and suddenly there came a mighty great wind out of the South, and smote the four corners of the house: which fell upon thy children, so that they are dead, and I alone am gotten away, to tell thee."

There, must the wicked cease from their tyranny, there such as are overlaboured be at rest.

There, are those let out free which have been in prison, so that they hear no more the voice of the oppressor.

There, are small and great; the bondman, and he that is free from his master.

With the blast of God they perish, and with the breath of his anger are they consumed away.

The roaring of the lion, the voice of the lioness, and the teeth of the lion's whelps are broken.

The lion perisheth, for lack of prey, and the lion's whelps are scattered abroad.

which doeth things, that are unsearchable, and marvelous without number.

which setteth up them of low degree, and sendeth prosperity to those that are in heaviness;

Which destroyeth the devices of the subtle, so that they are not able to perform the things that they take in hand;

Thou shalt come to thy grave in a fair age, like as the corn sheaves are brought in to the barn in due season.

This is the cause, that my words are so sorrowful.

For the arrows of the almighty are in me, whose indignation hath drunk up my spirit, and the terrible fears of God fight against me.

The things that sometime I might not away withal, are now my meat for very sorrow.

for the paths that they go in are crooked: they haste after vain things, and shall perish.

Confounded are they that put any confidence in them: For when they came to obtain the things that they looked for, they were brought to confusion.

Even so are ye also come unto me: but now that ye see my misery, ye are afraid.

How steadfast are the words of truth! And which of you can rebuke or reprove them?

Is not the life of man upon earth a very battle? Are not his days like the days of a hired servant?

my days pass over more speedily than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.

I can see no remedy. I shall live no more. O spare me then, for my days are but vain.

For we are but of yesterday, and consider not that our days upon earth are but a very shadow.

He doth great things, such as are unsearchable, yea and wonders without number.

"My days are more swift than a runner: they are gone, and have seen no good thing.

They are passed away, as the ships that be good under sail, and as the Eagle that hasteth to the prey.

Are thy days as the days of man, and thy years as man's years,

Thou bringest fresh witnesses against me, and thy wrath increasest thou upon me; very many are the plagues that I am in.

"Then, no doubt, ye are the men alone; and wisdom shall perish with you.

"The houses of robbers are in wealth and prosperity; and they that maliciously meddle against God, dwell without care: yea, God giveth all things richly with his hand.

As for you, ye are workmasters of lies, and unprofitable physicians altogether.

"How great are my misdeeds and sins? Let me know my transgressions and offenses.

The days of man are short, the number of his months are known only to thee. Thou hast appointed him his bounds; he cannot go beyond them.

The floods when they be dried up, and the rivers when they be empty, are filled again through the flowing waters of the sea:

The mountains fall away at the last, the rocks are removed out of their place;

Thou reprovest with words, that are worth nothing; and speakest the things which can do no good!

With us are old and aged men; yea, such as have lived longer than thy forefathers.

Behold, he doth not trust his saints; yea, the very heavens are not clean in his sight.

Therefore shall his dwelling be in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabits, but are become heaps of stones.

For the congregation of hypocrites is unfruitful, and the fire shall consume the houses of such as are greedy to receive gifts.

"I have oft times heard such things. Miserable givers of comfort are ye, all the sort of you.

My face is swollen with weeping, and mine eyes are waxen dim.

yet the number of my years are come - and I must go the way from whence I shall not turn again.

My breath faileth, my days are shortened. I am hard at death's door.

Froward men are with me, and mine eye must continue in the bitterness of them.

My days are past, my thoughts are vanished away, which have vexed my heart,

Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed so vile in your sight?

Such are now the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God."

Lo, ten times have ye reproved me: are ye not ashamed, for to laugh me to scorn?

He hath put my brethren far away from me, and such as were of mine acquaintance, are become strangers unto me.

All such as were my most familiars, abhor me: And they whom I loved best, are turned against me.

Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied of my flesh?

Yea, I myself shall behold him - not with other, but with these same eyes, though my reins are consumed within me.

