er.
Who shaketh the earth out of her place,
And the pillars thereof tremble.
Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not;
And sealeth up the stars.
Who alone stretcheth out the heavens,
And treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the chambers of the south.
Who doeth great things past finding out;
Yea, marvellous things without number.
Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not:
He passeth on also, but I perceive him not. {192}
If we speak of the strength of the mighty, lo, he is there!
And if of judgment, who will appoint me a time?
Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me:
Though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse.
I am perfect; I regard not myself;
I despise my life.
It is all one; therefore I say,
He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

Now my days are swifter than a courier:
They flee away, they see no good.
They are passed away as the swift ships:
As the eagle that swoopeth on the prey.
My soul is weary of my life;
I will give free course to my complaint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
I will say unto God, "Do not condemn me;
Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress,
That thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands?

Are not my days few? cease then,
And let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
Before I go whence I shall not return,
Even to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;
A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself;
A land of the shadow of death, without any order,
And where the light is as darkness."

{193}

ZOPHAR.

Should not the multitude of words be answered?
And should a man full of talk be justified?
Should thy boastings make men hold their peace?
And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?
For thou sayest, "My doctrine is pure,
And I am clean in thine eyes."
But Oh that God would speak,
And open his lips against thee;
And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom,
That it is manifold in effectual working!
Know therefore that God exacteth of thee
less than thine iniquity deserveth.
Canst thou by searching find out God?
Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
It is high as heaven; what canst thou do?
Deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know?
The measure thereof is longer than the earth,
And broa