For they speak against thee wickedly, And thine enemies take thy name in vain. And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I count them mine enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any way of wickedness in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. JOB 38: 1-41. XXXV. THE GOD OF NATURE. Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel By words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; For I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding. Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut up the sea with doors, When it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb; When I made the cloud the garment thereof, And thick darkness a swaddlingband for it, And prescribed for it my decree, And set bars and doors, And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; And here shall thy proud waves be stayed? Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began, And caused the dayspring to know its place; That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it? It is changed as clay under the seal; And all things stand forth as a garment: Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Where is the way to the dwelling of light, And as for darkness, where is the place thereof; That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, And that thou shouldest discern the paths to the house thereof? Doubtless, thou knowest, for thou wast then born, And the number of thy days is great! Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow, Or hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail, By what way is the light parted, Or the east wind scattered upon the earth? Or a way for the lightning of the thunder; On the wilderness, wherein there is no man; To satisfy the waste and desolate ground; And to cause the tender grass to spring forth? Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew? Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? The waters are hidden as with stone, And the face of the deep is frozen. Canst thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? Or canst thou guide the Bear with her train? Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth? Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover thee? Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go, And say unto thee, Here we are? Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? When the dust runneth into a mass, Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lioness? And abide in the covert to lie in wait? When his young ones cry unto God, And wander for lack of meat? XXXVI. THE NATURE OF WISDOM. JOB 28:5-28. As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: And underneath it is turned up as it were by fire. That path no bird of prey knoweth, He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock; He cutteth out channels among the rocks; And his eye seeth every precious thing. He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; And the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light. But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof; Neither is it found in the land of the living. The deep saith, It is not in me: And the sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, Neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, With the precious onyx, or the sapphire. Gold and glass cannot equal it: Neither shall the exchange thereof be jewels of fine gold No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal: Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding? We have heard a rumour thereof with our ears. God understandeth the way thereof, And he knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, And seeth under the whole heaven; To make a weight for the wind; Yea, he meeteth out the waters by measure. He established it, yea, and searched it out. Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; XXXVII. THE AIM OF WISDOM. PROVERBS 1:1-33. The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To discern the words of understanding; To receive instruction in wise dealing, In righteousness and judgement and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion: That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; And that the man of understanding may attain unto sound coun sels: To understand a proverb, and a figure; The words of the wise, and their dark sayings. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: But the foolish despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck. My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, Let us lay wait for blood, Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause; Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, And whole, as those that go down into the pit; We shall find all precious substance, We shall fill our houses with spoil; Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; We will all have one purse: My son, walk not thou in the way with them; Refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood. In the eyes of any bird: |