A   In the lande of ^note Hus there was a man whose name was Iob: ∧ the same was a perfect ∧ iust m&abar;, soch a one as feared God ∧ exchued euell. And he had seu&ebar; sonnes, ∧ thre daughters ^note His substaunce also was seuen M. shepe, ∧ thre .M. camels, v.C. youck of oxen, ∧ fyue .C. she asses, and a very greate housholde: so that he was one of the most principall m&ebar; am&obar;g all them of the east co&ubar;tre. And his sonnes w&ebar;t and made banckettes: one daye in one house, another daye in another, and sent for theyr thre systers, to eat ∧ drincke with th&ebar;. And it fortuned, that when they had passed ouer the tyme of their bancketting ro&ubar;de aboute, Iob sent for them, and &rhand; sanctified them, and gat vp early, and offered for euery one a br&ebar;tofferynge. For Iob sayde: lest peraduenture my sonnes haue done some offence, ∧ &rhand; haue bene vnthankfull to God in their hertes. Thus did Iob euery daye. And vpon a daye ^note when &rhand; the children of God cam ∧ stode before the Lord, it fortuned that Sathan c&abar; also among them. And the Lorde sayde vnto Sath&abar;. From whence c&obar;mest thou? Sathan answered the Lord, and sayde: ^note I haue gone about the lande, and walcked thorow it.

And the Lorde sayde vnto Sath&abar;: hast þu; not considered my serua&ubar;t Iob, how þt; there is none lyke him in the land? B   a perfect ∧ a iust man: soch a one as feareth God, &abar;d exchueth euell? Sathan answered, and sayde vnto the Lord. Doth Iob feare God for naught? hast thou not preserued him, ∧ his house, and all þt; he hath on euery syde? Thou hast blessed the

worckes of hys handes, and hys possessyon is encreased in the l&abar;de. But laye thyne h&abar;d now vpon hym (a lytle) and touch all that he hath, and he shal curse the to thy face. And the Lorde sayde vnto Satan: lo, all that he hath, be in thy power: onely vpon hym selfe se that thou laye not thyne hande. And Satan went forth fr&obar; the presence of the Lorde.

C   And vp&obar; a certayn daye it fortuned, that his sonnes and daughters were eatyng and drincking wyne in their eldest brothers house, and there came a messenger vnto Iob, &abar;d sayde: Whyle the oxen were a plowyng, and the asses goynge in the pasture besyde them, the Sabees came in vyolently, and toke th&ebar; awaye: yee, they haue slayne thy seruauntes with the edge of the sweard, and I onely r&abar;ne my waye, to tell the.

Whyle he was yet speakyng, there came another, and sayde: The fyre of God is fall&ebar; from heauen, and hath brent vp all thy shepe and seruantes, and consumed them: ∧ I onely ranne my waye, to tell the. And whyle he was yet speakinge, there came another, and sayde: The Caldees made thre armyes, and fell in vp&obar; the camels, and haue caryed them awaye, D   yee, and slayne thy seruauntes with the swearde: and I onely am gotten awaye, to tell the. And whyle he was yet speakyng, there came another, and sayde: Thy sonnes and thy daughters were eatynge and drynckynge wyne in theyr eldest brothers house, and beholde, there came a myghtye greate wynde out of the south, and smote the foure corners of the house: which fell vp&obar; thy children, and they are deed, and I am gotten a waye alone to tell the.

Then Iob stode vp, and rent his clothes, and shaued hys heade, fell downe vpon the grounde, worshipped, and sayd: ^note Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, and naked shall I turne thyther agayne. The Lord gaue, and the Lorde hath taken awaye (euen as it hath pleased the Lorde, so is it come to passe) blessed be the name of the Lord. ^noteIn all these thynges dyd Iob not offende, ner murmured foolyshly agaynst God. ¶ The .ij. Chapter. ¶ Iob ys plaged wyth sore byles, and afterward ys mocked of hys wyfe. Hys frendes vysyte hym, ∧ haue compassyon of hym.

A   And the children of God came and stode before the Lorde, and Satan came also amonge them, and stode before the Lorde. And the Lord sayde vnto Sat&abar;: From whence commest thou? Satan answered the Lorde, and sayde: I haue gone about the l&abar;d, and walcked thorow it.

