81 And Bildad the Shuhite answereth and saith:— 2 Till when dost thou speak these things? And a strong wind—sayings of thy mouth? 3 Doth God pervert judgment? And doth the Mighty One pervert justice? 4 If thy sons have sinned before Him, And He doth send them away, By the hand of their transgression, 5 If thou dost seek early unto God, And unto the Mighty makest supplication, 6 If pure and upright thou 'art', Surely now He waketh for thee, And hath completed The habitation of thy righteousness. 7 And thy beginning hath been small, And thy latter end is very great.
8 For, ask I pray thee of a former generation, And prepare to a search of their fathers, 9 (For of yesterday we 'are', and we know not, For a shadow 'are' our days on earth.) 10 Do they not shew thee—speak to thee, And from their heart bring forth words? 11 'Doth a rush wise without mire? A reed increase without water? 12 While it 'is' in its budding—uncropt, Even before any herb it withereth. 13 So 'are' the paths of all forgetting God, And the hope of the profane doth perish, 14 Whose confidence is loathsome, And the house of a spider his trust. 15 He leaneth on his house—and it standeth not: He taketh hold on it—and it abideth not. 16 Green he 'is' before the sun, And over his garden his branch goeth out. 17 By a heap his roots are wrapped, A house of stones he looketh for. 18 If 'one' doth destroy him from his place, Then it hath feigned concerning him, I have not seen thee! 19 Lo, this 'is' the joy of his way, And from the dust others spring up.'
20 Lo, God doth not reject the perfect, Nor taketh hold on the hand of evil doers. 21 While he filleth with laughter thy mouth, And thy lips with shouting, 22 Those hating thee do put on shame, And the tent of the wicked is not!
91 And Job answereth and saith:— 2 Truly I have known that 'it is' so, And what—is man righteous with God? 3 If he delight to strive with Him—He doth not answer him one of a thousand. 4 Wise in heart and strong in power—Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace? 5 Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger. 6 Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves. 7 Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up. 8 Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea, 9 Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south. 10 Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering. 11 Lo, He goeth over by me, and I see not, And He passeth on, and I attend not to it. 12 Lo, He snatches away, who bringeth it back? Who saith unto Him, 'What dost Thou?' 13 God doth not turn back His anger, Under Him bowed have proud helpers.
14 How much less do I—I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him? 15 Whom, though I were righteous, I answer not, For my judgment I make supplication. 16 Though I had called and He answereth me, I do not believe that He giveth ear 'to' my voice. 17 Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought. 18 He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things. 19 If of power, lo, the Strong One; And if of judgment—who doth convene me? 20 If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am!—it declareth me perverse. 21 Perfect I am!—I know not my soul, I despise my life.
22 It is the same thing, therefore I said, 'The perfect and the wicked He is consuming.' 23 If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth. 24 Earth hath been given Into the hand of the wicked one. The face of its judges he covereth, If not—where, who 'is' he?
25 My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good, 26 They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darteth on food. 27 Though I say, 'I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!' 28 I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that Thou dost not acquit me. 29 I—I am become wicked; why 'is' this? 'In' vain I labour. 30 If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands, 31 Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me. 32 But if a man like myself—I answer him, We come together into judgment. 33 If there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both. 34 He doth turn aside from off me his rod, And His terror doth not make me afraid, 35 I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself.
101 My soul hath been weary of my life, I leave off my talking to myself, I speak in the bitterness of my soul. 2 I say unto God, 'Do not condemn me, Let me know why Thou dost strive 'with' me. 3 Is it good for Thee that Thou dost oppress? That Thou despisest the labour of Thy hands, And on the counsel of the wicked hast shone? 4 Eyes of flesh hast Thou? As man seeth—seest Thou? 5 As the days of man 'are' Thy days? Thy years as the days of a man? 6 That Thou inquirest for mine iniquity, And for my sin seekest? 7 For Thou knowest that I am not wicked, And there is no deliverer from Thy hand.
