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and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth • God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the Lord and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in u the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

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LESSON LXXXVI.

Job in Affliction blesses God.

And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's 14 house: And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were ploughing, and the asses feeding beside 15 them: And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed 17 them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am es16 caped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the

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house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down 21 upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, -The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

CH. II.

V. 1.

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LESSON LXXXVII.

Satan appears again before God.

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his ⚫ flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

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So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot 8 unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape

himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine 10 integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

LESSON LXXXVIII.

Job curses the Day of his Birth.

" Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him, and to comfort him. And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept ; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust 13 upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief

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was very great.

it;

CH. III. After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. V. 1-2-3. ( And Job spake, and said, Let the day perish wherein I 4 was born: Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it 8 from above, neither let the light shine upon it; Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell 13 upon let the blackness of the day terrify it. For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have 14 slept: then had I been at rest, With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves: Or with princes that had gold, who filled their 17 houses with silver: There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his 20 master. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, 21 and life unto the bitter in soul; Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures; Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?

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LESSON LXXXIX.

Eliphaz reproves Job.

CH. IV. Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, If we v. 1–2. assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but 3 who can withhold himself from speaking? Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the 4 weak hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou has strengthened the feeble knees. But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. Is not this thy fear, thy con7fidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways? Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? Even as I have seen, they that plough iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his Maker? Behold he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with 19 folly: How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth? They are destroyed from morning to evening; a they perish forever without any regarding it. Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.

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CH. V.

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Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither V. 6-7. · § doth trouble spring out of the ground; Yet man is born 8 unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. I would seek unto God,and unto God would I commit my cause: Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number: Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth 11 waters upon the fields: To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety. He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their 13 hands cannot perform their enterprise. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the fro

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ward is carried headlong. They meet with darkness in the is day-time, and grope in the noon-day as in the night. But

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he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and 16 from the hand of the mighty. So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth. Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

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LESSON XC.

Job renews his Complaints.

CH. VI. But Job answered and said, Oh that my grief were thorV. 1–2. Šoughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances

8 together! For now it would be heavier than the sand of 4 the sea therefore my words are swallowed up. For the

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arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set them8 selves in array against me. Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that 1 9 long for! Even that it would please God to destroy me; 24 that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off! Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to under25 stand wherein I have erred. How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove? Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is 27 desperate, which are as wind? Yea, ye overwhelm the 28 fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend. Now therefore be content, look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I lie. Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it. Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things? сII. VII. Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are V. 1-2. not his days also like the days of an hireling? As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling 8 looketh for the reward of his work: So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed

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