SELECTIONS

FROM THE

POITRY OF THE HERREWS,

64.

I WOULD seek | unto God;

And unto God would I commit my cause;
Which doeth great things and un | searchable,
Marvelous things | without number.

If I speak of strength, lo! | he is strong;

And if of judgment, who shall set me a time to | plead!

If I justify myself, my own mouth | shall con | dem'n

me;

If I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me per }

verse.

Shall mortal man be more | just than | God!

Shall a man be more

pure than his | Maker?

Behold, he putteth no

trust in his servants,

And his angels he chargeth with folly:

How much less

In them that dwell in houses of clay,

Whose foundation is in the | dust, 1

Who are crushed before the moth!

Pehold, happy is the man whom | Ged correcteth: Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.

For he maketh sore, and bindeth | up

He woundeth, and his | hands make | whole.

In famine he shall redeem thee from | death;
And in war, from the power of the sword:
Thou shalt be hid from the
Neither shalt thou be afraid
it | cometh.

scourge of the tongue;
of destruction when

SELECTED FROM JOB.

65.

CANST thou by searching | find cut | God!
Canst thou find out the Almighty | to perfection!
The heights of heaven! | what canst thou do?
Deeper than the grave! what | canst thou | know ?

The measure thereof is longer than the earth,
And broader than the sea.

He doeth great things past | finding | out,
Yea, and wonders without | number.

Lo, he goeth before me, and I
He passeth on also, but | I do
Behold, he taketh away, who can
Who will say unto him, What

see him not;
not perceive him.
hinder him?
doest | thou?

Behold, I go forward, but he | is not there;
And backward, but I cannot perceive him :
On the left hand, where he doth | work,
But I cannot be hold him :

He hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot

See him.

But he knoweth the way that I | take:
When he hath | tried me,

I shall come forth as | gold.

There is a path which | no fowl | knoweth,

And which the vulture's eye hath not seen!
But where shall wisdom be fund,

And where is the place of understanding:

Man knoweth not the price there cf;
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 in | me.

It cannot be gotten for | gold;

Neither shall silver be weighed for the price there cf.

No mention shall be made of coral | or of pearls; For the price of wisdom | is above | rubies.

Whence then cometh wisdom,

And where is the place of understanding?

Destruction and | death | shy,

'We have heard the fame thereof | with our ears.'

God understandeth the way there | of,

And he knoweth the place there | of.

And unto man he saith, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord that is wisdom;

And to depart from evil is understanding.

66.

MY son, for get not my law;

But let thy heart keep my precepts:
For length of days, and | years of life,
And peace they will add unto thee.

Let not mercy and truth for sake thee;
Bind them about thy neck; write them upon the |
tablet of thy heart.

Then shalt thou find favour and good esteem,
In the sight of God and man.

Trust in the Lord with all thy | heart;
And lean not on thy | own under | standing,
In all thy ways ac | knowledge | him,

And he will direct thy paths.

1

My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord
Neither be weary of his correction :

For whom the Lord loveth, he cor | rectéth :
Even as a father the son in

whom he de | lighteth:

The path of the righteous is as the dawning | light, That shineth more and more until the perfect |

day.

But the way of the wicked is as

darkness;

They know not at what they stumble.

Keep thy heart with
For out of it | are the

al diligence:

issties of ¦ life.

Let thine eyes look right | on,

And let thine eyelids | look | straight before thee.

Ponder the path of thy feet:

So shall ail thy ways be established.
Turn not to the right hand | nor to the left;
Remove thy foot from evil.

SELECTED FROM PROVERÉS III, IV.

HAPPY the man who

67.

findeth | wisdom!

And the man who getteth understanding:
For the merchandise of it is better than the merchan

dise of silver,

And the gains of it than fine | gold,

More precious is its produce than | pearls;
And all thou canst desire is not to be compared

un to it.

Length of days is in her right hand :

And in her left hand

riches and | honour.

Her ways are

And all her

ways of pleasanimess,
paths are | peace.

A tree of life is she to them that take hold of her,

And happy is

every one that re tameth her.

Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee;
Love her, and she will keep thee.

Take fast hold of instruction; let her not | go;
Keep her, for she is thy life.

When theu walkest, thy steps shall not be straight

ened;

And if theu runnest, thou shalt not stumble.