And the Lorde sayde vnto Satan: hast þu; not consydered my seruaunt Iob? for there is none lyke him in the land. For he is a perfect and iust man, soch a one as feareth God, and exchueth euell, ∧ contynueth styll in hys godlynesse. And thou mouedest me agaynst him, þt; I shulde punysh him for naught. B   And Satan answered the Lord, ∧ sayde: Skyn for skynne? yee, a man wyll geue all that euer he hath, for his lyfe. But laye thyne h&abar;d now vpon him, and touch once his bone and flesh, and he shall curse the to thy face. And þe; Lorde sayde vnto Satan: lo, there hast thou hym in thy power, but spare hys lyfe.

So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Iob with maruelous sore byles, from the sole of hys fote vnto hys crowne: so that he sat vpon the gro&ubar;d in the asshes, and scraped of the fylth of hys sores with a potsherde.

C   Then sayde hys wyfe vnto hym: ^note Dost thou contynue yet in thy perfectnesse? curse God ∧ dye. But Iob sayde vnto her: Thou speakest lyke a folysh woman. Shal we receaue prosperite at the hand of God, and not receaue aduersite? ^noteIn all these thinges, did not Iob synne with his lyppes.

Now when Iobs frendes hearde of all the trouble, that happened vnto hym, there came thre of them, euery one from hys awne place: namely, Eliphas the Themanite, Bildad the Suhite, ∧ Zophad the Naamathite.

D   And they were agreed together to come, to shewe their compassion vpon him, and to comforte hym. So when they lyfte vp theyr eyes a farre of, they knewe him not.

Then they cryed, and wepte: ∧ euery one of them r&ebar;te his clothes, and sprynckled dust vpon theyr heades in the ayre. They sat th&ebar; downe by hym also vpon the grounde seuen dayes and seuen nyghtes. Nether was there any of them that spake one worde vnto hym: for they sawe, that hys payne was very greate. ¶ The .iij. Chapter. ¶ The wordes of Iob, wherin be declareth that thys present lyfe ys myserable, and that the deeth of the ryghtewes ys ioyouse and fortunable.

A   After this opened iob his mouth and &rhand; cursed hys daye. And Iob answered, and sayde: lost be that daye, wher&ibar; I was borne, and the nyght, in the which it was sayde: there is a man chylde conceaued. The same daye be turned to darckenes, and not regarded of God from aboue, nether lett hym shyne vpon it with lyght, but let it be stayned with darcknesse, and the shadowe of death. Let the dymme cloude fall vpon it, and lett it be lapped in with sorowe on the daye tyme. Let the darcke storme ouercome that nyght, and lett it not be ioyned vnto

the dayes of the yeare, ner counted in the monethes. Desolate be that night, and without gladnesse, lett them that curse the daye, and that be ready to rayse vp mournyng, geue it also their curse. Let the starres of that night be dymme thorow darcknesse of it. Let it loke for lyght, but lett it se none, nether &club; the rysynge vp of the fayre mornynge: because it shut not vp the wombe that bare me. B   For then shulde these sorowes haue bene hyd fr&obar; myne eyes.

Alas, ^note why dyed I not in þe; byrth? Why dyd not I perysh, as sone as I came oute of my mothers wombe? Why set they me vp&obar; their knees? Why gaue they me suck with theyr brestes? Then shulde I now haue lyen styll, I shulde haue slepte, and bene at reste, lyke as the kynges and lordes of the earthe, which haue buylded them selues special places. Or as the prynces that haue had greate substaunce of golde, and theyr houses full of syluer. Or why was I not hyd, as a thynge borne out of tyme, ether as yonge chyldren, which neuer sawe the light? &rhand; There must the wycked ceasse from theyr tyrannye, C   and ther soch as are ouerlaboured be at rest: ther are those lett out fre, which haue bene in preson, so that they heare nomore the voyce of the oppressoure. There are small ∧ great, and the seruaunt is fre from hys master.

Wherfore is the lyght geuen to hym that is in mysery? and lyfe vnto them, that haue heuy hertes? Whych longe for death (and though it come not) &rhand; wolde dygg it oute of hyd places which also wolde be excedyng D    glad and reioyce, yf they coulde fynde theyr graue any where. That shuld be ioye to that man &rhand; whose waye is hyd, and God kepeth it backe from him. For my syghes come before I eate, and my roaringes fall out like the water. For the thynge that I feared, is come vpon me: and the thynge that I was afrayed of, is happened vnto me. Was I not happy? Had I not quyetnesse? Was I not in rest? And now commeth soch mysery vp&obar; me ¶ The .iiij. Chapter. ¶ Iob is reprehended in impacyence and vniustyce, and of the presumpcyon of hys awne ryghtewesnes.

