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JOB
Chapter
1
1
In the lode of Hus there was a man called Iob: an innocent and vertuous man,
soch one as feared God, and eschued euell.
2 This man had vij. sonnes, and iij. doughters.
3 His substaunce was vij. M. shepe, iij.M. camels, v.C. yock of oxen, v.C.
she asses, and a very greate housholde: so yt he was one of the most principall
men amoge all them of the east countre.
4 His sonnes now wente on euery man, and made banckettes: one daye in one
house, another daye in another, and sent for their iij. sisters, to eate &
drinke with them.
5 So when they had passed ouer the tyme of their banckettinge rounde
aboute, Iob sent for them, and clensed them agayne, stode vp early, and offred
for euery one a bretofferinge. For Iob thought thus: peraduenture my sonnes haue
done some offence, and haue bene vnthankfull to God in their hertes. And thus
dyd Iob euery daye.
6 Now vpon a tyme, when the seruauntes of God came and stode before the
LORDE, Sathan came also amonge them.
7 And the LORDE sayde vnto Sathan: From whence commest thou? Sathan
answered the LORDE, and sayde: I haue gone aboute the lode, and walked thorow
it.
8 Then sayde the LORDE vnto Satha: hast thou not considered my seruaunt
Iob, how that he is an innocet and vertuous ma: soch one as feareth God, and
eschueth euell, and that there is none like him in the londe?
9 Sathan answered, and sayde vnto the LORDE: Doth Iob feare God for
naught?
10 hast thou not preserued him, his house, and all his substaunce on euery
syde? hast thou not blessed the workes of his hondes? Is not his possession
encreaced in the londe?
11 But laye thyne honde vpo him a litle, touch once all that he hath, and
(I holde) he shall curse the to thy face.
12 And the LORDE sayde vnto Sathan: lo all that he hath, be in thy power:
only vpon himself se that thou laye not thine honde. Then wente Sathan forth
from the LORDE.
13 Now vpon a certayne daye when his sonnes and doughters were eatinge,
and drynkinge wyne in their eldest brothers house,
14 there came a messaunger vnto Iob, and sayde: Whyle the oxen were a
plowinge, and the Asses goinge in the pasture besyde them:
15 the Sabees came in violetly, and toke them all awaye: yee they haue
slayne the seruauntes with the swearde, and I only ranne my waye, to tell the.
16 And whyle he was yet speakynge, there came another, and sayde: The fyre
of God is fallen from heauen, it hath consumed & bret vp all the shepe and
seruauntes: and I only ranne my waye, to tell the.
17 In the meane season whyle he was yet speakinge, there came another, and
sayde: The Caldees made thre armies, and fell in vpon the camels, which they
haue caried awaye, yee and slayne the seruauntes with the swearde: and I only am
gotte awaye, to tell the.
18 Whyle he was speakinge, there came yet another, ad sayde: Thy sonnes
and doughters were eatinge ad drynkinge wyne in their eldest brothers house,
19 ad sodenly there came a mightie greate wynde out off the South, and
smote the iiij. corners of the house: which fell vpon thy children, so that they
are deed: and I am gotten awaye alone, to tell the.
20 Then Iob stode vp, and rente his clothes shaued his heade, fell downe
vpon the groude, worshipped,
21 and sayde: Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, and naked shall I
turne thither agayne. The LORDE gaue, and the LORDE hath taken awaye (the LORDE
hath done his pleasure) now blessed be ye name off the LORDE.
22 In all these thinges dyd Iob not offende, ner murmured foolishly
agaynst God.
Chapter
2
1 It happened also apon a tyme, that when the seruauntes of God came &
stode before the LORDE, Sathan came also amonge them, and stode before him.
2 And the LORDE sayde vnto Sathan: From whence commest thou? Sathan
answered and sayde: I haue gone aboute the lode, and walked thorow it.
3 Then sayde the LORDE vnto Sathan: Hast thou not considered my seruaunt
Iob, how that he is an innocent & vertuous man soch one as feareth God, and
eschueth euell, and that there is none like him in the londe? But thou mouedest
me agaynst him, to punysh him: yet is it in vayne, for he contynueth still in
his godlynesse.
4 Sathan answered the LORDE, and sayde: Skynne for skynne? yee a man will
geue all yt euer he hath, for his life.
5 But laye thine honde vpon him, touch him once vpon the bone and flesh,
and (I holde) he shall curse the to thy face.
6 Then sayde the LORDE vnto Satha: lo, there hast thou him in thy power,
but spare his life.
7 So wente Sathan forth from the LORDE, and smote Iob with maruelous sore
byles, from the sole off the fote vnto his crowne:
8 so that he sat vpon the grounde in the asshes, and scraped of the etter
off his sores with a potsherde.
9 Then sayde his wife vnto him: Dost thou yet cotynue in thy perfectnesse?
curse God, & dye.
10 But Iob sayde vnto her: Thou speakest like a foolish woma. Seinge we
haue receaued prosperite at the honde of God, wherfore shulde we not be content
with aduersite also? In all these thinges, dyd not Iob synne with his lippes.
11 Now when Iobs frendes herde of all ye trouble, that happened vnto him,
there came thre off them, euery one from his owne place: namely, Eliphas the
Themanite, Baldad the Suhite, and Sophar the Naamathite. For they were agreed
together to come, to shewe their compassion vpon him, and to comforte him.
12 So when they lifte vp their eyes a farre off, they knewe him not. Then
they cried, and wepte: then euery one off them rente his clothes, and sprynckled
dust vpon their heades in the ayre.
13 They sat them downe by him also vpon the grounde, vij. dayes and vij.
nightes. Nether was there eny of them that spake one worde vnto him, for they
sawe that his payne was very greate.
Chapter
3
1 After this opened Iob his mouth, and cursed his daye,
2 and sayde:
3 lost be that daye, wherin I was borne: and the night, in the which it
was sayde: there is a manchilde conceaued.
4 The same daye be turned to darcknesse, and not regarded of God from
aboue, nether be shyned vpo wt light:
5 but be couered with darcknesse, and the shadowe of death. Let the dymme
cloude fall vpon it, and let it be lapped in with sorowe.
6 Let the darckstorme ouercome ye night, let it not be reckened amonge the
dayes off the yeare, ner counted in the monethes.
7 Despysed be that night, and discommended: let them that curse the daye,
8 geue it their curse also, euen those that be ready to rayse vp Leuiathan.
9 Let the starres be dymme thorow darcknesse of it. Let it loke for light,
but let it se none, nether the rysynge vp of the fayre mornynge:
10 because it shut not vp the wombe that bare me, ner hyd these sorowes
fro myne eyes.
11 Alas, why dyed I not in ye byrth? Why dyd not I perysh, as soone as I
came out of my mothers wobe?
12 Why set they me vpo yeir knees? Why gaue they me suck with their brestes?
13 Then shulde I now haue lyen still, I shulde haue slepte, and bene at
rest:
14 like as the kynges ad lordes of ye earth, which buylde them selues
speciall places:
15 As the prynces that haue greate substaunce of golde, & their houses
full of syluer.
16 O that I vtterly had no beynge, or were as a thige borne out of tyme
(that is put asyde) ether as yonge children, which neuer sawe the light.
17 There must the wicked ceasse from their tyranny, there soch as are
ouerlaboured, be at rest:
18 there are those letten out fre, which haue bene in preson, so that they
heare nomore the voyce of the oppressoure:
19 There are small and greate: the bonde man, and he that is fre fro his
master.
20 Wherfore is the light geuen, to him that is in mysery? and life vnto
them, that haue heuy hertes?
21 (Which longe for death, and it commeth not: for yf they might fynde
their graue,
22 they wolde be maruelous glad, as those that dygge vp treasure)
23 To the man whose waye is hyd, which God kepeth backe from him.
24 This is the cause, that I syghe before I eate, and my roaringes fall
out like a water floude.
25 For the thynge that I feared, is come vpon me: and the thynge that I
was afrayed of, is happened vnto me.
26 Was I not happy? Had I not quyetnesse? Was I not in rest? And now
commeth soch mysery vpon me.
Chapter
4
1 Then answered Eliphas of Theman and sayde vnto him:
2 Yf we begynne to comon with the, peradueture thou wilt be myscontent,
but who can witholde himself from speakynge?
3 Beholde, thou hast bene a teacher of many, and hast comforted the weery hondes.
4 Thy wordes haue set vp those that were fallen, thou hast refresshed the
weake knees.
5 But now that the plage is come vpon the, thou shreckest awaye: now that
it hath touched thyself, thou art faint harted.
6 Where is now thy feare of God, thy stedfastnesse, thy pacience, and the
perfectnesse of thy life?
7 Considre (I praye the) who euer peryshed, beynge an innocent? Or, when
were the godly destroyed?
8 As for those that plowe wickednesse (as I haue sene myself) and sowe
myschefe, they reape ye same.
9 For whe God bloweth vpon them, they perysh, and are destroyed thorow the
blast of his wrath.
10 The roaringe of the
lyon
, the cryenge off the lyonesse, & ye teth off ye lyos whelpes are broke.
11 The greate lyon perysheth, because he ca get no pray and the
lyons
whelpes are scatred abrode.
12 There is spoken vnto me a thynge in councell, which hath geuen a
terrible sounde in myne eare,
13 with a vision in the night, when men are fallen a slepe.
14 Soch feare and drede came vpo me, that all my bones shoke.
15 And when the wynde passed ouer by me, the hayres of my flesh stode vp.
16 Then 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:
17 Maye a man be iustified before God? Maye there eny man be iudged to be
clene, by reason of his owne workes?
18 Beholde, he hath founde vnfaythfulnesse amonge his owne seruauntes, and
proude disobedience amonge his angels.
19 How moch more the shal they (that dwell in houses of claye, whose
foundacion is but earth) be moth eaten?
20 They shalbe destroyed from the mornynge vnto the euenynge: yee they
shall perish, or euer they be awarre:
21 and be taken awaye so clene, that none of the shall remayne, but be
deed, or euer they be awarre off it.
Chapter
5
1 Name me one els, yf thou canst fynde eny: yee loke aboute the, vpon eny
of the holy men.
2 As for the foolish man displeasure kylleth him, and anger slayeth ye ignoraunt.
3 I haue sene my self, when the foolish was depe roted, that his bewty was
sodely destroyed:
4 that his children were without prosperite or health: that they were
slayne in the dore, and no ma to delyuer them:
5 that his haruest was eaten vp off the hungrie: that the weapened man had
spoyled it, and that the thurstie had droncke vp his riches. It is not the earth
that bryngeth forth trauayle,
6 nether commeth sorow out of ye groude:
7 but it is man, that is borne vnto mysery, like as the byrde for to fle.
8 But now will I speake off the LORDE, and talke of God:
9 which doth thinges, that are vnsearcheable, and marueles without nobre:
10 Which geueth rayne vpo the earth, and poureth water vpon all thinges:
11 which setteth vp them of lowe degre, and sendeth prosperite, to those
that are in heuynesse:
12 Which destroyeth the deuyces of the sotyll, so that they are not able
to perfourme the thynges that they take in hode:
13 which compaseth ye wyse in their owne craftynesse, and ouertroweth the
councell of the wicked:
14 In so moch that they runne in to darcknesse by fayre daye, and grope
aboute them at the noone daye, like as in the night.
15 And so he delyuereth the poore from the swearde, from their mouth, and
from the hode of the cruell:
16 that the poore maye haue hope, & that the mouth of the oppressoure
maye be stopped.
17 Beholde, happie is the man, whom God punysheth: therfore, despyse not
thou ye chastenynge of the Allmighty.
18 For though he make a wounde, he geueth a medicyne agayne: though he
smyte, his honde maketh whole agayne.
19 He delyuereth the out of sixe troubles, so that in the seuenth there
can no harme touch the.
20 In the myddest of honger he saueth ye from death: and when it is warre,
from the power of the swearde.
21 He shall kepe the from the perlous tonge so that when trouble commeth,
thou shalt not nede to feare.
22 In destruccion and derth thou shalt be mery, and shalt not be afrayed
for the beastes of the earth:
23 But the castels in the londe shal be confederate with the, & the
beastes of the felde shall geue the peace:
24 Yee thou shalt se, that thy dwellynge place shalbe in rest: thou shalt
beholde thy substaunce, and be nomore punyshed for synne.
25 Thou shalt se also, that thy sede shall encreace, and that thy
posterite shalbe as the
grasse
vpon the earth.
26 Thou shalt come to thy graue in a fayre age, like as ye corne sheeues
are brought in to the barne in due season.
27 Lo, this is the matter, as we oure selues haue proued by experience.
Therfore now that thou hearest it, take better hede to thy selff.
Chapter
6
1 Iob answered, and sayde:
2 O that my misery weere weyed, and my punyshment layed in the balaunces:
3 for then shulde it be heuyer, then the sonde of the see. This is the
cause, that my wordes are so soroufull.
4 For the allmighty hath shott at me with his arowes, whose indignacion
hath droncke vp my sprete, and ye terrible feares of God fight agaysnt me.
5 Doth the wilde asse roare when he hath
grasse
? Or crieth the oxe, whe he hath fodder ynough?
6 Maye a thynge be eaten vnseasoned, or without salt? What taist hath ye
whyte within the yoke an egg?
7 The thinges that sometyme I might not awaye withall, are now my meate
for very sorow.