From his youth his bones are full of vice; but now shall it lie down with him in the earth.

Their houses are safe from all fear, for the rod of God doth not smite them.

even when his bowels are at the fattest, and his bones full of marrow.

Then shall he be fain to be buried among the stones by the brookside. All men must follow him, and there are innumerable gone before him.

How vain, then, is the comfort that ye give me? Are not your answers clean contrary to right and truth?"

Is it any advantage to the Almighty that thou art righteous? Or what doth it profit him, that thy ways are perfect?

Now because that God is higher than the heavens, and because thou seest the stars are so high,

They are the cause that so many men are naked and bare, having no clothes to cover them and keep them from cold;

The poor are fain to labour in their oil mills, yea and to tread in their wine presses, and yet to suffer thirst.

whereas they, notwithstanding, are rebellious and disobedient enemies: which seek not his light and way, nor turn again in to his path.

They pluck down the mighty with their power, and when they themselves are gotten up, they are never without fear, as long as they live.

They are exalted for a little, but shortly are they gone, brought to extreme poverty, and taken out of the way: yea, and utterly plucked off, as the ears of corn.

Is it not so? Who will then reprove me as a liar, and say that my words are nothing worth?"

whose men of war are innumerable, and whose light ariseth over all.

Behold, the Moon shineth nothing in comparison to him, and the stars are unclean in his sight.

"The giants and worthies that are slain, and lie under the world with their companions;

yea, and all they which dwell beneath in the hell are not hid from him, and the very destruction itself cannot be kept out of his sight.

There are places were silver is molten, and where gold is tried;

With the river of water parteth he asunder the strange people, that knoweth no good neighborhead; such as are rude, unmannerly and boisterous.

There is found a place, whose stones are clean Sapphires, and where the clots of the earth are gold.

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.

They were children of fools and villains, which are dead away from the world.

My bones are pierced through in the night season, and my sinews take no rest.

Now use not men to do violence unto them, that are destroyed already; but where hurt is done, there use they to help.

My bowels seeth within me, and take no rest, for the days of my trouble are come upon me.

My skin upon me is turned to black, and my bones are burnt with heat;

Great men are not always wise, neither doth every aged man understand the thing that is lawful.

'Ungodly men are ye.' He hath none respect unto the persons of the lordly, and regardeth not the rich more than the poor. For they be all the work of his hands.

Insomuch that they have caused the voice of the poor to come unto him, and now he heareth the complaint of such as are in necessity.

Look unto the heaven, and behold it: consider the clouds, how they are higher than thou.

"There is a great cry and complaint made by them that are oppressed with violence; yea, every man complaineth upon the cruel arm of tyrants.

True are my words, and no lie: and the knowledge wherewithal I argue against thee, is perfect.

Behold, so great is God, that he passeth our knowledge; neither are we able to come to the experience of his years.

At the breath of God, the frost cometh, and the waters are shed abroad.

And how thy clothes are warm, when the land is still through the South wind?

Hast thou helped him to spread out the heavens, which are strong and bright as a looking glass?

Teach us what we shall say unto him, for we are unmete because of darkness.

That the waters are as hard as stones, and lie congealed above the deep.

Canst thou thunder also that they may go their way, and be obedient unto thee, saying, 'Lo here are we'?

Or when they lie down, when they cast their young ones, and when they are delivered of their travail and pain?

His young ones are fed with blood, and where any dead body lieth, there is he immediately."

He spreadeth out his tail like a Cedar tree, all his sinews are stiff.

His shins are like pipes of brass, his ridge bones are like staves of iron.

"Or, who hath given me anything afore hand, that I am bound to reward him again? All things under heaven are mine.

The members of his body are joined so strait one to another, and cleave so fast together, that he cannot be moved.

When he goeth, the mightiest of all are afraid, and the waves heave.

For who can keep his own counsel so secret, but it shall be known? Therefore have I spoken unwisely, seeing these things are so high, and pass mine understanding.