruits thereof unpaid for, yea if I have grieved any of the plowmen; ⁴⁰ then let thistles grow instead of my wheat, and thorns for my barley."