But are her pinions and feathers the kindly stork's? 14 For she leaveth her eggs on the earth, And warmeth them in the dust, 15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, Or that the wild beast may trample them. 16 She is hardened against her young ones, as if they were not hers; Though her labour be in vain, she is without fear; 17 Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, Neither hath He imparted to her understanding. 18 When the time cometh, she raiseth her wings on high, And scorneth the horse and his rider. 19 Hast thou given the horse his strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with fierceness? 20 Hast thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is terrible. 21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength; He goeth out to meet the clash of arms. 22 He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; Neither turneth he back from the sword. 23 The quiver rattleth upon him, The glittering spear and the javelin. 24 He swalloweth the ground with storm and rage; Neither believeth he that it is the voice of the horn. 25 As oft as he heareth the horn he saith: 'Ha, ha!' And he smelleth the battle afar off, The thunder of the captains, and the shouting. 26 Doth the hawk soar by thy wisdom, And stretch her wings toward the south? 27 Doth the vulture mount up at thy command, And make her nest on high? 28 She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, Upon the crag of the rock, and the stronghold. 29 From thence she spieth out the prey; Her eyes behold it afar off. 30 Her young ones also suck up blood; And where the slain are, there is she. 40 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said: 2 Shall he that reproveth contend with the Almighty? He that argueth with God, let him answer it. 3 Then Job answered the LORD, and said: 4 Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer Thee? I lay my hand upon my mouth. 5 Once have I spoken, but I will not answer again; Yea, twice, but I will proceed no further. 42 Job's Reconciliation Then Job answered the LORD, and said: 2 I know that Thou canst do every thing, And that no purpose can be withholden from Thee. 3 Who is this that hideth counsel without i knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that which I under stood not, Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. 4 Hear, I beseech Thee, and I will speak; I will demand of Thee, and declare Thou unto me. 5 I had heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; But now mine eyes seeth Thee; 6 Wherefore I abhor my words, and repent, Seeing I am dust and ashes. 7 And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: 'My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job hath. 8 Now therefore, take unto you seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt-offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept, that I do not unto you aught unseemly; for ye have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job hath.' 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them; and the LORD accepted Job. 10 And the LORD changed the fortune of Job, when he prayed for his friends; and the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house; and they bemoaned him, and comforted him concerning all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him; every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one a ring of gold. 12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. THE SONG OF SONGS Pure Love I am a rose of Sharon, 2 A lily of the valleys. 2 As a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters. 3 As an apple-tree among the trees of the wood, So is my beloved among the sons. 4 He hath brought me to the banqueting-house, And his banner over me is love. 5 'Stay ye me with dainties, refresh me with apples; For I am love-sick.' 6 Let his left hand be under my head, And his right hand embrace me. 7 'I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles, and by the hinds of the field, 8 That ye awaken not, nor stir up love, 6 Set me as a seal upon thy heart, As a seal upon thine arm; For love is strong as death, Jealousy is cruel as the grave; The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, 7 Many waters cannot quench love, 1 If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, He would utterly be contemned. RUTH The Story of Ruth And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem in Judah went to sojourn in the field of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem in Judah. And they came into the field of Moab, and continued there. 3 And Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth; and they dwelt there about ten years. 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died both of them; and the woman was left of her two children and of her husband. 6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the field of Moab; for she had heard in the field of Moab how that the LORD had remembered His people in giving them bread. 7 And she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in |