A   And Eliphas the Themanyte answered, and sayde: Yf we begynne to commen with the, wylt thou be discontent? but who can withhold him selfe from speakinge? Behold, thou hast bene a chastener of many, and hast comforted the weery handes.

Thy wordes haue set vp those that were fallen, thou hast refresshed the weake, knees. B   But now that the plage is come vpon the, þu; art greued: now þt; it hath touched thy selfe, thou art faynt harted. ^note&rhand; Is not this thy feare, thy stedfastnesse, thy pacience, and the perfectnesse of thy wayes? C&obar;sydre (I praye the) whoeuer perysshed beynge an innocent? Or, wh&ebar; were the godly destroyed? For (as I haue proued by experience) they þt; plowe iniquytie, ∧ ^note sowe wretchednesse, reape the same. With the blast of God they perish, and with the breth of hys nastrels are they consumed awaye. The roaryng of the lyon, and the voyce of the lyon, ∧ the teeth of the lyons whelpes are pulled out. The lyon perissheth for lacke of praye, and the ly&obar;s whelpes are scatered abrode.

And vnto me came the worde secretly, ∧ myne eare hath receaueth a lytell therof. In the thoughtes and visy&obar;s of the night (wh&ebar; C    slepe commeth on men) feare came vpon me, and drede, which made all my bones to shake. The wynde passed by, before my presence, and made the heares of my flesh to stande vp. He stode there, and I knew not hys face, an ymage ther was before myne eyes, and in the stylnesse hearde I a voyce. ^note&rhand; Shall man be more iust than God? Or shall a man be purer than hys maker? Beholde, &rhand; He founde no treuth in hys seruauntes, and ^note in hys aungels ther was foly. How moch more in them that dwell in houses of claye, D   and whose foundacyon is but dust: which shalbe consumed as it were with a Moth? They shalbe smitten from the mornynge vnto the euenyng: yee, they shall perysh for euer, wh&ebar; no man thincketh theron. It is not their royaltye gone awaye with th&ebar;: they shal dye trulye, and not in wysdome. ¶ The .v. Chapter. ¶ The ende of fole. The ryghtewesnes of God. The Lord chasteneth hys, and delyuereth them agayne.

A   Crye (I praye the) yf happlye there be any that wyll answere the, and loke thou vpon eny of the holy men. As for the foolysh man, displeasure kylleth hym, and anger slayeth the ignora&ubar;t ^note I haue sene my selfe, when the folysh was depe roted, and sodenly. &rhand; I cursed hys habitacyon. Hys chyldren were without prosperite, and they were slayne in the gate, and there was no man to delyuer th&ebar;. ^noteHys haruest was eaten vp of the hungry, ∧ the weapened man spoyled it, and the thurstye dr&obar;cke vp theyr laboure. It is not the earth that bryngeth forth iniquyte, nether c&obar;meth sorowe out of the ground: but &rhand; man is borne vnto laboure, lyke as the sparkes flye vp out of the hote coles.

B   But I wyll aske councell at the Lorde, ∧ wyll talke with God: which doth thynges, that are vnsearcheable, and maruels without nombre. ^noteHe geueth rayne vpon þe; erth, and poureth water vpon the stretes, to ^note set vp them that be of lowe degre, &abar;d that those

which are in heuynesse may come to prosperite. He destroyeth the deuyces of the sotyll, so that their handes are not able to performe any stedfast thing. ^noteHe compaseth the wyse in their awne craftynes, and ouerthroweth the councell of the wycked. In somoche that they runne into darcknes by fayre daye, C   and ^note grope aboute them at the none daye, lyke as in the nyght.

He shall delyuer the pore fr&obar; the sweard, and from the threatenynges of the vngodly, and from the violence of the myghty. He is the hope of the poore, and the mouth of the wicked shalbe stopped.

Beholde, ^note happye is the man, whom God punissheth: therfore, refuse not thou the chastenynge of the almyghtye. For ^note though he make a wounde, he geueth a playster: though he smyte, hys hande maketh whole agayne.