8 O that I might haue my desyre: O yt God wolde graunte me the thynge,
that I longe for:
9 That he wolde begynne and smyte me: that he wolde let his honde go,
& hew me downe.
10 The shulde I haue some coforte: yee I wolde desyre him in my payne,
that he shulde not spare, for I will not be agaynst ye wordes of the holy one.
11 What power haue I to endure? Or? what is myne ende, that my soule might
be paciet?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones? Or, is my flesh made of brasse?
13 Am I able to helpe my self? Is not my strength gone fro me,
14 like as yf one withdrewe a good dede from his frende, and forsoke the
feare of God?
15 Myne owne brethren passe ouer by me as the waterbroke, that hastely
runneth thorow ye valleys.
16 But they that feare the horefrost, the snowe shal fall vpon them.
17 When their tyme cometh, they shalbe destroyed and perishe: and when
they be set on fyre, they shalbe remoued out of their place,
18 for the pathes yt they go in, are croked: they haist after vayne
thinges, and shal perish.
19 Considre the pathes off Theman, & the wayes off
Saba
, wherin they haue put their trust.
20 Confounded are they, that put eny cofidence in them: For whe they came
to opteyne the thynges that they loked for, they were brought to confucion.
21 Eue so are ye also come vnto me: but now that ye se my mysery, ye are afrayed.
22 Dyd I desyre you, to come hyther? Or, to geue me eny off youre substaunce?
23 To delyuer me me from the enemies honde, or to saue me from the powers
off the mightie?
24 Teach me and I will holde my tonge: and yf I do erre, shewe me wherin.
25 Wherfore blame ye then the wordes, that are well and truly spoken?
26 which of you can reproue them? Sauynge only that ye are sotyll to check
mens sayenges, and can speake many wordes in the wynde.
27 Ye fall vpon the fatherlesse, ad go aboute to ouerthrowe youre owne frende.
28 Wherfore loke not only vpon me, but vpon youre selues: whether I lye,
or no.
29 Turne into youre owne selues (I praye you) be indifferent iudges, and
considre myne vngyltinesse:
30 whether there be eny vnrightuousnesse in my tonge, or vayne wordes in
my mouth.
Chapter
7
1 Is not the life off ma vpon earth a very batayll? Are not his dayes,
like the dayes of an hyred seruaunte?
2 For like as a bonde seruaunt desyreth the shadowe, and as an hyrelinge
wolde fayne haue an ende of his worke:
3 Euen so haue I laboured whole monethes longe (but in vayne) and many a
carefull night haue I tolde.
4 When I layed me downe to slepe, I sayde: O when shal I ryse? Agayne, I
longed sore for the night. Thus am I full off sorowe, till it be darcke.
5 My flesh is clothed with wormes, fylthinesse and dust: my skynne is
wythered, and crompled together:
6 my dayes passe ouer more spedely, the a weeuer can weeue out his webbe,
and are gone, or I am awarre.
7 O remembre, that my life is but a wynde, ad that myne eye shal nomore se
the pleasures
8 therof yee and that none other mans eye shall se me eny more. For yf
thou fasten thine eyes vpon me, I come to naught like
9 as a cloude is cosumed and vanyshed awaye, euen so he that goeth downe
to hell, commeth nomore vp,
10 ner turneth agayne in to his house, nether shall his place knowe him
eny more.
11 Therfore I will not spare my mouth, but will speake in the trouble of
my sprete, in ye bytternesse of my mynde will I talke.
12 Am I a see or a whalfysh, that thou kepest me so in preson?
13 When I thynke: my bedd shall comforte me, I shall haue some
refresshinge by talkynge with myself vpon my couche:
14 The troublest thou me with dreames, ad makest me so afrayed thorow
visions,
15 that my soule wyssheth rather to be hanged, and my bones to be deed.
16 I can se no remedy, I shall lyue nomore: O spare me then, for my dayes
are but vayne
17 What is man, that thou hast him in soch reputacion, and settest so moch
by him?
18 Thou takest diligent care for him, and sodely doest thou trye him.
19 Why goest thou not fro me, ner lettest me alone, so longe till I swalow
downe my spetle?
20 I haue offended, what shal I do vnto ye, O thou preseruer off men? Why
hast thou made me to stonde in thy waye, and am so heuy a burden vnto myself?
21 Why doest thou not forgeue me my synne? Wherfore takest thou not awaye
my wickednesse? Beholde, now must I slepe in the dust: and yff thou sekest me
tomorow in the mornynge, I shalbe gone.
Chapter
8
1 Then answered Baldad the Suhite, and sayde:
2 How longe wilt thou talke of soch thinges? how longe shal yi mouth
speake so proude wordes?
3 Doth God peruerte the thinge that is laufull? Or, doth the Allmightie
destroye the thynge that is right?
4 Whe thy sonnes synned agaynst him, dyd not he punysh the for their wickednesse?
5 Yff thou woldest now resorte vnto God by tymes, and make thine humble
prayer to ye Allmightie:
6 yf thou woldest lyue a pure and a godly life: shulde he not wake vp vnto
the immediatly, & geue the the bewtie of rightuousnesse agayne?
7 In so moch, that where i so euer thou haddest litle afore, thou shuldest
now haue greate abundaunce.
8 Enquere of them that haue bene before the, search diligently amonge thy
forefathers:
9 Namely, yt we are but of yesterdaye, and considre not, that oure dayes
vpon earth are buth a very shadow.
10 They shall shewe the, they shall tell the, yee they will gladly
confesse the same.
11 Maye a resshe be grene without moystnesse? maye the
grasse
growe without water?
12 No: but (or euer it be shot forth, and or euer it be gathered) it
wythereth, before eny other herbe.
13 Euen so goeth it with all them, that forget God: and euen thus also
shal the ypocrytes hope come to naught.
14 His confidence shalbe destroyed, for he trusteth in a spyders webbe.
15 He leeneth him vpo his house, but he shal not stonde: he holdeth him
fast by it, yet shal he not endure.
16 Oft tymes a thinge doth florish, and men thynke that it maye abyde the
Sonneshyne: it shuteth forth the braunches in his garden,
17 it taketh many rotes, in so moch that it is like an house off stones.
18 But yf it be taken out off his place, euery man denyeth it, sayenge: I
knowe the not.
19 Lo, thus is it wt him, that reioyseth in his owne doinges: and as for
other, they growe out of the earth.
20 Beholde, God will not cast awaye a vertuous man, nether wil he helpe
the vngodly.
21 Thy mouth shall he fyll with laughynge, ad thy lyppes with gladnesse.
22 They that hate the, shalbe confounded, & ye dwellinges of ye
vngodly shal come to naught.
Chapter
9
1 Iob answered, and sayde:
2 As for yt I knowe it is so of a treuth, yt a man compared vnto God, can
not be iustified.
3 Yf he wil argue with him, he shall not be able to answere him vnto one
amonge a thousande.
4 He is wyse of hert, and mightie in strength. Who euer prospered, that
toke parte agaynst him?
5 He translateth the moutaynes, or euer they be awarre, & ouerthroweth
them in his wrath.
6 He remoueth the earth out of hir place, that hir pilers shake withall.
7 He commaundeth the Sone, & it ryseth not: he closeth vp the starres,
as it were vnder a signet.
8 He himself alone spredeth out ye heauens, and goeth vpon the wawes of
the see.
9 He maketh the
waynes
of heauen, the Orions, the vij. starres and the secrete places of the south.
10 He doth greate thinges, soch as are vnsearcheable, yee and wonders
without nombre.
11 Yf he came by me, I might not loke vpo him: yf he wente his waye, I
shulde not perceaue it.
12 Yf he be haisty to take eny thinge awaye, who wil make him restore it
agayne? Who wil saye vnto him: what doest thou?
13 He is God, whose wrath no man maye with stode: but the proudest of all
must stoupe vnder him.
14 How shulde I then answere him? or, what wordes shulde I fynde out
agaynst him?
15 Yee though I be rightuous, yet will I not geue him one worde agayne,
but mekely submytte my self to my iudge.
16 All be it that I call vpon him, and he heare me, yet am I not sure, yt
he hath herde my voyce:
17 he troubleth me so with the tempest, and woundeth me out of measure
without a cause.
18 He will not let my sprete be in rest, but fylleth me wt bytternesse.
19 Yf men will speake of strength, he is the stogest of all: yf me will
speake of rightousnes, who darre be my recorde?
20 yf I will iustifie my self, myne owne mouth shall codemne me: yf I will
put forth my self for a perfecte man, he shal proue me a wicked doer:
21 For that I shulde be an innocent, my coscience knoweth it not, yee I my
self am weery off my life.
22 This one thige wil I saye: He destroyeth both the rightuous & vngodly.
23 And though he slaye sodenly wt the scourge, yet laugheth he at the
punyshment of the innocent.
24 As for the worlde, he geueth it ouer in to the power of the wicked,
soch as the rulers be, wherof all londes are full. Is it not so? where is there
eny, but he is soch one?
25 My dayes haue bene more swifte, then a runner: they are gone sodenly,
and haue sene no good thinge.
26 They are passed awaye, as the shippes that be good vnder sale, and as
the Aegle that haisteth to the pray.
27 When I am purposed to forget my complayninges to chaunge my
countenaunce, and to coforte my self:
28 then am I afrayed of all my workes, for I knowe, thou fauourest not an
euell doer.
29 Yf I be then a wicked one, why haue I laboured in vayne?
30 Though I wasshed my self with snowe water, and made myne hondes neuer
so clene,
31 yet shuldest thou dyppe me in ye myre, & myne owne clothes shulde
defyle me.
32 For he yt I must geue answere vnto, and with whom I go to lawe, is not
a man as I am.
33 Nether is there eny dayes man to reproue both the partes, or to laye
his hode betwixte vs.
34 Let him take his rod awaye fro me, yee let him make me nomore afrayed
of him,
35 and then shal I answere him without eny feare. For as longe as I am in
soch fearfulnesse, I can make no answere: And why?
Chapter
10
1 it greueth my soule to lyue. Neuerthelesse, now will I put forth my
wordes: I wil speake out of the very heuynesse off my soule,
2 and will saye vnto God: O do not condemne me, but shewe me the cause,
wherfore thou iudgest me on this maner.
3 Thinkest thou it well done, to oppresse me, to cast me of (beinge a
worke of thy hondes) and to manteyne the councell of the vngodly?
4 Hast thou flesshy eyes then, or doest thou loke as man loketh?
5 Are thy dayes as the dayes of man, and thy yeares as mans yeares?
6 that thou makest soch inquisicion for my wickednesse, and searchest out
my synne?
7 where as (notwithstondinge) thou knowest that I am no wicked person,
& that there is no man able to delyuer me out of thine honde.
8 Thy hondes haue made me, & fashioned me alltogether rounde aboute,
wilt thou then destroye me sodely?
9 O remembre (I beseke the) how that thou madest me of the moulde of the
earth, and shalt brynge me to earth agayne.
10 Hast thou not milked me, as it were mylck: and turned me to cruddes
like chese?
11 Thou hast couered me with skynne and flesh, and ioyned me together
with bones & synowes.
12 Thou hast graunted me life, and done me good: and the diligent hede
that thou tokest vpon me, hath preserued my sprete.
13 Though thou hydest these thinges in thine hert, yet am I sure, that
thou remembrest the all.
14 Wherfore didest thou kepe me, when I synned, and hast not clensed me
fro myne offence?
15 Yf I do wickedly, wo is me therfore: Yf I be rightuous, yet darre I
not lift vp my heade: so full am I of confucion, and se myne owne misery.
16 Thou huntest me out (beynge in heuynesse) as it were a
Lyon
, and troublest me out of measure.
17 Thou bringest fresh witnesses agaynst me, thy wrath increasest thou
vpon me, very many are the plages that I am in.
18 Wherfore hast thou brought me out of my mothers wombe? O that I had
perished, & that no eye had sene me.
19 Yf they had caried me to my graue, as soone as I was borne, then
shulde I be now, as though I had neuer bene.
20 Shall not my short life come soone to an ende? O holde the fro me, let
me alone, that I maye ease myself a litle:
21 afore I go thyther, from whence I shal not turne agayne: Namely, to
that londe of darcknesse & shadowe of death:
22 yee into that darck clowdy londe & deadly shadowe, where as is no
ordre, but terrible feare as in the darcknesse.
Chapter
11
1 Then answered Sophar the Naamathite, and sayde:
2 Shulde not he that maketh many wordes, be answered? Shulde he that
bableth moch, be commended therin?
3 Shulde men geue eare vnto the only? Thou wilt laugh other men to scorne,
& shal no body mocke the agayne?
4 Wilt thou saye vnto God: The thinge that I take in honde, is perfecte,
& I am clene in thy sight?
5 O that God wolde speake, and open his lippes agaynst the,
6 that he might shewe the (out of his secrete wysdome) how manyfolde his
lawe is: then shuldest thou knowe, that God had forgotten the, because of thy
synnes.
7 Wilt thou fynde out God with thy sekynge? wilt thou attayne to the
perfectnesse of the Allmightie?
8 He is hyer the heaue, what wilt thou do? Deper the hell, how wilt thou
then knowe him?
9 His length exceadeth the length of the earth, and his bredth ye bredth
of the see.
10 Though he turne all thinges vpsyde downe, close them in, or thrust the
together, who darre check him therfore?
11 For it is he, that knoweth the vanite of men: he seyth their
wickednesse also, shulde he not then considre it?
