Eliphaz: The Innocent Prosper 1Then answered Eliphas of Theman and sayde vnto him: 2Yf we begynne to comon with the, peradueture thou wilt be myscontent, but who can witholde himself from speakynge? 3Beholde, thou hast bene a teacher of many, and hast comforted the weery hondes. 4Thy wordes haue set vp those that were fallen, thou hast refresshed the weake knees. 5But now that the plage is come vpon the, thou shreckest awaye: now that it hath touched thyself, thou art faint harted. 6Where is now thy feare of God, thy stedfastnesse, thy pacience, and the perfectnesse of thy life? 7Considre (I praye the) who euer peryshed, beynge an innocent? Or, when were the godly destroyed? 8As for those that plowe wickednesse (as I haue sene myself) and sowe myschefe, they reape ye same. 9For whe God bloweth vpon them, they perysh, and are destroyed thorow the blast of his wrath. 10The roaringe of the lyon, the cryenge off the lyonesse, & ye teth off ye lyos whelpes are broke. 11The greate lyon perysheth, because he ca get no pray and the lyons whelpes are scatred abrode. 12There is spoken vnto me a thynge in councell, which hath geuen a terrible sounde in myne eare, 13with a vision in the night, when men are fallen a slepe. 14Soch feare and drede came vpo me, that all my bones shoke. 15And when the wynde passed ouer by me, the hayres of my flesh stode vp. 16Then stode there one before me, whose face I knewe not: an ymage there was, and the wether was still, so that I herde this voyce: 17Maye a man be iustified before God? Maye there eny man be iudged to be clene, by reason of his owne workes? 18Beholde, he hath founde vnfaythfulnesse amonge his owne seruauntes, and proude disobedience amonge his angels. 19How moch more the shal they (that dwell in houses of claye, whose foundacion is but earth) be moth eaten? 20They shalbe destroyed from the mornynge vnto the euenynge: yee they shall perish, or euer they be awarre: 21and be taken awaye so clene, that none of the shall remayne, but be deed, or euer they be awarre off it. |
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