D   &rhand; He shall delyuer the in syxe troubles, and in the seuenth there shall no euell come to the. In h&obar;ger he shall saue the from death: and when it is warre, from the power of the swearde.

Thou shalt be kept from the euell tonge, and when trouble commeth, thou shalt not nede to feare. In destruccion and derth thou shalt be mery, and ^note shalt not be afrayed of beastes of the earth. For &rhand; þe; stones of the lande shalbe confederate with the, ∧ the beastes of the felde shall geue the peace.

And thou shalt knowe that thy dwellyng place shalbe in rest: and thou shalt go and beholde thy habytacyon, and shalt not synne. Thou shalt se also, þt; thy sede shall encreace, and that thy posteryte shalbe as the grasse vpon the earth. Thou shalt come also to thy graue in a fayre age, lyke as when they take vp a corne shefe in due season. Lo, thys we oure selues haue proued by experience, and euen thus it is. Herken thou to it also, that thou mayest take hede to thy selfe. ¶ The .vj. Chapter. ¶ Iob answereth, that hys payne is more greuouse then hys faute, yet notwithstandynge he delyteth therin.

A   Iob answered also, ∧ sayde: &rhand; O that the displeasure which I haue were truly weyed, and my punishment layed in the balaunces togeather: for now is it heuyer then the sande of the see. And thys is the cause, that my wordes are so sorowfull.

For the arowes of the almighty are ro&ubar;d about me, whose indygnacyon hath droncke vp my sprete, and the terrible feares of God are sett agaynst me. ^noteDoth the wylde asse roare wh&ebar; he hath grasse? Or cryeth the oxe, when he hath foder ynough? That which is vnsauery, shalt it be eaten without salte, or is there any taste in the whyte of an egge? The thynges that some tyme I myght not awaye withall, are now my meate for very sorowe. O that I myght haue my desyre: and that God wolde graunte me the thynge that I longe for. O that God wold begynne and smyte me: that he wolde let hys hande go, and take me cleane awaye. B   Then shulde I haue some comforte: yee, I wolde desyre hym in my payne, that he shulde not spare, for I wyll not be agaynst the wordes of the holy one.

For what power haue I to endure? And what is myne ende, that my soule myght be pacient? Is my strength the strength of stones? Or, is my flesh made of brasse? Is it not so þt; there is in me no helpe: and that my substaunce is taken from me. He that is in tribulacyon ought to be comforted of hys C    neyghbour: but the feare of the Lord is cleane awaye. Myne awne brethren passe ouer by me as the water brooke, and as the ryuer of water, do hastely go awaye. But they that feare the hore frost, the snowe shall fall vpon them.

When theyr tyme commeth, they shalbe destroyed and peryshe: when they be sett on fyre, they shalbe remoued out of theyr place, for þe; pathes that they go in, are croked: they haste after vayne thynges, and shall perysh. They turne them to the pathes of Theman, and to the wayes of Saba, wherin they haue put their trust. D   Confounded are they that put eny confydence in them. For whan they come to obtayne the thynges that they loke for, they are brought to confusion.

Euen so are ye also come vnto me: but now that ye se my misery, ye are afrayed. Dyd I desyre you, to bryng vnto me, or to geue me eny of youre substa&ubar;ce? To delyuer me from the enemyes hande, or to saue me from the hande of tyrauntes? Teache me, and I wyll holde my tonge: and whan I do erre, shewe me wherin. How stedfast are the wordes of treuth? And which of you can rebuke and reproue them? Do ye take deliberacy&obar; to check mens sayinges, and iudge a pore worde spoken in vayne? Ye fall vpon the fatherles and go about to ouerthrowe your awne frende. And therfore be content, and loke now vpon me, and I wyll not lye before youre face. Turne (I praye you) be indifferent iudges, turne agayne, and ye shall se myne vngyltinesse: whether there be eny vnrighteousnesse in my tong, or vayne wordes in my mouth. ¶ The .vij. Chapter. ¶ Iob sheweth that thys lyfe is but a bataylle or warfarre.