12 A vayne body exalteth him self, and the sonne of man is like a wylde
asses foale.
13 Yf thou haddest now a right herte, & liftest vp thine hondes
towarde him:
14 yf thou woldest put awaye the wickednesse, which thou hast in honde,
so that no vngodlynesse dwelt in thy house:
15 Then mightest thou lift vp thy face without shame, the shuldest thou
be sure, and haue no nede to feare.
16 Then shuldest thou forget thy misery, and thynke nomore vpon it, then
vpon the waters that runne by.
17 Then shulde thy life be as cleare as the noone daye, and sprynge forth
as the mornynge.
18 Then mightest thou haue comforth, in the hope that thou hast: &
slepe quyetly, when thou art buried.
19 Then shuldest thou take thy rest, and no ma to make the afrayed, yee
many one shulde set moch by the.
20 As for the eyes of the vngodly, they shal be consumed, and not escape:
their hope shalbe misery and sorow of mynde.
Chapter
12
1 So Iob answered, and sayde:
2 Then (no doute) ye are the men alone, and wysdome shal perish with you.
3 But I haue vnderstodinge as well as ye, and am no lesse then ye. Yee
who knoweth not these thinges?
4 Thus he that calleth vpo God, and whom God heareth, is mocked of his
neghboure: the godly & innocent man is laughed to scorne.
5 Godlynesse is a light despysed in ye hertes of the rich, & is set
for them to stomble vpon.
6 The houses of robbers are in wealth and prosperite, & they that
maliciously medle agaynst God, dwel without care: yee God geueth all thinges
richely with his honde.
7 Axe the catell, & they shal enfourme the: the foules of the ayre,
and they shall tell ye:
8 Speake to the earth, and it shall shewe the: Or to the fyshes of the
see, and they shal certifie the.
9 What is he, but he knoweth, that ye hode of the LORDE made all these?
10 In whose honde is the soule of euery lyuynge thinge, and the breth of
all men.
11 Haue not the eares pleasure in hearinge, and the mouth in tastinge the
thinge that it eateth?
12 Amonge olde personnes there is wysdome, and amonge the aged is vnderstodinge.
13 Yee with God is wysdome and strength, it is he that hath councell
& foreknowlege.
14 Yf he breake downe a thinge, who can set it vp agayne? Yf he shutt a
thinge, who wil open it?
15 Beholde, yf he witholde the waters, they drye vp: Yf he let the go,
they destroye the earth.
16 With him is strength and wysdome: he knoweth both the disceauer, and
him that is disceaued.
17 He carieth awaye the wyse men, as it were a spoyle, and bryngeth the
iudges out of their wyttes.
18 He lowseth the gyrdle of kynges, and gyrdeth their loynes with a bonde.
19 he ledeth awaye the prestes into captiuyte, and turneth the mightie vp
syde downe.
20 He taketh the verite from out of the mouth, & disapoynteth ye aged
of their wysdome.
21 He poureth out confucion vpon prynces, and coforteth them that haue
bene oppressed.
22 Loke what lyeth hyd in darcknesse, he declareth it opely: and the very
shadowe of death bringeth he to light.
23 He both increaseth the people, and destroyeth them: He maketh them to
multiplie, and dryueth them awaye.
24 He chaungeth the herte of the prynces and kynges of the earth, and
disapoynteth them: so that they go wadringe out of the waye,
25 and grope in the darke without light, stackeringe to and fro like
droncken men.
Chapter
13
1 Lo, all this haue I sene with myne eye, herde with myne eare, &
vnderstonde it.
2 Loke what ye knowe, that same do I knowe also, nether am I inferior
vnto you.
3 Neuerthelesse I am purposed to talke with the Allmightie, and my desyre
is to comon with God.
4 As for you, ye are workmasters of lyes: and vnprofitable Phisicians
alltogether.
5 Wolde God ye kepte youre tonge, that ye might be taken for wyse men.
6 Therfore heare my wordes, and pondre the sentence of my lippes.
7 Will ye make answere for God with lyes, and mateyne him with disceate?
8 Wil ye accepte ye personne of God, and intreate for him?
9 Shal that helpe you, when he calleth you to rekenynge? Thynke ye to
begyle him, as a man is begyled?
10 Punysh you shall he and reproue you, yf ye do secretly accepte eny personne.
11 Shall he not make you afrayed, when he sheweth himself? Shal not his
terrible feare fall vpo you?
12 youre remembraunce shalbe like the dust, & youre pryde shalbe
turned to claye.
13 Holde youre tonges now, and let me speake, for there is some thinge
come in to my mynde.
14 Wherfore do I beare my flesh in my teth, and my soule in myne hondes?
15 Lo, there is nether coforte ner hope for me, yf he wil slaye me. But
yf I shewe and reproue myne owne wayes in his sight,
16 he is euen the same, that maketh me whole: and why? there maye no
Ypocrite come before him,
17 Heare my wordes, and pondre my sayenges with youre eares.
18 Beholde, though sentence were geuen vpon me, I am sure to be knowne
for vngilty.
19 What is he, that will go to lawe with me? For yf I holde my tonge, I
shal dye.
20 Neuerthelesse graunte me ij. thinges, and then will I not hyde my self
from the.
21 Withdrawe thine honde fro me, & let not the fearfull drede of the
make me afrayed.
22 And then sende for me to the lawe, yt I maye answere for my self: or
els, let me speake, and geue thou the answere.
23 How greate are my mysdedes & synnes? Let me knowe my trasgressions
& offences.
24 Wherfore hydest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemye?
25 Wilt thou be so cruell & extreme vnto a flyenge leaf, and folowe
vpon drye stubble?
26 that thou layest so sharply to my charge, and wilt vtterly vndoo me,
for ye synnes of my yougth?
27 Thou hast put my fote in the stockes: thou lokest narowly vnto all my
pathes, & marckest the steppes of my fete:
28 where as I (notwithstondinge) must consume like as a foule carion, and
as a cloth that is moth eaten.
Chapter
14
1 Man that is borne of a woman, hath but a shorte tyme to lyue, and is
full of dyuerse miseries.
2 He cometh vp, and falleth awaye like a floure. He flyeth as it were a
shadowe, and neuer continueth in one state.
3 Thinkest thou it now well done, to open thine eyes vpon soch one, and
to brynge me before the in iudgment?
4 Who can make it cleane, that commeth of an vncleane thinge? No body.
5 The dayes of man are shorte, ye nombre of his monethes are knowne only
vnto the. Thou hast apoynted him his boundes, he can not go beyonde them.
6 Go from him, that he maye rest a litle: vntill his daye come, which he
loketh for, like as an hyrelinge doth.
7 Yf a tre be cutt downe, there is some hope yet, that it will sproute
and shute forth the braunches againe:
8 For though a rote be waxen olde and deed in the grounde, yet whe the
stocke
9 getteth the sent of water, it will budde, and brynge forth bowes, like
as when it was first planted.
10 But as for man, when he is deed, perished and consumed awaye, what
becommeth of him?
11 The floudes when they be dryed vp, & the ryuers when they be
emptie, are fylled agayne thorow the flowinge waters of the see:
12 but when man slepeth, he ryseth not agayne, vntill the heauen perish:
he shal not wake vp ner ryse out of his slepe.
13 O that thou woldest kepe me, and hyde me in the hell, vntill thy wrath
were stilled: & to appoynte me a tyme, wherin thou mightest remembre me.
14 Maye a deed man lyue agayne? All the dayes of this my pilgremage am I
lokynge, when my chaunginge shal come.
15 Yf thou woldest but call me, I shulde obeie the: only despyse not the
worke of thine owne hondes.
16 For thou hast nombred all my goynges, yet be not thou to extreme vpon
my synnes.
17 Thou hast sealed vp myne offences, as it were in a bagg: but be
mercifull vnto my wickednesse.
18 The mountaynes fall awaye at the last, the rockes are remoued out of
their place,
19 the waters pearse thorow the very stones by litle and litle, the
floudes wasshe awaye the grauell & earth: Euen so destroyest thou the hope
of man in like maner.
20 Thou preuaylest agaynst him, so that he passeth awaye: thou chaungest
his estate, and puttest him from the.
21 Whether his children come to worshipe or no, he can not tell: And yf
they be men of lowe degre, he knoweth not.
22 Whyle he lyueth, his flesh must haue trauayle: and whyle the soule is
in him, he must be in sorowe.
Chapter
15
1 Then answered Eliphas the Themanite, and sayde:
2 Shulde a wyse man geue soch an answere (as it were one that spake in
the wynde) and fyll his stomacke with anger?
3 Thou reprouest wt wordes, that are nothinge wroth: and speakest the
thinges, which can do no good.
4 As for shame, thou hast set it asyde, els woldest thou not make so many
wordes before God:
5 but thy wickednesse teacheth thy mouth, and so thou hast chosen the a
craftie tonge.
6 Thine owne mouth condemneth the, and not I: yee thine owne lippes
shappe the an answere.
7 Art thou the first man, that euer was borne? Or, wast thou made before
the hylles?
8 hast thou herde the secrete councell of God, that all wysdome is to
litle for ye?
9 What knowest thou, yt we knowe not? What vnderstondest thou, but we can
the same?
10 With vs are olde and aged men, yee soch as haue lyued longer then thy
forefathers.
11 Dost thou nomore regarde the comforte of God? but thy wicked wordes
wil not suffre the.
12 Why doth thine herte make the so proude? Why stondest thou so greatly
in thine owne conceate? Where vnto loke thine eyes,
13 yt thy mynde is so puft vp agaynst God & lettest soch wordes go
out of thy mouth?
14 What is man, that he shulde be vncleane? what hath he (which is borne
of a woman) wherby he might be knowne to be rightuous?
15 Beholde, he hath founde vnfaithfulnesse amoge his owne sanctes: yee
the very heauens are vnclene in his sight.
16 How moch more then an abhominable and vyle ma, which dryncketh
wickednesse like water?
17 I will tell the, heare me: I wil shewe the a thinge, that I knowe:
18 which wyse men haue tolde, & hath not bene hyd from their fathers:
19 vnto whom only the londe was geuen, that no straunger shulde come
amonge them.
20 The vngodly despayreth all the dayes of his life, & the nombre of
a tyrauntes yeares is vnknowne.
21 A fearfull sounde is euer in his eares, & when it is peace, yet
feareth he destruccion:
22 He beleueth neuer to be delyuered out of darcknesse, the swearde is
allwaye before his eyes.
23 When he goeth forth to get his lyuinge, he thinketh planely, that the
daye of darcknesse is at honde.
24 Sorow and carefulnesse make him afrayed, & copasse him rounde
aboute, like as it were a kinge with his hoost redy to the battayll.
25 For he hath stretched out his honde agaynst God, & armed himself
agaynst ye Allmightie.
26 He runneth proudly vpon him, & with a stiff necke fighteth he
agaynst him:
27 where as he couereth his face with fatnesse, and maketh his body well lykynge.
28 Therfore shall his dwellynge be in desolate cities, & in houses
which no ma inhabiteth, but are become heapes of stones.
29 He shall not be rich, nether shall his substaunce continue, ner
encrease vpon earth.
30 He shal neuer come out of darcknesse, the flame shal drye vp his
braunches, with ye blast of the mouth of God shal he be take awaie.
31 He wil nether applye himself to faithfulnes ner treuth, so sore is he
disceaued wt vanite.
32 He shall perish, afore his tyme be worne out, and his honde shal not
be grene.
33 He shalbe pluckte of as an vntymely grape from ye vyne, and shal let
his floure fall, as the olyue doth.
34 For the congregacion of Ypocrites is vnfrutefull, & the fyre shal
consume the houses of soch, as are gredy to receaue giftes.
35 He conceaueth trauayle, he beareth myschefe, & his body bryngeth
forth disceate.
Chapter
16
1 Iob answered, and sayde:
2 I haue oft tymes herde soch thinges. Miserable geuers of comforte are
ye, all the sorte of you.
3 Shall not thy vayne wordes come yet to an ende? Or, hast thou yet eny
more to saye?
4 I coude speake, as ye do also. But wolde God, that youre soule were in
my soules steade: then shulde I heape vp wordes agaynst you, and shake my heade
at you.
5 I shulde comforte you with my mouth, and release youre payne with ye
talkinge of my lyppes.
6 But what shall I do? For all my wordes, my sorow wil not ceasse: and
though I holde my toge, yet wil it not departe fro me.
7 And now that I am full of payne, and all that I haue destroied
8 (wherof my wryncles beare wytnesse) there stodeth vp a dyssembler to
make me answere with lyes to my face.
9 He is angrie at me, he hateth me, and gnassheth vpon me with his teth.
Myne enemy skouleth vpon me with his eyes.
10 They haue opened their mouthes wyde vpon me, and smytten me vpon the
cheke despitefully, they haue eased the selues thorow myne aduersite.
11 God hath geuen me ouer to the vngodly, and delyuered me in to the
hondes of ye wicked.
12 I was somtyme in wealth, but sodenly hath he brought me to naught. He
hath taken me by the neck, he hath rente me, and set me, as it were a marck for
him to shute at.
13 He hath compased me rounde aboute with his dartes, he hath wounded my
loynes, & not spared. My bowels hath he poured vpon the grounde.
14 He hath geue me one wounde vpon another, and is falle vpon me like a giaunte.
15 I haue sowed a sack cloth vpon my skynne, and lye with my strength in
the dust.
