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What man is like Job,

Who drinketh up scoffing like water,

Who joineth company with the workers of iniquity,
And walketh with wicked men?

For he hath said, 'It profiteth a man nothing

That he should delight himself with God.'

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 unrighteousness.

For the work of a man shall he render unto him,

And cause every man to find according to his ways.

Yea, surely God doth not do wickedly,

Neither doth the Almighty pervert judgement.

Who hath given him a charge over the earth?
Or who guardeth the whole world?

If he took back his spirit,

If he gathered unto himself his breath;

All flesh would perish together,

And man would turn again unto dust.

If now thou hast understanding, hear this:

Hearken to the voice of

my

words.

Can he that hateth right govern,

And wilt thou condemn him that is most just? Who saith to a king, 'Thou art a villain,'

And to rulers, 'Ye are wicked':

Who accepteth not the persons of princes,

Nor regardeth the rich more than the poor.
For they all are the work of his hands.

In a moment they die, even at midnight,
And nobles are shaken, and pass away:

And the mighty are taken away without a hand. (?)
For his eyes are upon the ways of man,

And he seeth all his goings.

There is no darkness, nor shadow of death,

Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

For he appointeth no time to a man,

To enter with him into judgement. (?)

He breaketh in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And setteth others in their stead.

[Therefore he knoweth their works,

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185

And he overturneth them in the night, so that they are crushed. (?)

His wrath destroyeth the wicked,

He chastiseth them where all may see. (?)

Because they turned back from him,

And would not consider any of his ways:

So that they caused the cry of the poor to come unto him, And he heard the cry of the afflicted.]

Yet if he keep still, who can condemn him?

And when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? (?)

If he cause an impious man to reign,

One should rather say unto God,

'I will endure; I will not sin;

That which I see not, teach thou me:

If I have acted unrighteously, I will do so no more.' (?)

Shall he recompense a man according to thy mind?

And speak what thou knowest.
Men of understanding will say unto me,
And every wise man who heareth me:
'Job hath spoken without knowledge,

And his words were without wisdom.'

Oh that Job were tried unto the uttermost,

Because of his answers in the manner of wicked men.

For he addeth rebellion unto his sin,

He clappeth his hands among us,

And multiplieth his words against God.

Elihu spake moreover, and said,

Thinkest thou this to be right,

And callest thou it, 'My just cause against God,'

Thou that sayest, 'What advantage have I?'

And, 'What am I profited more than if I had sinned?'

Look unto the heavens, and see;

And behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him?

Or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou

unto him?

If thou be righteous, what givest thou him?
Or what receiveth he of thine hand?
Thy wickedness may concern a man as thou art,
And thy righteousness the son of man.

Men cry out because of the multitude of oppressions :
They cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.
But they say not, 'Where is God our maker,
Who giveth songs in the night;

Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth,
And maketh us wiser than the birds of heaven?'
Then they cry because of the pride of evil men,
But God heareth them not.

Surely God will not hear a vain cry,

Neither will the Almighty regard it.

Much less when thou sayest, Thou seest him not':
Be silent before him, and wait patiently. (?)
But now, because his anger visiteth not,

And he doth not straitly regard insolence,
Therefore Job openeth his mouth in vanity;
He multiplieth words without knowledge. (?)

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§ 33. The third speech of Elihu.-In the first part of Elihu's third speech Professor Budde finds the essence of all his discourses, for in it he shows the true purpose of God in the sufferings of the righteous.' The professor gives the substance in these words: God reveals himself to the righteous through suffering in order to bring him to a knowledge of the sin dormant within him, and especially of the sin of pride. When this sin has been purged away, God places him anew in the enjoyment of happiness.' It is most unfortunate that the text is again terribly uncertain, and critical emendations take one a very little way. Elihu begins by saying that though God is very mighty, he is also very tender. He despises none. Affliction is sent to make men realize that they have transgressed and 'dealt proudly.' (More than dormant sin is apparently referred to.) God gives them the power to understand the meaning of these afflictions that they may return from iniquity. Then, if they so return,' they will yet end their days in gladness. Thus God delivers the afflicted through their afflictions. Elihu proceeds to urge Job to look upon his own afflictions in the same light and as sent for the same end, and not to regard the extent and degree of them as too heavy for the object to be attained by them. That

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object is his own purification. Let him not misuse this heavensent remedy, and because of it turn instead to deliberate sin.

Elihu also proceeded, and said,

Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee,

For I have somewhat still to say on God's behalf. I will fetch my knowledge from afar,

And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. For truly my words are not false:

One that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

Behold, God rejecteth the stubborn of heart;
He preserveth not the life of the wicked: (?)
But he giveth right to the poor,

He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous:
But with kings upon the throne

He setteth them for ever, and they are exalted. (?) But if they be bound in fetters,

And fastened in cords of affliction,

He sheweth them thereby their work,

And their transgressions that they have dealt proudly.

He openeth also their ear to the warning,

And telleth them to return from iniquity.

If they obey and serve him,

They end their days in prosperity,

And their years in pleasures.

But if they obey not,

They perish by the bolt of death,

And they die without knowledge.

He delivereth the afflicted through his affliction,

And openeth his ear through suffering.

Yea, thee too he allureth out of the mouth of distress,

And let not the greatness of the ransom lead thee astray.

Take heed, turn not unto iniquity:

For thou choosest guilt because of thy affliction. (?)

'But if they be bound in fetters.' Who are 'they' Apparently the righteous of the preceding distichs, thus showing that Elihu is not thinking of vile and coarse sins, but of pride and conceit, of which a man might be guilty and yet be termed 'righteous.' This goes to support Professor Budde's theories. The fetters and cords are metaphors for sorrows and afflictions. Greatness of the ransom.' The ransom which Job has to pay is his affliction. The affliction is both the means for his own purification and the price of his ultimate deliverance. The two lines, 'He delivereth the afflicted through his affliction, And openeth his ear through suffering,' sum up Elihu's doctrine concisely. It is a notable thought, as Professor Budde rightly says. Sorrow as an education and a purificationthis thought goes a certain way to explain some phases of suffering at any rate, whether Elihu's speeches are 'genuine' or not. These two lines are among the greatest in the Bible.

The second section of Elihu's third speech consists of a description of the greatness and glory of God as revealed in the storm and in some other processes of nature. It would seem as if the writer had intended the words of Elihu to have been chosen, and his thoughts guided, by the storm out of which the Almighty is about to address Job. As the storm approaches, Elihu's excitement increases; he describes what he is actually supposed to see. He begins with the rain, but passes on quickly to the lightning and the thunder. With his description of the storm there are also mixed up, very inartistically as it seems to me, allusions to snow and ice. Some of the verses may be interpolated. It seems difficult to suppose, with Professor Budde, that the 'molten mirror' aspect of the sky was suggested by dark, lowering tempest clouds. Three of the following verses are very obscure: it would take too long to indicate the explanations that have been suggested. "Golden brightness' would seem to refer to the nearing approach of the divine apparition.

Behold, God doeth loftily in his power:

Who teacheth like him?

Who hath enjoined him his way?

Or who can say, 'Thou hast wrought iniquity'? Remember that thou magnify his work,

Whereof men do sing.

[Every man may see it;

Man may behold it afar off.

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