A   Hath man &club; any certayn tyme vp&obar; earthe? ^noteAre not hys dayes also lyke þe; dayes of an hyred serua&ubar;t? For lyke as a bonde seruaunt desyreth the shadowe, and as an

hyrelynge wolde fayne haue an ende of hys worcke. Eu&ebar; so haue I laboured whole monethes longe (but in vayne) and many a carefull night haue I tolde. ^noteWhen I laye me downe to slepe, I saye: O when shall I rise? Agayne, I longed sore for the nyght. And in the meane tyme am I full of sorowes vntyll the twylyght. B   My flesh is clothed with wormes and dust of the earth: my skynne is withered, and become horryble, ^note my dayes passe ouer more spedely, then a weeuer can weeue out his webbe: and are gone or I am aware. O remembre, that my lyfe is but a mynde, and that myne eye shall nomore se pleasures therof, yee, ∧ that none other mens eye shall se me eny more. For yf thou fasten thyne eye vpon me, I come to naught. The cloude is consumed and vanysshed awaye, euen so he that goeth downe to the graue, &rhand; shall come nomore vp, ner turne agayne into hys house nether shall hys place knowe hym eny more.

C   Therfore, I will not spare my mouth, but wyll speake in the trouble of my sprete, and muse in the bytternesse of my mynde. Am I a see or a whalfysh, that thou kepest me so in preson? When I saye: my bedd shall comforte me. I shall haue some refresshynge by talcking to my selfe vp&obar; my couche. ^noteThen troublest thou me with dreames, &abar;d makest me so afrayed thorow visions, that my soule wissheth rather to perish and dye, then my bones to remayne.

D   I can se no remedy, I shall lyue nomore: O spare me then, for my dayes are but vayne. What is man, that thou hast hym in soch reputacyon, ∧ settest somoch by hym? Thou visytest hym early, and euery daye, sodenly doest thou ^note trye hym.

Why goest thou not fro me, ner lettest me alone, &rhand; so longe tyll I maye swalow downe my spetle? I haue offended, and what shall I do vnto the, O thou preseruer of m&ebar;? Why hast þu; made me to stande in thy waye, and am so heuy a burden vnto my self? Why doest thou not forgeue me my synne? Wherfore takest thou not awaye my wyckednes? Beholde, now must I slepe in the dust, &abar;d yf thou sekest me to morow in the mornyng, I shalbe gone. ¶ The .viij. Chapter. ¶ Iob is reprehended and noted to haue deserued hys payne. A descripsyon of ypocrysye.

A   Then answered Baldad þe; Suhite, and sayde: How longe wilt thou talke of soch thynges? how longe shall thy mouth speake so proude wordes? Doth God peruerte the thynge that is laufull? Or doth the almyghtye destroye the thynge that is ryght? For seyng that thy sonnes synned agaynst hym, dyd not he punysh them for theyr wyckednesse? If thou woldest now resort vnto God by tymes, and make thyne humble prayer to the almyghty: yf thou woldest lyue a pure and a godly lyfe: shulde he not awake vp vnto the immediatly, and geue the, the bewtye of ryghtewesnesse agayne? In so moche, that where in so euer thou haddest lytle afore, thou shuldest now haue greate aboundaunce. B   Enquere (I praye the) of them that haue bene before the, ^note and search diligently amonge theyr fathers. For we are but of yesterdaye, and consydre not, þt; ^note oure dayes vpon earth are but a very shadowe. Shall not they shewe the, and tell the, yee, &abar;d gladly confesse the same?

Maye a rysshe be grene without moystnesse? Or maye the grasse growe without water? No: but (or euer it be shot forth, ∧ or euer it be gathered) it withered, before eny other herbe. Euen so goeth it with all them, that forget God: and euen thus also shall the ypocrites hope come to naught. Hys confydence shalbe destroyed, and hys trust shalbe a spiders webbe. C   He shall leane vp&obar; his house, but it shall not stande: he shall holde hym fast by it, yet shall it not endure. It is eu&ebar; as a grene tree before the sonne, ∧ shoteth forth the braunches in hys garden. It taketh many rotes by a well syde, in so moch that it is lyke an house of stones.

But yf it be taken out of hys place, euery man denyeth it, sayenge: I knowe the not. Lo, thus is it with him, that reioyseth in his awne doynges: and as for other, they growe out of the earth.

D   Behold, God will not cast awaye a vertuous man, nether wyll he helpe the vngodly. Thy mouth shall he fyll with laughing, and thy lyppes with gladnesse. They also þt; hate the, shalbe confounded, and the dwellinge of the vngodly shall come to naught. ¶ The .ix. Chapter. ¶ Iob declareth the benefytes of God, and that mannes ryghtewesnes is nothynge.