16 My face is swolle with wepinge, & myne eyes are waxen dymne.
17 Howbeit there is no wickednesse in my hondes, and my prayer is clene.
18 O earth, couer not my bloude, and let my crienge fynde no rowme.
19 For lo, my witnesse is in heauen, and he that knoweth me, is aboue in
the heyth.
20 My frendes laugh me to scorne, but myne eye poureth out teares vnto
God.
21 Though a body might pleate wt God, as one man doth with another,
22 yet the nombre of my yeares are come, & I must go the waye, from
whence I shal not turne agayne.
Chapter
17
1 My breth fayleth, my dayes are shortened, I am harde at deathes dore.
2 I haue disceaued no man, yet must myne eye cotinue in heuynesse
3 O delyuer me, and set me by the, who shall then be able to thrust my
hondes together?
4 Thou hast withholde their hertes from vnderstodinge, therfore shall
they not be set vp an hye.
5 He promiseth his fredes parte of his good, but his owne childre spende
it.
6 He hath made me as it were a byworde of the comon people, I am his
gestinge stocke amoge the.
7 My countenaunce is heuy for very anger, & the membres of my body
are become like a shadowe.
8 Vertuous me therfore shall wel cosidre this, and the innocent shal take
parte agaynst the Ypocrite.
9 The rightuous wil kepe his waye, and he yt hath cleane handes, wil euer
be stronger & stronger.
10 As for you, turne you, & get you hence, for I can not se one wyse
ma amonge you.
11 My dayes are past, my thoughtes are vanished awaye, which haue vexed
myne herte,
12 chaunginge the night in to daye, & ye light in to darcknes.
13 Though I tary neuer so moch, yet the graue is my house, and I must
make my bed in the darcke.
14 I call corrupcion my father, and the wormes call I my mother and my
sister.
15 What helpeth then my longe tarienge? Or, who wil fulfill the thinge,
that I loke for?
16 All that I haue, shall go downe in to the pytt, & lye with me in
the dust.
Chapter
18
1 Then answered Baldad the Suhite, and sayde:
2 when wil ye make an ende of youre wordes? Marcke well, and considre, we
wil speake also.
3 Wherfore are we counted as beestes, & reputed so vyle in youre
sight?
4 Why destroyest thou thy self with anger? Shal ye earth be forsaken, or
the stones remoued out of their place because of ye?
5 Shal not the light of the vngodly be put out? yee the flame of his fyre
shal not burne.
6 The light shalbe darcke in his dwellinge, & his candle shalbe put
out with him.
7 His presumptuous goinges shal be kepte in, and his owne councell shal
cast him downe.
8 For his fete shalbe taken in the nett, and he shal walke in the snare.
9 His fote shalbe holden in the gilder, and the thurstie shal catch him.
10 The snare is layed for him in the grounde, and a pytfall in the waye.
11 Fearfulnesse shal make him afrayed on euery syde, that he shall not
knowe, where to get out.
12 Honger shalbe his substaunce, and mysfortune shall hange vpon him.
13 He shall eate his owne skynne, yee his owne armes shall he deuoure,
beynge a firstborne of death.
14 All his comforte and hope shalbe roted out of his dwellynge, very
fearfulnesse shall brynge him to the kynge.
15 Other men shall dwel in his house (which now is none of his) and
brymstone shalbe scatered vpon his habitacion.
16 His rotes shalbe dryed vp beneth, & aboue shall his haruest be cut downe.
17 His remembraunce shall perish from the earth, & his name shall not
be praysed in the stretes:
18 he shalbe dryuen from the light into darcknesse, and be cast clene out
of the worlde.
19 He shall nether haue children ner kynsfolkes amonge his people, no ner
eny posterite in his countre:
20 yonge & olde shalbe astonyshed at his death.
21 Soch are now the dwellynges of the wicked, and this is ye place of him
that knoweth not God.
Chapter
19
1 Iob answered, & sayde:
2 How loge wil ye vexe my mynde, & trouble me with wordes?
3 Lo, ten tymes haue ye reproued me: are ye not ashamed, for to laugh me
so to scorne?
4 yf I go wronge, I go wronge to my self.
5 But yf ye wil enhaunce yor selues agaynst me, & accuse me to be a
wicked personne because of the shame that is come vpon me:
6 knowe this then, yt it is God, which hath handled me so violetly, &
hath compased me aboute with his scourges.
7 Beholde, though I crie, yet violece is done vnto me, I can not be herde:
Though I complane, there is none to geue sentece with me.
8 He hath hedged vp my path, I ca not get awaye, he hath set darcknesse
in my gate.
9 He hath spoyled me of myne honoure, & taken the crowne awaye fro my heade.
10 He hath destroyed me on euery syde, and I am vndone: My hope hath he
taken awaye fro me, as it were a tre plucte vp by the rote.
11 His wrath is kyndled agaynst me, he taketh me, as though I were his
enemy.
12 His men of warre came together, which made their waye ouer me, and
beseged my dwellinge rounde aboute.
13 He hath put my brethren farre awaye fro me, and soch as were of myne
acquauntaunce, are become straugers vnto me.
14 Myne owne kynsfolkes haue forsaken me, and my frendes haue put me out
of remembraunce.
15 The seruauntes and maydens of myne owne house take me for a strauger,
and I am become as an aleaunt in their sight.
16 When I call vpon my seruaut, he geueth me no answere: no though I
praie him with my mouth.
17 Myne owne wyfe maye not abyde my breth, I am fayne to speake fayre
vnto the children of myne owne body.
18 Yee the very deserte fooles despyse me, and when I am gone from them,
they speake euell vpon me.
19 All soch as were my most familiers, abhorre me: and they whom I loued
best, are turned agaynst me.
20 My bone hangeth to my skynne, and the flesh is awaye, only there is
left me the skynne aboute my teth.
21 Haue pite vpon me, haue pite vpon me (o ye my frendes) for the hande
of the LORDE hath touched me.
22 Seynge God persecuteth me, wil ye vexe me also? Haue ye not yet ynough
of the trouble of my flesh?
23 O that my wordes were written, O that they were put in a boke:
24 wolde God they were graue wt an yron pene in leade or in stone.
25 For I am sure, that my redemer lyueth, and that I shall ryse out of
the earth in the latter daye:
26 that I shal be clothed againe with this skynne, and se God in my
flesh.
27 Yee I my self shal beholde him, not with other but with these same
eyes. My reynes are consumed within me,
28 when yee saye: Why do not we persecute him? we haue founde an occasion
agaynst him.
29 But bewarre of the swearde, for the swearde wylbe avenged of
wickednesse, and be sure, that there is a iudgment.
Chapter
20
1 Then answered Sophar the Naamathite, and sayde:
2 For the same cause do my thoughtes compell me to answere. And why? my
mynde is tossed here and there.
3 I haue sufficiently herde the checkynge & reprofe, therfore am I
purposed to make answere after my vnderstodinge.
4 Knowest thou not this, namely: that from the begynninge (euer sence the
creacion of man vpon earth)
5 the prayse of the vngodly hath bene shorte, and that the ioye of
Ypocrytes continued but ye twincklinge of an eye?
6 Though he be magnified vp to the heaue, so that his heade reacheth vnto
the cloudes:
7 yet he perisheth at the last like donge: In so moch yt they which haue
sene him, saye: Where is he?
8 He vanysheth as a dreame, so that he can nomore be founde, &
passeth awaye as a vision in ye night.
9 So that the eye which sawe him before, getteth now no sight of him,
& his place knoweth him nomore.
10 His childre go a begginge, their handes bringe the to sorow and heuynesse.
11 From his youth his bones are ful of vyce, which shal lie downe wt him
in ye earth.
12 Whe wickednesse is swete in his mouth, he hydeth it vnder his tonge.
13 That he fauoureth, that wyll he not forsake, but kepeth it close in
his throte.
14 The meate that he eateth, shalbe turned to the poyson of serpetes
within his body.
15 The riches yt he deuoureth, shall he perbreake agayne, for God shal
drawe them out of his bely.
16 The serpentes heade shall sucke him, and the adders tonge shall slaye
him:
17 so that he shal nomore se the ryuers and brokes of hony and butter:
18 But laboure shal he, & yet haue nothinge to eate. Greate trauayle
shal he make for riches, but he shal not enioye them.
19 And why? he hath oppressed the poore, and not helped them: houses hath
he spoyled, and not buylded them.
20 His bely coude neuer be fylled, therfore shall he perish in his couetousnesse.
21 He deuoured so gredely, yt he left nothinge behynde, therfore his
goodes shal not prospere.
22 Though he had plenteousnesse of euerythinge, yet was he poore, &
therfore he is but a wretch on euery syde.
23 For though ye wicked haue neuer so moch to fyll his bely, yet God shal
sende his wrath vpon him, and cause his battayll to rayne ouer him:
24 so that yf he fle the yron weapens, he shall be shott with the stele bowe.
25 The arowe shal be taken forth, & go out at his backe, and a
glisteringe swearde thorow ye gall of him, feare shal come vpo him.
26 There shal no darcknes be able to hyde him. An vnkyndled fyre shal
consume him, and loke what remayneth in his house, it shall be destroyed.
27 The heauen shall declare his wickednesse, & the earth shal take
parte agaynst him.
28 The substaunce that he hath in his house, shalbe taken awaye and
perish, in the daye of the LORDES wrath.
29 This is the porcion that ye wicked shal haue of God, and the heretage
that he maye loke for of the LORDE.
Chapter
21
1 Iob answered, and sayde:
2 O heare my wordes, and amende yor selues.
3 Suffre me a litle, that I maye speake also, and the laugh my wordes to
scorne, yf ye will.
4 Is it with a man, that I make this disputacio? Which yf it were so,
shulde not my sprete be the in sore trouble?
5 Marck me well, be abasshed, and laye youre hade vpon youre mouth.
6 For whe I pondre & considre this, I am afrayed, and my flesh is
smytten with feare.
7 Wherfore do wicked me lyue in health and prosperite, come to their olde
age, & increase in riches?
8 Their childers children lyue in their sight, & their generacion
before their eyes.
9 Their houses are safe from all feare, for the rodd of God doth not
smyte the.
10 Their bullocke gendreth, and that not out of tyme: their cow calueth,
and is not vnfrutefull.
11 They sende forth their children by flockes, and their sonnes lede the daunce.
12 They beare with them tabrettes and harpes, and haue instrumentes of
musick at their pleasure.
13 They spende their dayes in welthynesse: but sodenly they go downe to
hell.
14 They saye vnto God: go from vs, we desyre not the knowlege of thy wayes.
15 What maner of felowe is the Allmightie, that we shulde serue him? What
profit shulde we haue, to submitte oure selues vnto him?
16 Lo, there is vtterly no goodnesse in them, therfore will not I haue to
do with the councell of the vngodly.
17 How oft shal the candle of ye wicked be put out? how oft commeth their
destruccion vpon them? O what sorowe shall God geue them for their parte in his
wrath?
18 Yee they shal be euen as chaffe before the wynde, and as dust that the
storme carieth awaye.
19 And though God saue their childre from soch sorowe, yet wil he so
rewarde theselues, that they shal knowe it.
20 Their owne destruccion and misery shal they se with their eyes, and
drynke of the fearfull wrath of the Allmighty.
21 For whath careth he, what become of his housholde after his death?
whose monethes passe awaye swifter then an arowe.
22 In as moch the as God hath ye hyest power of all, who can teach him
eny knowlege?
23 One dyeth now when he is mightie & at his best, rich and in prosperite:
24 euen when his bowels are at the fattest, and his bones full of mary.
25 Another dyeth in sorowe and heuynesse, and neuer had good daies.
26 Now slepe they both a like in the earth, & the wormes couer them.
27 But I knowe what ye thinke, yee and what ye ymagin agaynst me vnrightuously.
28 For ye saye: where is the prynces palace? where is the dwellynge of
the vngodly:
29 Axe eny man that goeth by the waye, and (yf ye will not regarde their
tokens & dedes) he shal tell you,
30 that the wicked is kepte vnto the daye of destruccion, and that the
vngodly shalbe brought forth in the daye of wrath.
31 Who darre reproue him for his wayes to his face? who rewardeth him for
the vngraciousnesse that he doth?
32 Yet shal he be brought to his graue, and watch amonge the heape of the
deed.
33 The shal he be fayne to be buried amoge the stones by the broke syde.
All men must folowe him, & there are innumerable gone before him.
34 O how vayne is the comforte yt ye geue me? Are not youre answeres
cleane contrary to right and treuth?
Chapter
22
1 So Eliphas the Themanite gaue answere, & sayde:
2 Maye a man be copared vnto God in wysdome, though he seme to himself,
for to be like him?
3 What pleasure hath God in yt thou art rightuous? Or what doth it
profite him, yt thy waies are perfecte?
4 Is he afrayed to reproue the, & to steppe forth wt the in to iudgment?
5 Cometh not this for ye greate wickednesse, & for thine vngracious
dedes which are innumerable?
6 Thou hast take the pledge from thy brethre for naught, & robbed the
naked of their clothinge:
7 To soch as were weery, hast thou geue no water to drynke, thou hast
withdrawe bred fro the hungrie:
8 Shulde soch one the as vseth violece, wroge & oppression (doinge
all thinges of parcialyte, & hauynge respecte of personnes) dwell in the
lode?
