The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake : I will divide the spoil, my soul shall be satisfied: Thou did'st blow with thy breath, the sea covered them: They sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee among the gods, O Jehovah! Who is like unto thee, making thyself glorious in holiness! Fearful in praises, executing wonders. Thou didst stretch out thy right hand,-the earth swallowed them. Thou hast led forth in thy mercy the people whom thou hast redeemed: Thou hast guided them in thy strength to the habitation of thy holiness. The people shall hear and be disquieted: Terror shall seize the inhabitants of Philistia. The mighty ones of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them: All the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away: Terror and perplexity shall fall upon them: Because of the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; Till thy people pass over, O Jehovah, Till thy people pass over, whom thou hast redeemed: Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountains of thine inheritance, The place for thy dwelling, which thou hast prepared, O The sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. TRANSLATIONS FROM THE BOOK OF JOB. BY THE REV. GEORGE R. NOYES. "The leading design of the poem is to establish the truth that character is not to be inferred from external condition ; and to enforce the duty of submission to the will of God." It is probably more ancient than the earliest remains of any uninspired poetry, and as a whole it is without doubt the most sublime production in the world. It also contains chapters, of a beauty which is never to be equalled, except by some other poetical portions in the same sacred volume, of which it constitutes only a part. It cannot be too reverently nor too often perused. Here, poetry enraptures while religion purifies the soul. We are too forgetful of the debt of gratiude we owe to the author of our being, in that he has not only written, as with a sunbeam, the instructions which we needed in the way of life, but has sublimely adapted the inspired volume to the nature of the human intellect and imagination; so that its pages are full of ever increasing delight, as well as sanctifying influence, to the wisest and most cultivated mind. THE BENEFIT OF AFFLICTION. CHAPTER V. VERSES 17-27. BEHOLD, happy is the man whom God correcteth; Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. For he bruiseth, and bindeth up; He woundeth, and his hands make whole. He will deliver thee in six troubles, Yea, in seven shall no evil touch thee. In famine he will redeem thee from death, And in war from the power of the sword. Thou shalt be safe from the scourge of the tongue, And shalt not be afraid of the wild beasts of the land. THE WRETCHEDNESS OF THE WICKED. CHAPTER XVIII. VERSES 5-21. BEHOLD! the light of the wicked shall be put out, The springe layeth hold of him by the heel, A net is secretly laid for him on the ground, His limbs are consumed; Yea, his limbs are devoured by the first-born of death. And his branches above are withered. He hath no son, nor kinsman amongst his people, They, that come after him shall be amazed at his fate, THE HAPPINESS OF THE VIRTUOUS. CHAPTER XXII. VERSES 21-30. BE reconciled to Him, and thou shalt have peace; Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up ; Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, And the gold of Ophir as stones of the brook. Yea, treasures of silver unto thee; For then shalt thou have delight in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God. Thou shalt pray unto him, and he shall hear thee, And thou shalt perform thy vows. The purpose which thou formest, shall prosper with thee, And light shall shine upon thy ways. When men are cast down, thou shalt say, "There is exalt ation!" And the humble person he will save. He will deliver even him, that is not innocent; The purity of thy hands shall save him. THE HOLINESS AND POWER OF GOD. CHAPTERS XXV. XXVI. THEN answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said: Dominion and fear are with Him; Is there any numbering of his armies? And the stars are not pure in his sight. How much less man, a worm! And the son of man, a reptile! Then Job answered and said: How hast thou helped the weak, Departed spirits beneath tremble; And Destruction hath no covering. He stretcheth out the North over empty space, He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds, He covereth the face of his throne, And spreadeth his clouds upon it. He hath drawn a circular bound upon the waters, To the confines of light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble, And are confounded at his rebuke. TRUE WISDOM. CHAPTER XXviii. VERSES 12-28. BUT where shall wisdom be found? Nor can it be found in the land of the living. The deep saith, It is not in me; And the sea saith, It is not with me. Nor shall silver be weighed out as the price thereof. Gold and crystal are not to be compared with it; Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding? We have heard of its fame with our ears. For he seeth to the ends of the earth, And surveyeth all things under the whole heaven. Behold! the fear of the Lord, that is thy wisdom, THE JUSTICE AND THE POWER OF GOD. FROM CHAPTER XXXVI. VERSE 22, THROUGH CHAPTER XXXVIII. BEHOLD, God is exalted by his power; What potentate is like him? Who hath prescribed to him his way ? Or who can say to him, "Thou hast done wrong." Forget not to magnify his work, Which men celebrate with songs. All mankind gaze upon it; Mortals behold it from afar. Behold, God is great; we cannot know him, Nor search out the number of his years. Lo, he draweth up the drops of water, Which form rain from his vapour; The clouds pour it down, And distil it upon man in abundance. Who can understand the spreading of his clouds, And the rattling of his pavilion ? |