A   In þe; lande of Nus there was a m&abar; called Iob: an innocent ∧ vertuous m&abar;, soche one as feared God exchued euell. This man had .vij. sonnes, ∧ .iij. daughters. Hys substaunce was .vij.M. shepe .iij.M. camels .v.C. youck of oxen .v.C. she asses, ∧ a very greate housholde: so that he was one of the moste principall men amonge all th&ebar; of the east countre. And his sonnes went, and made banckettes: one daye in one house, another daye in another, and sent for their .iij. systers to eate and drincke with them. So when they had passed ouer the tyme of their banckettynge rounde aboute, Iob sent for them, and clensed them agayne, and gat vp early, ∧ offered for euery one a brentofferynge. For Iob thought thus: peraduenture my sonnes haue done some offence, and haue bene vnthankfull to God in their hertes. B   And thus dyd Iob euery daye. Now vpon a tyme, when the05Q0313 seruauntes of God05Q0314 came ∧ stode before the Lord, Sathan came also amonge them. And the Lorde sayde vnto Sathan: From whence commest thou? Sathan answered the Lorde, and sayd: I haue gone aboute the lande and walcked thorow it.

Then sayde the Lorde vnto Sathan: hast thou not c&obar;sydered my seruaunt Iob, how þt; he is an innocent ∧ vertuous man: soch one as feareth God, ∧ extrueth euel, ∧ that there is none lyke hym in the lande? Sathan answered, ∧ sayde vnto the Lord: Doeth Iob feare God for nought? hast thou not preserued him, his house, and all hys substaunce on euery syde? hast thou not blessed the worckes of his h&abar;des? Is not his possessyon encreased in the lande? But laye thyne hande vpon him a lytle, touche ones all that he hath, and (I holde) he shall curse the to thy face. And the Lorde sayd vnto Sathan: lo all that he hath, be in thy power: only vpon hym self se that thou laye not thyne hande. Then went Sathan forth from the Lorde.

C   Now vp&obar; a certayne daye wh&ebar; his sonnes and daughters were eatynge, and drinckinge wyne in their eldeste brothers house, there came a messenger vnto Iob, ∧ sayde: Whyle the oxen were a plowynge, ∧ the Asses going in the pasture besyde them: the Sabees came in violently, and toke th&ebar; all awaye: ye they haue slayne thy seruauntes with the swearde and I only ranne my waye, to tell the.

And whyle he was yet speakynge, there came another, and sayde: The fyre of God is fallen from heauen, it hath consumed, and brent vp all thy shepe and seruauntes: and I only ranne my waye, to tell the. In þt; meane season whyle he was yet speakynge there came another, and sayde: The Caldees made thre armies, ∧ fell in vpon thy camels, which they haue caried awaye, yee and slayne thy seruauntes with the swearde: D   and I only am gotten awaye, to tell the: Whyle he was speakynge, there came yet another, ∧ sayde: Thy sonnes and daughters were eatyng ∧ drynckynge wyne in their eldest brothers house, ∧ sodenly there came a mightie greate wynde out of the South, and smote the .iiij. corners of the house, which fell vpon thy chyldren, so that they are deed: and I am gotten awaye alone, to tell the.

Then Iob stode vp, and rente hys clothes shaued his heade, fell doune vp&obar; the ground, worshipped, and sayde: Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, ∧ naked shall I turne thether agayne. The Lorde gaue, and the Lord hath taken awaye ^note now blessed be the name of the Lorde. In all these thynges dyd Iob not offende, ^note ner murmured folyshye agaynst God.

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