9 Thou hast sent wyddowes awaye emptie and oppressed the poore fatherlesse.
10 Therfore art thou compased aboute with snares on euery syde, &
sodely vexed wt feare.
11 Shuldest thou the se no darcknesse? Shulde not the water floude runne
ouer the?
12 Now because yt God is hyer the the heauens, & because thou seist
yt the starres are so hye,
13 wilt thou therfore saye: Tush, how shulde God knowe? Doth his dominion
reach beyonde the cloudes?
14 Tush, the cloudes couer him, yt he maye not se, for he dwelleth in heauen.
15 Well, thou wilt kepe the olde waye, yt all wicked me haue gone:
16 both olde & yonge, whose foundacion is a runnynge water,
17 which saye vnto God: go from vs, and after this maner: Tush, what wil
the Allmightie do vnto vs?
18 where as he (not with stodinge) fylleth their houses wt all good.
Which meanynge of the vngodly be farre fro me.
19 For wt ioy shal the godly, and with gladnesse shal the innocent se,
20 that their increase shal be hewen downe, & their posterite
consumed with the fyre.
21 Therfore recocile the vnto God, & be content, so shal all thinges
prospere wt the right well.
22 Receaue the lawe at his mouth, & laye vp his wordes in thine herte.
23 For yf thou wilt turne to the Allmightie, thou shalt stonde fast,
& all vnrightuousnesse shall be farre from thy dwellinge:
24 He shal geue the an haruest, which in plenty & abundaunce shall
exceade the dust of the earth, and the golde of Ophir like ryuer stones.
25 Yee the Allmightie his owne self shalbe thine haruest, & the heape
of thy money.
26 Then shalt thou haue thy delyte in the Allmightie, & lift vp thy
face vnto God.
27 The shalt thou make thy prayer vnto him, & he shal heare the,
& thou shalt kepe thy promyses.
28 The, loke what thou takest in honde, he shal make it to prospere with
the, and the light shall shyne in thy wayes.
29 For who so humbleth himself, him shal he set vp: and who so loketh
mekely, shalbe healed.
30 Yf thou be innocet, he shal saue the: and thorow the vngiltynesse of
thyne handes shalt thou be delyuered.
Chapter
23
1 Iob answered, and sayd:
2 My sayenge is yet this daye in bytternes, and my hande heuy amonge my
groninges.
3 O that I might se him & fynde him: O that I might come before his seate,
4 to pleate my cause before him, and to fyll my mouth with argumentes:
5 That I might knowe, what answere he wolde geue me: & that I might
vnderstonde, what he wolde saye vnto me.
6 Wil he pleate agaynst me with his greate power & strength, or wyll
he leane him self vtterly vpon me?
7 Oh no, let him not do so with me. But let hym geue me like power to go
to lawe, then am I sure to wynne my matter.
8 For though I go before, I fynde him not: yf I come behynde, I ca get no
knowlege of him:
9 Yf I go on the left syde to pondre his workes, I can not atteyne vnto
them: Agayne, yf I go on the right syde, he hydeth himself, yt I can not se him.
10 But as for my waye, he knoweth it: & trieth me as ye golde in ye fyre.
11 Neuertheles my fete kepe his path, his hye strete haue I holden, and
not gone out of it.
12 I haue not forsaken the comaundemet of his lippes, but loke what he
charged me with his mouth, that haue I shutt vp in my herte.
13 It is he himself alone, who will turne him back? He doth as him
listeth, and bryngeth to passe what he wil.
14 He rewardeth me into my bosome, & many other thinges mo doth he,
as he maye by his power.
15 This is ye cause, that I shrenke at his presence, so that when I
considre him, I am afrayed of him.
16 For in so moch as he is God, he maketh my herte soft: and seynge that
he is Allmightie, he putteth me in feare.
17 Thus can not I get out of darcknesse, the cloude hath so couered my
face.
Chapter
24
1 Consideringe then that there is no tyme hyd from the Allmightie, how
happeneth it, that they which knowe him, wil not regarde his dayes?
2 For some me there be, that remoue other mes londe markes: that robbe
them of their catell, and kepe the same for their owne:
3 that dryue awaye the asse of the fatherlesse: that take ye wyddowes oxe
for a pledge:
4 that thrust the poore out of the waye, & oppresse the symple of the
worlde together.
5 Beholde, the wilde asses in ye deserte go by tymes (as their maner is)
to spoyle: Yee the very wildernesse ministreth foode for their children.
6 They reape the corne felde that is not their owne: and gather the
grapes out of his vynyarde, whom they haue oppressed by violence.
7 They are the cause yt so many men are naked and bare, hauynge no
clothes to couer them and kepe them from colde:
8 So that when the showers in the mountaynes haue rayned vpon them, &
they be all wett, they haue none other sucoure, but to kepe them amonge the
rockes.
9 They spoyle the suckinge fatherlesse children, and put the poore in preson:
10 In so moch that they let them go naked without clothinge, and yet the
hungrie beare the sheeues.
11 The poore are fayne to laboure in their oyle mylles, yee and to treade
in their wyne presses, and yet to suffre thyrst.
12 The whole cite crieth vnto the LORDE with sighinge, the soules of the
slayne make their complaynte: But God destroyeth them not for all this,
13 where as they (not wt stodinge) are rebellious and disobedient
enemies: which seke not his light and waye, ner turne agayne in to his path.
14 Tymely in the mornynge do they aryse, to murthur the symple and poore,
& in the night they go a stealinge.
15 The eye of the vngodly is like the aduouterer, that wayteth for the
darcknesse, and sayeth thus in him self: Tush, there shal no ma se me, & so
he disgyseth his face.
16 In the night season they search the houses, and hyde them selues in
the daye tyme, but wil not knowe ye light
17 For as soone as the daye breaketh, the shadowe of death commeth vpo
them, and they go in horrible darcknesse.
18 The vngodly is very swyft: O yt his porcio also vpo earth were swyfter
then ye runnynge water, which suffreth not ye shipma to beholde the fayre &
pleasaut vyniardes.
19 O yt they (for the wickednesse which they haue done) were drawen to
the hell, sooner the snowe melteth at the heate.
20 O yt all copassion vpon the were forgotte: yt their daynties were
wormes: that they were clene put out of remembraunce, & vtterly hewe downe
like an vnfrutefull tre.
21 For they manteyne the baren, & make them yt they can not beare,
& vnto wyddowes they do no good.
22 They plucke downe the mightie wt their power, & when they them
selues are gotten vp, they are neuer without feare, as longe as they liue.
23 And though they might be safe, yet they wil not receaue it, for their
eyes loke vpon their owne wayes.
24 They are exalted for a litle, but shortly are they gone, brought to
extreme pouerte, & take out of the waye: yee & vtterly plucte of as the
eares of corne.
25 Is it not so? Who wil the reproue me as a lyar, & saye yt my
wordes are nothinge worth?
Chapter
25
1 Then answered Baldad the Suhite, & sayde:
2 Power & feare is with him aboue, that maketh peace (sittinge) in
his hynesse,
3 whose men of warre are innumerable, and whose light aryseth ouer all.
4 But how maye a man copared vnto God, be iustified? Or, how can he be
clene, that is borne of a woman?
5 Beholde, the Moone shyneth nothinge in comparison to him, & the
starres are vnclene in his sight.
6 How moch more the, ma, that is but corrupcion: and the sonne of man,
which is but a worme?
Chapter
26
1 Iob answered, and sayde:
2 O how helpest thou the weake? what comforte geuest thou vnto him that
hath no stregth?
3 Where is ye coucell yt thou shuldest geue him, which hath no wysdome?
Wilt thou so shewe thine excellent rightuousnes?
4 Before whom hast thou spoken those wordes? Who made the breth to come
out of ye mouth?
5 The giauntes & worthies yt are slayne, & lye vnder ye worlde wt
their copanions:
6 yee & all they which dwell beneth in the hell are not hyd fro him,
& the very destruccion it self ca not be kepte out of his sight.
7 He stretcheth out ye north ouer the emptie, & hageth ye earth vpo nothinge.
8 He byndeth ye water in his cloudes, that they fall not downe together.
9 He holdeth back his stole, that it caa not be sene, and spredeth his
cloudes before it.
10 He hath copased the waters wt certayne boundes, vntill the daye &
night come to an ende.
11 The very pilers of heaue treble & quake at his reprofe.
12 He stilleth the see with his power, & thorow his wysdome hath he
set forth ye worlde.
13 With his sprete hath he garnished the heaues, & with his hande
hath he wounded the rebellious serpet.
14 This is now a shorte summe of his doynges. But who is able
sufficiently to rehearce his workes? Who can perceaue and vnderstonde ye thondre
of his power?
Chapter
27
1 Iob also proceaded and wete forth in his communicacion, sayege:
2 As truly as God lyueth (which hath taken awaye my power fro me) &
the Allmightie, that hath vexed my mynde:
3 My lippes shall talke of no vanite, and my tonge shal speake no disceate,
4 whyle my breth is in me, and as longe as the wynde (that God hath geuen
me) is in my nostrels.
5 God forbydde, that I shulde graunte youre cause to be right. As for me,
vntill myne ende come wil I neuer go fro myne innocency.
6 My rightuous dealynge wil I kepe fast, & not forsake it: For my
conscience reproueth me not in all my conuersacion.
7 Therfore myne enemy shalbe founde as the vngodly, & he yt taketh
parte agaynst me, as the vnrightuous.
8 What hope hath ye Ypocrite, though he haue greate good, and though God
geue him riches after his hertes desyre?
9 Doth God heare him the sooner, whe he crieth vnto him in his necessite?
10 Hath he soch pleasure & delyte in the Allmightie, that he darre
allwaye call vpon God?
11 I wil teach you in the name of God, & the thinge that I haue of ye
Allmightie, wil I not kepe from you.
12 Beholde, ye stonde in yor owne conceate, as though ye knew all thinges.
Wherfore then do ye go aboute wt soch vayne wordes,
13 sayege: This is the porcion that the wicked shall haue of God, &
the heretage that Tyrauntes shal receaue of ye Allmightie.
14 Yf he get many childre, they shal perish wt the swearde, & his
posterite shall haue scarcenesse of bred.
15 Loke whom he leaueth behinde him, they shal dye & be buried, &
no man shall haue pite of his wyddowes.
16 Though he haue as moch money as the dust of the earth, & raymet as
ready as the claye,
17 he maye well prepare it: but the godly shal put it vpon him, and the
innocet shal deale out the money.
18 His house shal endure as the moth, & as a bothe that the watch man
maketh.
19 When the rich man dyeth, he carieth nothinge with him: he is gone in
ye twincklynge of an eye.
20 Destruccion taketh holde vpo him as a water floude, & ye tepest
stealeth him awaye in the night season.
21 A vehement wynde carieth him hence, & departeth: a storme plucketh
him out of his place.
22 It russheth in vpon him, and spareth him not, he maye not escape from
the power therof.
23 Than clappe me their hodes at him, yee and ieast of him, whe they loke
vpon his place.
Chapter
28
1 There are places where syluer is molte, & where golde is tryed:
2 where yron is dygged out of the grounde, & stones resolued to
metall.
3 The darcknes shal once come to an ende, he can seke out the grounde of
all thinges: the stones, the darcke, & the horrible shadowe,
4 wt the ryuer of water parteth he a sunder the straunge people, yt
knoweth no good neghbourheade: soch as are rude, vnmanerly & boysteous.
5 He bryngeth foode out of the earth, & yt which is vnder, consumeth
he with fyre.
6 There is founde a place, whose stones are clene Saphirs, and where ye
clottes of the earth are golde.
7 There is a waye also that the byrdes knowe not, that no vulturs eye
hath sene:
8 wherin ye proude & hye mynded walke not, & where no
lyon
commeth.
9 There putteth he his honde vpon the stony rockes, & ouerthroweth
the mountaynes.
10 Ryuers flowe out of the rockes, & loke what is pleasaunt, his eye
seyth it.
11 Out of droppes bryngeth he greate floudes together, & the thinge
that is hyd bryngeth he to light.
12 How commeth a man then by wysdome? Where is the place that men fynde
vnderstondinge?
13 Verely no man can tell how worthy a thinge she is, nether is she foude
in the lode of the lyuynge.
14 The depe sayeth: she is not in me. The see sayeth: she is not with me.
15 She can not be gotten for the most fyne golde, nether maye the pryce
of her be bought with eny moneye.
16 No wedges of golde of Ophir, no precious Onix stones, no Saphirs maye
be compared vnto her.
17 No, nether golde ner Christall, nether swete odours ner golden plate.
18 There is nothinge so worthy, or so excellet, as once to be named vnto
her: for parfecte wysdome goeth farre beyonde the all.
19 The Topas that cometh out of Inde, maye in no wyse be lickened vnto
her: yee no maner of apparell how pleasaunt and fayre so euer it be.
20 From whece then commeth wysdome? & where is the place of vnderstondinge?
21 She is hyd from the eyes of all men, yee & fro the foules of the ayre.
22 Destruccion & death saie: we haue herde tell of her wt oure eares.
23 But God seyth hir waie, & knoweth hir place.
24 For he beholdeth the endes of the worlde, and loketh vpon all that is
vnder the heaue.