8 Thy hands have taken pains about me, And they make me together round about, And Thou swallowest me up! 9 Remember, I pray Thee, That as clay Thou hast made me, And unto dust Thou dost bring me back. 10 Dost Thou not as milk pour me out? And as cheese curdle me? 11 Skin and flesh Thou dost put on me, And with bones and sinews dost fence me. 12 Life and kindness Thou hast done with me. And Thy inspection hath preserved my spirit. 13 And these Thou hast laid up in Thy heart, I have known that this 'is' with Thee.
14 If I sinned, then Thou hast observed me, And from mine iniquity dost not acquit me, 15 If I have done wickedly—wo to me, And righteously—I lift not up my head, Full of shame—then see my affliction, 16 And it riseth—as a lion Thou huntest me. And Thou turnest back—Thou shewest Thyself wonderful in me. 17 Thou renewest Thy witnesses against me, And dost multiply Thine anger with me, Changes and warfare 'are' with me. 18 And why from the womb Hast Thou brought me forth? I expire, and the eye doth not see me. 19 As I had not been, I am, From the belly to the grave I am brought, 20 Are not my days few? Cease then, and put from me, And I brighten up a little, 21 Before I go, and return not, Unto a land of darkness and death-shade, 22 A land of obscurity as thick darkness, Death-shade—and no order, And the shining 'is' as thick darkness.'
26 And a messenger of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, 'Arise, and go on toward the south, on the way that is going down from Jerusalem to Gaza,'—this is desert. 27 And having arisen, he went on, and lo, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch, a man of rank, of Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to worship to Jerusalem; 28 he was also returning, and is sitting on his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go near, and be joined to this chariot;' 30 and Philip having run near, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, 'Dost thou then know what thou dost read?' 31 and he said, 'Why, how am I able, if some one may not guide me?' he called Philip also, having come up, to sit with him. 32 And the contents of the Writing that he was reading was this: 'As a sheep unto slaughter he was led, and as a lamb before his shearer dumb, so he doth not open his mouth; 33 in his humiliation his judgment was taken away, and his generation—who shall declare? because taken from the earth is his life.' 34 And the eunuch answering Philip said, 'I pray thee, about whom doth the prophet say this? about himself, or about some other one?' 35 and Philip having opened his mouth, and having begun from this Writing, proclaimed good news to him—Jesus. 36 And as they were going on the way, they came upon a certain water, and the eunuch said, 'Lo, water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?' 37 'And Philip said, 'If thou dost believe out of all the heart, it is lawful;' and he answering said, 'I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God;'' 38 and he commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him; 39 and when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more, for he was going on his way rejoicing; 40 and Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through, he was proclaiming good news to all the cities, till his coming to Cesarea.
(Read Acts 8:26-40)
Philip was directed to go to a desert. Sometimes God opens a door of opportunity to his ministers in very unlikely places. We should study to do good to those we come into company with by travelling. We should not be so shy of all strangers as some affect to be. As to those of whom we know nothing else, we know this, that they have souls. It is wisdom for men of business to redeem time for holy duties; to fill up every minute with something which will turn to a good account. In reading the word of God, we should often pause, to inquire of whom and of what the sacred writers spake; but especially our thoughts should be employed about the Redeemer. The Ethiopian was convinced by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, of the exact fulfilment of the Scripture, was made to understand the nature of the Messiah's kingdom and salvation, and desired to be numbered among the disciples of Christ. Those who seek the truth, and employ their time in searching the Scriptures, will be sure to reap advantages. The avowal of the Ethiopian must be understood as expressing simple reliance on Christ for salvation, and unreserved devotion to Him. Let us not be satisfied till we get faith, as the Ethiopian did, by diligent study of the Holy Scriptures, and the teaching of the Spirit of God; let us not be satisfied till we get it fixed as a principle in our hearts. As soon as he was baptized, the Spirit of God took Philip from him, so that he saw him no more; but this tended to confirm his faith. When the inquirer after salvation becomes acquainted with Jesus and his gospel, he will go on his way rejoicing, and will fill up his station in society, and discharge his duties, from other motives, and in another manner than heretofore. Though baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, with water, it is not enough without the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Lord, grant this to every one of us; then shall we go on our way rejoicing.