25 When he weyed the wyndes, & measured ye waters:
26 when he set the rayne in ordre, and gaue the mightie floudes a lawe:
27 Then dyd he se her, the declared he her, prepared her and knewe her.
28 And vnto man he sayde: Beholde, to feare the LORDE, is wysdome: &
to forsake euell, is vnderstondinge.
Chapter
29
1 So Iob proceaded and wete forth in his communicacion, sayenge:
2 O yt I were as I was in the monethes by past, & in the dayes whe
God preserued me:
3 when his light shyned vpon my heade: whe I wente after the same light
& shyne eue thorow the darcknesse.
4 As it stode wt me, whe I was welthy & had ynough: whe God prospered
my house:
5 when the allmightie was with me: when my housholde folkes stode aboute
me:
6 whe my wayes ranne ouer wt butter, & when the stony rockes gaue me
ryuers of oyle:
7 when I wente thorow the cite vnto the gate, & whe they set me a
chayre in ye strete:
8 whe the yonge me (as soone as they sawe me) hyd the selues, & when
the aged arose, & stode vp vnto me:
9 whe the princes left of their talkinge, & laied their hade to their
mouth:
10 whe the mightie kepte still their voyce, and whe their tonges cleued
to the rofe of their mouthes.
11 When all they yt herde me, called me happie: & when all they yt
sawe me, wysshed me good.
12 For I delyuered ye poore whe he cried, & the fatherlesse yt wanted helpe.
13 He yt shulde haue bene lost, gaue me a good worde, & ye widdowes
hert praised me.
14 And why? I put vpon me rightuousnes, which couered me as a garmet,
& equite was my crowne.
15 I was an eye vnto the blynde, & a fote to the lame.
16 I was a father vnto the poore, & whe I knew not their cause, I
sought it out diligetly.
17 I brake the chaftes of ye vnrightuous, & plucte the spoyle out of
their teth.
18 Therfore, I thought verely, yt I shulde haue dyed in my nest: & yt
my dayes shulde haue bene as many as the sondes of the see.
19 For my rote was spred out by the waters syde, & the dew laye vpo
my corne.
20 My honor encreased more & more, and my bowe was euer the stronger
in my hande.
21 Vnto me men gaue eare, me they regarded, & wt sylence they taried
for my coucell.
22 Yf I had spoken, they wolde haue it none other wayes, my wordes were
so well taken amonge the.
23 They wayted for me, as the earth doth for the rayne: & gaped vpon
me, as the groude doth to receaue the latter shower.
24 When I laughed, they knew well it was not earnest: & this
testimony of my coutenaunce pleased the nothinge at all.
25 When I agreed vnto their waye, I was the chefe, & sat as a kynge
amonge his seruauntes: Or as one that comforteth soch as be in heuynesse.
Chapter
30
1 Bvt now they that are my inferiours & yonger then I, haue me in
derision: yee eue they, whose fathers I wolde haue thought scorne to haue set wt
the dogges of my catell.
2 The power & stregth of their hades might do me no good, & as
for their age, it is spet & past awaye without eny profit.
3 For very misery & honger, they wente aboute in the wildernesse like
wretches & beggers,
4 pluckynge vp herbes from amonge the busshes, & the Iunipers rote
was their meate.
5 And when they were dryuen forth, men cried after them, as it had bene
after a thefe.
6 Their dwellinge was beside foule brokes, yee in the caues & dennes
of the earth.
7 Vpo the drye heeth wete they aboute crienge, & in the brome hilles
they gathered them together.
8 They were the children of fooles & vylanes, which are deed awaye
fro the worlde.
9 Now am I their songe, & am become their iestinge stocke.
10 they abhorre me, they fle farre fro me & stayne my face wt spetle.
11 For ye LORDE hath opened his quyuer, he hath hytt me, & put a
brydle in my mouth.
12 Vpon my right hade they rose together agaynst me, they haue hurte my
fete, made awaye to destroye me,
13 & my path haue they clene marred. It was so easy for them to do me
harme, that they neded no man to helpe the.
14 They fell vpon me, as it had bene ye breakynge in of waters, &
came in by heapes to destroye me.
15 Fearfulnesse is turned agaynst me. Myne honoure vanisheth awaye more
swiftly then wynde, & my prosperite departeth hece like as it were a cloude.
16 Therfore is my mynde poured full of heuynesse, & ye dayes of
trouble haue take holde vpon me.
17 My bones are pearsed thorow in ye night season, & my synewes take
no rest.
18 With all their power haue they chaunged my garmet, & gyrded me
therwith, as it were wt a coate.
19 I am eue as it were claye, & am become like asshes & dust.
20 Whe I crie vnto the, thou doest not heare me: & though I stonde
before the, yet thou regardest me not.
21 Thou art become myne enemye, & wt yi violet hade thou takest parte
agaynst me.
22 In tymes past thou didest set me vp an hye, as it were aboue ye winde,
but now hast thou geue me a very sore fall.
23 Sure I am, yt thou wilt delyuer me vnto death: where as a lodgyng is
prepared for all me
24 Now vse not me to do violece vnto the, yt are destroyed allready: but
where hurte is done, there vse thei to helpe.
25 Dyd not I wepe in ye tyme of trouble? Had not my soule copassion vpo
ye poore?
26 Yet neuerthelesse where as I loked for good, euell happened vnto me:
and where as I waited for light, there came darcknesse.
27 My bowels seeth wt in me & take no rest, for ye dayes of my
trouble are come vpo me.
28 Mekely & lowly came I in, yee & without eny displeasure: I
stode vp in ye cogregacion, & commoned with the
29 But now. I am a copanyon of dragons, & a felowe of Esiriches.
30 My skynne vpo me is turned to black, & my bones are bret wt heate:
31 my harpe is turned to sorow, & my pipe to wepinge.
Chapter
31
1 I made a couenaunt wt myne eyes, yt I wolde not loke vpo a dasell.
2 For how greate a porcio shal I haue of God fro aboue? & what
enheritauce fro ye Almightie on hie?
3 As for the vngodly & he yt ioyneth himself to ye copani of wicked
doers shal not destruccion & misery came vpon him?
4 Doth not he se my wayes, & tell all my goinges?
5 Yf I haue cleued vnto vanite, or yf my fete haue runne to disceaue:
6 let me be weyed in an eauen balaunce, that God maye se my innocency.
7 Yf so be that I haue withdrawen my fote out of the right waye, yf my
hert hath folowed myne eyesight, yf I haue stayned or defyled my hodes:
8 O then is it reason that I sowe, and another eate: yee that my
generacion and posterite be clene roted out.
9 Yf my hert hath lusted after my neghbours wife, or yf I haue layed
wayte at his dore:
10 O then let my wife be another mans harlot, and let other lye with her.
11 For this is a wickednesse and synne, that is worthy to be punyshed,
12 yee a fyre that vtterly shulde consume, & rote out all my substaunce.
13 Dyd I euer thynke scorne to do right vnto my seruautes and maydens,
when they had eny matter agaynst me?
14 But seynge that God wil sytt in iudgment, what shal I do? And for so
moch as he wil nedes vyset me, what answere shal I geue him?
15 He that fashioned me in my mothers wombe, made he not him also? were
we not both shappen alyke in oure mothers bodies?
16 When the poore desyred enythinge at me, haue I denyed it them? Haue I
caused ye wyddowe stonde waytinge for me in vayne?
17 Haue I eaten my porcion alone, that the fatherles hath had no parte
with me?
18 (for mercy grewe vp with me fro my youth, & compassion fro my
mothers wombe.)
19 Haue I sene eny man perish thorow nakednes & want of clothinge?
Or, eny poore man for lack of rayment,
20 whose sydes thanked me not, because he was warmed wt ye woll of my shepe?
21 Dyd I euer lyft vp my honde to hurte the fatherlesse? Yee in the gate
where I sawe my self to be in auctorite:
22 The let myne arme fall fro my shulder, & myne arme holes be broken
from the ioyntes.
23 For I haue euer feared ye vengeaunce & punyshmet of God, &
knew very well, yt I was not able to beare his burthe.
24 Haue I put my trust in golde? Or, haue I sayde to the fynest golde of
all: thou art my cofidence?
25 Haue I reioysed because my substaunce was greate, and because my honde
gat so moch?
26 Dyd I euer greatly regarde the rysinge of the Sonne? Or, had I the
goinge downe of ye Moone in greate reputacion?
27 Hath my hert medled priuely wt eny disceate? Or, dyd I euer kysse myne
owne honde
28 (that were a wickednesse worthy to be punyshed, for then shulde I haue
denyed the God that is aboue.)
29 Haue I euer reioysed at the hurte of myne enemy? Or, was I euer glad,
yt eny harme happened vnto him? Oh no,
30 I neuer suffred my mouth to do soch a sinne, as to wysh him euell.
31 Yet they of myne owne housholde saye: who shal let vs, to haue oure
bely ful of his flesh?
32 I haue not suffred a straunger to lye wt out, but opened my dores vnto
him.
33 Haue I euer done eny wicked dede where thorow I shamed my self before
men: Or eny abhominacion, yt I was fayne to hyde it?
34 For yf I had feared eny greate multitude of people: Or yf I had bene
dispysed of ye symple, Oh then shulde I haue bene afrayed. Thus haue I quyetly
spent my lyfe, and not gone out at ye dore.
35 O that I had one which wolde heare me. Lo, this is my cause. Let ye
Allmightie geue me answere: & let him that is my cotrary party, sue me with
a lybell.
36 Then shall I take it vpon my shulder, & as a garlade aboute my heade.
37 I haue tolde the nombre of my goinges, and delyuered them vnto him as
to a prynce.
38 But yf case be that my londe crie agaynst me, or yt the forowes therof
make eny complaynte:
39 yf I haue eaten the frutes therof vnpayed for, yee yf I haue greued
eny of the plow men:
40 Than, let thistles growe in steade of my wheate, & thornes for my
barlye. Here ende the wordes of Iob.
Chapter
32
1 So these thre men wolde stryue nomore wt Iob, because he helde himself
a rightuous man.
2 But Eliu the sonne of Barachel the Bussite of the kynred of Ram, was
very sore displeased at Iob, that he called himself iust before God.
3 And with Iobs thre fredes he was angrie also, because they had founde
no reasonable answere to ouercome him.
4 Now taried Eliu till they had ended their communicacion with Iob, for
why? they were elder then he.
5 So when Eliu ye sonne of Barachel ye Bussite sawe, that these thre men
were not able to make Iob answere, he was myscontent:
6 so that he gaue answere himself, and sayde: Considerinve yt I am yonge,
& ye be men of age, I was afrayed, & durst not shewe forth my mynde,
7 for I thought thus within my self: It becometh olde men to speake,
& the aged to teach wysdome.
8 Euery ma (no doute) hath a mynde, but it is the inspyracion of the
Allmightie that geueth vnderstondinge.
9 All men are not wyse, nether doth euery aged man vnderstonde the thinge
that is laufull.
10 Therfore wil I speake also (in so farre as I maye be herde) & wil
shewe yow myne opinyon.
11 For whe I had wayted till ye made an ende of youre talkynge, &
herde youre wysdome, what argumetes ye made in youre communicacion:
12 yee when I had diligently pondred what ye sayde, I founde not one of
you that made eny good argument agaynst Iob, or that directly coude make answere
vnto his wordes:
13 lest ye shulde prayse youre selues, to haue founde out wysdome:
because it is God that hath cast him out, & no man.
14 Neuerthelesse, seynge he hath not spoken vnto me, therfore will not I
answere him as ye haue done
15 (for they were so abasshed, that they coude not make answere, ner
speake one worde)
16 but in so moch as ye wil not speake, stondinge still like dom men
& makinge no answere:
17 I haue a good hope for my parte to shappe him an answere & to
shewe him my meanynge.
18 For I am full of wordes, & the sprete that is within me, copelleth
me.
19 Beholde, I am as the new wyne which hath no vente, & bursteth the
new vessels in sunder.
20 Therfore wil I speake, that I maye haue vete: I wil open my lyppes,
and make answere.
21 I will regarde no maner of personne, no man wil I spare.
22 For yf I wolde go aboute to please me, I knowe not how soone my maker
wolde take me awaye.
Chapter
33
1 Wherfore, heare my wordes (O Iob) & herken vnto all, that I wyll saye:
2 Beholde, I wil open my mouth, & my tonge shal speake out of my chawes.
3 My hert shall ordre my wordes a right, & my lyppes shal talke of
pure wysdome.
4 The sprete of God hath made me, & the breth of the Allmightie hath
geue me my life.
5 Yf thou cast, then geue me answere: prepare thy self to stode before me
face to face.
6 Beholde, before God am I euen as thou, for I am fashioned and made eue
of the same moulde.
7 Therfore, thou nedest not be afrayed of me, nether nedest thou to feare,
that my auctorite shal be to heuy for the.
8 Now hast thou spoken in myne eares, & I haue herde ye voyce of thy wordes:
9 I am clene without eny fawte, I am innocent, & there is no
wickednesse in me.
10 But lo, he hath pyked a quarell agaynst me, & taketh me for his
enemy:
11 he hath put my fote in the stockes, & loketh narowly vnto all my pathes.
12 Beholde, vnto these vnreasonable wordes of thyne wil I make answere.
Shulde God be reproued of man?
13 Why doest thou then stryue agaynst him, because he geueth the no
accomptes of all his doinges?
14 For whe God doth once commaunde a thinge, there shulde no man be
curious, to search whether it be right.
15 In dreames and visions of the night season (when slombrynge cometh vpo
me, that they fall a slepe in their beddes)
16 he rowneth them in the eares, he infourmeth them, & sheweth the planely,
17 that it is he, which withdraweth man from euell, delyuereth him from pryde,
18 kepeth his soule from destruccion, & his life from ye swearde.
19 he chasteneth him with sicknesse, & bringeth him to his bed: he
laieth sore punyshmet vpo his bones,
20 so that his life maye awaye wt no bred, & his soule abhorreth to
eate eny dayntie meate:
21 In so moch, that his body is clene consumed awaye, & his bones
appeare nomore.
22 His soule draweth on to destruccion, & his life to death.
23 Now yf there be an angel (one amonge a thousande) sent for to speake
vnto ma, and to shewe him the right waye:
24 the the LORDE is mercifull vnto him, & sayeth: He shalbe delyuered,
yt he fall not downe to destruccion, for I am sufficiently recociled.
25 Than his flesh (which hath bene in misery & trouble) shalbe, as it
was in his youth.
26 For yf he submitte himself vnto God, he is gracious, & sheweth him
his countenaunce ioyfully, & rewardeth man for his rightuousnes.
27 Soch a respecte hath he vnto me. Therfore let a man cofesse, (&
saye:) I offended, but he hath chastened & refourmed me: I dyd vnrightuously,
neuerthelesse he hath not recopensed me therafter.
28 Yee he hath delyuered my soule from destruccion, & my life, that
it seyth ye light.
29 Lo, thus worketh God allwaie with ma,
30 that he kepeth his soule from perishinge, & latteth him enioye the
light of ye lyuinge.
31 Marke well (O Iob) & heare me: holde the still, vntill I haue
spoken.
32 But yf thou hast eny thinge to saye, then answere me and speake, for
thy answere pleaseth me.
33 Yf thou hast nothinge, then heare me, and holde thy tonge, so shal I
teach the wysdome.
Chapter
34
1 Eliu proceaded forth in his comunicacion, & sayde:
2 Heare my wordes (O ye wyse men) herken vnto me, ye yt haue vnderstondinge.
3 For like as the mouth tasteth the meates, so the eare proueth &
discerneth the wordes.
4 As for the iudgmet, let vs seke it out amonge or selues, yt we maye
knowe what is right.
5 And why? Iob hath sayde: I am rightuous, but God doth me wronge.
6 I must nedes be a lyar, though my cause be right: & violetly am I
plaged, where as I made no fawte.
7 where is there soch one as Iob, yt drinketh vp scornefulnes like water?
8 which goeth in ye company of wicked doers, & walketh wt vngodly me?
9 For he saieth: Though a ma be good, yet is he naught before God.
10 Therfore herke vnto me, ye yt haue vnderstondinge. Farre be it from
God, that he shulde medle with wickednesse: and farre be it from the Allmightie,
yt he shulde medle with vnrightuous dealynge:
11 but he rewardeth the workes of man, and causeth euery man to fynde
acordinge to his wayes.
12 For sure it is, that God codemneth no man wrongeously, and the iudgmet
of the Allmightie is not vnrightuous.
13 Who ruleth the earth in his steade? Or, whom hath he set to gouerne
the whole worlde?
14 To whom hath he geuen his herte, for to drawe his sprete and breth
vnto him?
15 All flesh shal come together vnto naught, & all me shal turne
agayne vnto earth.
16 Yf thou now haue vnderstodinge, heare what I saye and herken to the
voyce of my wordes.
17 Maye he be made whole, that loueth no right? Yf thou were a very
innocent man, shuldest thou then be punyshed?
18 For he is euen the same, yt knoweth the rebellious kynges, &
sayeth to princes:
19 Vngodly men are ye He hath no respecte vnto the personnes of ye
lordly, & regardeth not the rich more the poore. For they be all the worke
of his hondes.
20 In the twincklinge off an eye shall they be slayne: and at mydnight,
when the people & the tyrauntes rage, then shal they perish, ad be taken
awaye with out hondes.
21 And why? his eyes loke vpon the wayes of man, and he seyth all his goinges.
22 There is no darcknes ner thicke shadowe, yt can hyde the wicked doers
from him.
23 For no ma shalbe suffred to go into iudgment with God.
24 Many one, yee innumerable doth he punyshe and setteth other in their steades.
25 For he knoweth their euell & darcke workes, therfore shal they be
destroyed.
26 They that were in ye steade of Seers, dealt like vngodly me.
27 Therfore turned they back traytorously and vnfaithfully fro hi, &
wolde not receaue his wayes.
28 In so moch that they haue caused ye voyce of the poore to come vnto
him, & now he heareth the coplaynte of soch as are in necessite.
29 Yf he delyuer & graunte pardo, who will iudge or condemne? But yf
he hyde awaye his countenaunce, who wil turne it aboute agayne, whether it be to
the people or to eny man?
30 For the wickednesse & synne of ye people, he maketh an ypocrite to
reigne ouer the.
31 For so moch then as I haue begonne to talke of God, I wil not hyndre
the.
32 Yf I haue gone amysse, enfourme me: yf I haue done wronge, I wil leaue
of.
33 Wilt thou not geue a reasonable answere? Art thou afrayed of eny
thinge, seynge thou beganest first to speake, & not I?
34 For els the men of vnderstodinge & wisdome that haue herde me,
might saye: What cast thou speake?
35 As for Iob he hath nether spoken to the purpose ner wysely.
36 O father, let Iob be well tryed, because he he hath turned himself to
ye wicked:
37 yee aboue his synnes he hath blasphemed, which offence he hath done
euen before vs, in yt he stryueth agaynst God with his wordes.
Chapter
35
1 Eliu spake morouer, and sayde:
2 Thinkest thou it right that thou sayest: I am rightuous before God
3 Seinge thou sayest so, how doest thou knowe it? What thinge hast thou
more excellet, the I yt am a synner?
4 Therfore will I geue answere vnto the & thy frendes:
5 loke vnto the heaue, & beholde it: cosidre ye cloudes, how they are
hyer then thou.
6 Yf thou synnest, what dost thou vnto him? Yf thine offences be many,
how gettest thou his fauoure?
7 Yf thou be rightuous, what geuest thou him? Or, what receaueth he of
thy handes?
8 Of soch an vngodly personne as thou, & of ye sonne of man that is
rightuous as thou pretendest to be:
9 there is a greate crie & coplaynte made by the that are oppressed
with violence, yee eueryman complayneth vpon the cruell arme of tyrauntes.
10 For soch one neuer sayeth: Where is God that made me? ad yt shyneth
vpon vs, that we might prayse him in the night?
11 Which geueth vs more vnderstodinge then he doth the beastes of the
earth, and teacheth vs more then the foules off heaue.
12 Yf eny soch complayne, no ma geueth answere, and yt because of the
wickednesse off proude tyrauntes.
13 But yf a man call vpon God, doth not he heare him? Doth not the
Almightie accepte his crie?
14 Wha thou speakest then, shulde not he pardon the, yff thou open
thyself before him, and put thy trust in him?
15 Then vseth he no violence in his wrath nether hath he pleasure in
curious and depe inquisicions.
16 Therfore hath Iob opened his mouth but in vayne, ad folishly hath he
made so many wordes.
Chapter
36
1 Eliu proceaded forth in his talkinge, & sayde:
2 holde the still a litle, and I shal shewe the, what I haue yet to
speake on Gods behalfe.
3 I wil open vnto ye yet more of myne vnderstondinge, and proue my maker
rightuous.
4 True are my wordes, & no lye: and the knowlege wherwithall I argue
agaynst the, is perfecte.
5 Beholde, God casteth not awaye ye mightie, for he himselff is mightie
in power and wisdome.
6 As for the vngodly, he preserueth the not but helpeth the poore to
their right.
7 He turneth not his eyes awaye from the rightuous he setteth vp kynges
in their Trone, and cofirmeth them, so that they allwaye syt therin.
8 But yf they be layed in preson and cheynes, or bounde with the bondes
of pouerte:
9 then sheweth he them their workes ad dedes and the synnes wherwt they
haue vsed cruell violence.
10 He with punyshinge and nurturinge off them, rowneth them in the eares,
warneth them to leaue of from their wickednesse, and to amende.
11 Yf they now will take hede and be obedient, they shall weere out their
dayes in prosperite, and their yeares in pleasure ad ioye.
12 But yff they will not obeye, they shall go thorow the swearde, &
perish or euer they be awarre.
13 As for soch as be fayned, dyssemblers and ypocrytes, they heape vp
wrath for them selues: for they call not vpon him, though they be his presoners.
14 Thus their soule perisheth in foolishnesse, and their lyfe wt ye condened.
15 The poore delyuereth he out of his straytnesse, and comforteth soch as
be in necessite and trouble.
16 Euen so shall he kepe the (yf thou wilt be content) from the
bottomlesse pytte that is beneth: & yf thou wilt holde the quyete, he shal
fyll thy table with plenteousnesse.
17 Neuerthelesse, thou hast condemned the iudgment of the vngodly, yee
euen soch a iudgment and sentence shalt thou suffre.
18 For then shal not thy cause be stilled with crueltie, ner pacified
with many giftes.
19 Hath God ordened then, that the glorious life off the & all soch
mightie men shulde not be put downe?
20 Prolonge not thou the tyme, till there come a night for the, to set
other people in thy steade.
21 But bewarre that thou turne not asyde to wickednesse and synne, which
hyther to thou hast chosen more then mekenesse.
22 Beholde, God is of a mightie hye power: Where is there soch a gyde and
lawegeuer as he?
23 Who wil reproue him of his waye? who wil saye vnto him: thou hast done wronge?
24 O considre how greate and excellent his workes be, whom all men loaue
and prayse:
25 yee wondre at him, and yet they se him but afarre of.
26 Beholde, so greate is God, that he passeth oure knowlege, nether are
we able to come to ye experiece of his yeares.
27 He turneth ye water to smaldroppes, he dryueth his cloudes
28 together for to rayne, so that they poure downe and droppe vpon men.
29 He can sprede out the cloudes (a couerynge off his tabernacle)
30 and cause his light to shyne vpo them, and to couer the botome of the
see.
31 By these thinges gouerneth he his people, and geueth the abundaunce of meate.
32 In ye turnynge of a hande he hydeth the light, & at his
commaundement it commeth agayne.
33 The rysinge vp therof sheweth he to his frendes and to the catell.
Chapter
37
1 At this my hert is astonnied, and moued out of his place.
2 Heare then the sounde of his voyce, and the noyse yt goeth out of his
mouth.
3 He gouerneth euery thinge vnder the heauen, and his light reacheth vnto
the ende of the worlde.
4 A roaringe voyce foloweth him: for his glorious magesty geueth soch a
thondre clappe, that (though a man heare it) yet maye he not perceaue it
afterwarde. It geueth an horrible sownde,
5 when God sendeth out his voyce: greate thinges doth he, which we can
not coprehende.
6 When he commaundeth the snowe, it falleth vpon the earth: As soone as
he geueth the rayne a charge, Immediatly the showers haue their strength and
fall downe
7 He sendeth feare vpon euery man, that they might knowe their owne workes.
8 The beestes crepe in to their dennes, & take their rest.
9 Out of the south commeth the tempest, and colde out of the north.
10 At the breth of God, the frost commeth, & the waters are shed abrode.
11 The cloudes do their laboure in geuynge moystnesse, the cloudes poure
downe their rayne.
12 He distributeth also on euery syde, acordinge as it pleaseth him to
deale out his workes, that they maye do, what so euer he commaundeth the thorow
the whole worlde:
13 whether it be to punysh eny londe, or to do good vnto them, that seke
him.
14 Herken vnto this (o Iob) stonde still, and considre the wonderous
workes of God.
15 Art thou of coucel with God, when he doth these thinges? When he
causeth the light to come forth of his cloudes?
16 Art thou of his coucell, when he spredeth out the cloudes? Hast thou
the perfecte knowlege of his wonders?
17 and how thy clothes are warme, whe the lode is still thorow the south wynde?
18 hast thou helped him to spred out the heauen, which is to loke vpo, as
it were cast of cleare metall?
19 Teach vs what we shal saye vnto hi, for we are vnmete because of darcknes.
20 Shal it be tolde him, what I saye? Shulde a man speake, or shulde he
kepe it backe?
21 For euery ma seith not the light, yt he kepeth cleare in the cloudes,
which he clenseth whan he maketh the wynde to blowe.
22 Golde is brought out of the north, but the prayse and honoure off Gods
feare commeth fro God himself.
23 It is not we that can fynde out the allmightie: for in power, equite
and rigtuousnesse he is hyer then can be expressed.
24 Seinge then that euery body feareth him, why shulde not all wyse men
also stode in feare of hi?
Chapter
38
1 Then spake the LORDE vnto Iob out of the storme, and sayde:
2 what is he, that hydeth his mynde with foolysh wordes?
3 Gyrde vp thy loynes like a ma, for I will question the, se thou geue me
a dyrecte answere.
4 Where wast thou, when I layed ye foundacions of the earth? Tell planely
yff thou hast vnderstondinge.
5 Who hath measured it, knowest thou? Or, who hath spred ye lyne vpon it?
6 Where vpon stode the pilers of it? Or, who layed ye corner stone?
7 where wast thou when the mornynge starres gaue me prayse, ad when all
the angels of God reioysed?
8 Who shutt the see with dores, when it brake forth as a childe out off
his mothers wombe?
9 When I made the cloudes to be a coueringe for it, and swedled it with
ye darcke?
10 when I gaue it my comaundement, makynge dores & barres for it,
11 sayenge: Hither to shalt thou come, but no further, and here shalt
thou laye downe thy proude and hye wawes.
12 Hast thou geue the mornynge his charge (as soone as thou wast borne)
and shewed the dayespringe his place,
13 yt it might take holde of the corners of the earth, & yt the
vngodly might be shake out?
14 Their tokes & weapes hast thou turned like claye, & set the vp
agayne as the chaunginge of a garment.
15 Yee thou hast spoyled the vngodly off their light, & broke the
arme of the proude.
16 Camest thou euer into the groude of the see, Or, hast thou walked in
ye lowe corners of ye depe?
17 Haue the gates of death bene opened vnto the or hast thou sene the
dore of euerlastige treasure?
18 Hast thou also perceaued, how brode ye earth is? Now yf thou hast
knowlege of all,
19 the shewe me where light dwelleth, and where darcknes is:
20 yt thou mayest bringe vs vnto their quarters, yf thou cast tell the
waye to their houses.
21 Knewest thou (when thou wast borne) how olde thou shuldest be?
22 Wentest thou euer in to the treasuries off the snowe, or hast thou
sene ye secrete places of the hale:
23 which I haue prepared agaynst the tyme of trouble, agaynst the tyme of
batell & warre?
24 By what waye is the light parted, & the heate dealt out vpon
earth?
25 Who deuydeth the abundauce of waters in to ryuers, or who maketh a
waye for the stormy wether,
26 yt it watereth & moystureth ye drye & baren grounde:
27 to make the
grasse
growe in places where no body dwelleth, & in the wildernes where no ma
remayneth?
28 Who is the father of rayne? Or, who hath begotten the droppes of dew?
29 Out of whose wobe came the yse? who hath gendred the coldnes of ye ayre?
30 yt the waters are as harde as stones, & lye congeeled aboue the depe.
31 Hast thou brought ye vij. starres together? Or, art thou able to
breake the Circle of heaue?
32 Cast thou bringe forth the mornynge starre or the euenynge starre at
couenient tyme, & coueye the home agayne?
33 Knowest thou the course off heaue, yt thou mayest set vp the
ordinaunce therof vpo earth?
34 Morouer, cast thou lift vp thy voyce to ye cloudes, yt they maye poure
downe a greate rayne vpo the?
35 Canst thou thodre also yt they maye go their waye, & be obediet
vnto the, sayege: lo, here are we?
36 Who geueth sure wisdome, or stedfast vnderstodinge?
37 who nombreth the cloudes in wisdome? who stilleth ye vehement waters
of the heaue?
38 who turneth the clottes to dust, & the to be clottes agayne?
39 Huntest thou the praye fro the
Lyon
, or fedest thou his whelpes
40 lyege in their denes & lurkinge in their couches?
41 who prouydeth meate for the rauen, whe his yonge ones crie vnto God,
ad fle aboute for want of meate?
Chapter
39
1 Knowest thou the tyme when the wilde gotes brige forth their yoge amoge
the stony rockes? Or layest thou wayte when the hindes vse to fawne?
2 Rekenest thou the monethes after they ingendre, yt thou knowest the
tyme of their bearinge?
3 Or when they lye downe, when they cast their yonge ones, & when
they are delyuered off their trauayle & payne?
4 How their yoge ones growe vp & waxe greate thorow good fedinge?
5 who letteth the wilde asse go fre, or who lowseth the bodes of the Moole?
6 Vnto who I haue geuen the wyldernes to be their house, & the
vntilled londe to be their dwellinge place.
7 That they maye geue no force for the multitude off people in the
cities, nether to regarde the crienge of the dryuer:
8 but to seke their pasture aboute the moutaynes, & to folowe vpon
the grene
grasse
.
9 Wyll the vnicorne be so tame as to do ye seruyce, or to abyde still by
thy cribbe?
10 Cast thou bynde ye yock aboute him in thy forowes, to make him plowe
after the in ye valleis?
11 Mayest thou trust hi (because he is stroge) or comitte thy labor vnto
hi?
12 Mayest thou beleue hi, yt he wil brige home yi corne, or to
cary
eny thinge vnto yi barne?
13 The Estrich (whose fethers are fayrer the ye wynges of the sparow hauke)
14 whe he hath layed his egges vpon the grounde, he bredeth them in the
dust,
15 and forgetteth them: so that they might be troden with fete, or broken
with somme wilde beast.
16 So harde is he vnto his yong ones, as though they were not his, and
laboureth in vayne without eny feare.
17 And that because God hath taken wisdome from him, & hath not geuen
him vnderstondinge.
18 When his tyme is, he flyeth vp an hye, and careth nether for horse ner
man.
19 Hast thou geuen the horse is strength, or lerned him to bowe downe his
neck with feare:
20 that he letteth him self be dryuen forth like a greshopper, where as
the stoute neyenge that he maketh, is fearfull?
21 he breaketh ye grounde with the hoffes of his fete chearfully in his
strength, and runneth to mete the harnest men.
22 He layeth asyde all feare, his stomack is not abated, nether starteth
he a back for eny swerde.
23 Though the quyuers rattle vpon him, though the speare and shilde glistre:
24 yet russheth he in fearsly, and beateth vpon the grounde. He feareth
not the noyse of the trompettes,
25 but as soone as he heareth the shawmes blowe, tush (sayeth he) for he
smelleth the batell afarre of, ye noyse, the captaynes and the shoutinge.
26 Commeth it thorow thy wysdome, that the goshauke flyeth towarde the
south?
27 Doth the Aegle mounte vp & make his nest on hye at thy commaundement?
28 He abydeth in the stony rockes, ad vpon the hye toppes of harde
mountaynes, where no man can come.
29 From thence maye he beholde his praye, and loke farre aboute with his
eyes.
30 His yonge ones are fed with bloude, and where eny deed body lyeth,
there is he immediatly.
Chapter
40
1 Morouer, God spake vnto Iob and sayde:
2 Can he that stryueth with the Allmightie, be at rest? Shulde not he
which disputeth with God, geue him an answere?
3 Iob answered the LORDE, sayenge:
4 Beholde, I am to vyle a personne, to answere the, therfore will I laye
my hande vpon my mouth.
5 Once or twyse haue I spoken, but I will saye nomore.
6 Then spake the LORDE vnto Iob out of the storme, and sayde:
7 gyrde vp yi loynes like a man, and tell me the thige that I will axe
the.
8 Wilt thou disanulle my iudgment? Or, wilt thou condemne me, yt thou thy
self mayest be made rightuous?
9 Is thine arme then like the arme of God? Maketh thy voyce soch a soude
as his doth?
10 Then arme thy self with thine owne power, vp, decke the in thy ioly araye,
11 poure out the indignacion of thy wrath: se that thou cast downe all ye proude,
12 loke well, that thou makest all soch as be stubburne, to obeye: treade
all the vngodly vnder thy fete,
13 cast the downe in to the myre, and couer their faces with darcknesse:
14 Then will I confesse also, that thyne owne right honde hath saued the.
15 Beholde, the cruell beaste (whom I made wt the) which eateth haye as
an oxe:
16 lo, how stronge he is in his loynes, and what power he hath in the
nauell of his body.
17 He spredeth out his tale like a Cedre tre, all his vaynes are stiff.
18 His shynnes are like pipes off brasse, his rygge bones are like staues
of yro
19 First when God made him, he ordened the wyldernesse for him,
20 yt the mountaynes shulde geue him grasse, where all the beastes off
the felde take their pastyme.
21 He lyeth amoge the redes in the Mosses, the fennes
22 hyde him with their shadowe, and the wylowes of the broke couer him
rounde aboute.
23 Lo, without eny laboure might he drynke out the whole floude, and
suppe off Iordane without eny trauayle.
24 Who darre laye honde vpon him openly, and vndertake to catch him? Or,
who darre put an hoke thorow his nose, ad laye a snare for him?
Chapter
41
1 Darrest thou drawe out Leuiathan with an angle, or bynde his tonge with
a snare?
2 Canst thou put a rynge in the nose of him, or bore his chaftes thorow
with a naule?
3 Wyll he make many fayre wordes with the (thynkest thou) or flatre the:
4 Wyll he make a couenaunt with the? Or, art thou able for to compell him
to do the contynuall seruyce?
5 Wilt thou take thy pastyne wt him as with a byrde, or geue him vnto thy
maydens,
6 that thy companyons maye hew him in peces, to be parted amonge the
marchaunt men?
7 Canst thou fyll the nett wt his skynne, or ye fysh panyer with his heade?
8 Darrest thou laye honde vpon him? It is better for the to considre what
harme might happe the there thorow and not to touch him.
9 For when thou thynkest to haue holde vpon him, he shall begyle the:
Euery man also that seyth him, shall go backe. And why?
10 There darre none be so bolde, as to rayse him vp. Who is able to
stonde before me?
11 Or, who hath geuen me eny thynge afore hande, that I am bounde to
rewarde him agayne? All thinges vnder heauen are myne.
12 I feare him not, whether he threaten or speake fayre.
13 Who lifteth him vp and stripeth him out of his clothes, or who taketh
him by the bytt of his brydle?
14 Who openeth the dore of his face? for he hath horrible tethe rounde aboute.
15 His body is couered with scales as it were with shyldes, lockte in,
kepte, and well copacte together.
16 One is so ioyned to another, that no ayre can come in:
17 Yee one hangeth so vpon another, and sticke so together, that they can
not be sundered.
18 His nesinge is like a glisteringe fyre, and his eyes like the mornynge shyne.
19 Out of his mouth go torches and fyre brandes,
20 out off his nostrels there goeth a smoke, like as out off an hote
seetinge pott.
21 His breth maketh the coales burne, the flame goeth out of his mouth.
22 In his necke remayneth strength, and before his face sorowe is turned
to gladnesse.
23 The membres of his body are ioyned so strayte one to another, and
cleue so fast together, that he can not be moued.
24 His hert is as harde as a stone, ad as fast as the styth ye that the
hammer man smyteth vpon.
25 When he goeth: the mightiest off all are afrayed, and the wawes heuy.
26 Yff he drawe out the swearde, there maye nether speare ner
brest
plate abyde him.
27 He setteth as moch by a strawe as by yro, and as moch by a rotten
stocke as by metall.
28 He starteth not awaye for him that bendeth the bowe, & as for
slynge stones, he careth as moch for stubble as for them
29 He counteth the hammer no better then a strawe, he laugheth him to
scorne that shaketh the speare.
30 He treadeth the golde in the myre like ye sharpe potsherdes.
31 He maketh the depe to seeth and boyle like a pott, and stereth the see
together like an oyntment.
32 The waye is light after him, the depe is his walkynge place.
33 Vpon earth is there no power like vnto his, for he is so made, that he
feareth not.
34 Yff a man will cosidre all hye thinges, this same is a kynge ouer all
the children off pryde.
Chapter
42
1 The Iob answered the LORDE, and sayde:
2 I knowe that thou hast power of all thinges, and that there is no
thought hyd vnto the.
3 For who can kepe his owne councell so secrete, but it shall be knowne?
Therfore haue I spoken vnwysely, seynge these thinges are so hye, and passe myne
vnderstondinge.
4 O herken thou vnto me also, and let me speake: answere me vnto the
thinge that I will axe the.
5 I haue geuen diligent eare vnto the, and now I se ye with myne eyes.
6 Wherfore I geue myne owne self ye blame, and take repentaunce in the
dust and asshes.
7 Now whe the LORDE had spoken these wordes vnto Iob, he sayde vnto
Eliphas ye Themanite: I am displeased with the & thy two frendes, for ye
haue not spoken the thinge yt is right before me, like as my seruaunt Iob hath
done.
8 Therfore take vij. oxen and seuen rammes, and go to my seruaunt Iob,
offre vp also for youre selues a brentofferynge, and lat my seruaunt Iob praye
for you. Him will I accepte, and not deale with you after youre foolishnesse: in
that ye haue not spoke ye thinge which is right, like as my seruaunt Iob hath
done.
9 So Eliphas the Themanite, Baldad ye Suhite and Sophar the Naamathite
wete their waye, and did acordynge as the LORDE commaunded them. The LORDE also
accepted the personne off Iob,
10 and the LORDE turned him vnto Iob, whe he prayed for his frendes: Yee
the LORDE gaue Iob twyse as moch as he had afore.
11 And the came there vnto him all his brethren, all his sisters with all
them that had bene off his acquatauce afore, and ate bred with him in his house,
wondringe at him, ad comfortinge him ouer all the trouble, that the LORDE had
brought vpon him. Euery ma gaue him a shepe and a Iewell of golde.
12 And the LORDE made Iob richer then he was before: for he had xiiij.M.
shepe, vi.M. camels, a M. yock oxe, and a M. asses.
13 He had children also: vij. sonnes and iij. doughters.
14 The first he called Daye, the seconde, pouerte: the thirde, All plenteousnes.
15 In all the londe were none founde so fayre, as the doughters of Iob,
& their father gaue them enheritaunce amonge their brethren.
16 After this lyued Iob xl. yeares, so that he sawe his children, &
his childers children vnto the fourth generacion.
17 And so he dyed, beinge olde & of a perfecte age.
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