A   Iob answered, ∧ sayde: I know it is so of a treuthe: For how maye a man (compared vnto God) ^note be iustifyed? If he will argue with him, he shall not be able to answere hym vnto one amonge a thousande. Concernynge soch as be wyse of herte, or myghtye in strength, who euer prospered, that toke part against hym? He translateth the mountaynes, or euer they be aware. It is he that ouerthroweth them in hys wrath. He remoueth the earthe oute of her place, that the pylers therof shake with all. He commaundeth the sonne, and it riseth not: he closeth vp

the starres, as it were vnder a sygnett. He him self alone spredeth out the heauens, and goeth vpon the waues of the see. He maketh the waynes of heauen &lhand; the Orion ^note the seuen starres, and the secrete places of the south. He doth greate thynges, soch as are vnsearcheable, yee, and wonders withoute nombre.

B   Lo, whan he goeth ouer by me, I shall not se hym. And whan he departeth, by me, I shall not loke vpon hym. I shall not perceaue hym. If he be hasty to take eny thynge awaye, who wyll make him restore it agayne? Or who wyll saye vnto hym ^note what doest thou? ^noteHe is God, whose wrath no man maye withst&abar;de: but the proudest of all must stoupe vnder hym. How shulde I then answere hym? Or what wordes shulde I fynde oute agaynst hym? Yee, though I were ryghteous, yet myght I not geue hym one worde agayne, but mekely submytte my self to hym as my iudge. Yf I had called vpon hym, and he had answered me: &rhand; yet wold I not beleue, that he herd my voyce: he troubleth me so with the tempest, and woundeth me out of measure without a cause. He wyll not lett my sprete be in rest, but fylleth me &wt; bytternesse.

If men wyll speake of strength, lo, he is stronge: yf men wyll speake of ryghteousnes, who darre be my recorde. If I wyll iustifye my selfe, &rhand; my awne mouth shall condempne me: yf I wyll put forth my selfe for a perfecte man, he shall proue me a wycked doer. For though I be an innocent, and my conscience cleare, yet am I weery of my lyfe

C   One thyng it is and therfore I sayed. He destroyeth both the righteous and vngodly. And though he staye sodenly with the scourge, yet wyll he laugh at the punyshement of the innocent. As for the worlde, it is geuen ouer into the hand of the wicked, and he shal couer the faces of the iudges therof. Is it not so? where is there eny, but he is soch one?

^noteMy dayes are more swyfte then a runner: they are gone ∧ haue sene no good thing. They are passed awaye, as the shyppes that be good vnder sayle, and as the aegle þt; flieth to the praye. When I am purposed to forget my complayning, to leaue of fro my wrath, and to comforte my selfe, then am I afrayed of all my sorowes, for I knowe, that thou wylt not iudge me innocent. If I be then a wicked doer, why laboure I in vayne? If I washe my selfe with snowe water, and make myne h&abar;des neuer so cleane, D   &club; at the wel, yet shalt thou dyppe me in the myer: and &rhand; myne awne clothes shall defyle me. For he that I must geue answere vnto, &abar;d with whom I go to lawe, is not a man as I am. Nether is there eny dayesman to laye hys hande betwene vs. Lett hym take hys rod awaye fro me, yee, lett him make me nomore afrayed of him, and then shall I answere h&ibar; without eny feare. For as l&obar;ge as it is thus, I can make no answere. ¶ The .x. Chapter. ¶ Iob is weery of hys lyfe, and setteth out his fragylyte before God. He desyreth the tyme to repent. A descrypcyon of death.

A   It greueth my soule to lyue. I wyl make my complaynte, and wyll speake out of the very heuynesse of my soule. I wyll saye vnto God: O do not condempne me, but shewe me the cause, wherfore thou contendest so with me? Thinckest thou it well done, to oppresse me, to cast me of (beynge the worckes of thy h&abar;des) and to mainteyne the councel of the vngodly? Hast thou fleshy eyes: or doest thou loke as a man loketh? Or are thy dayes as þe; dayes of man, and thy yeares as mans yeares? that thou makest soch inquisicy&obar; for my wickednes, ∧ searchest out my synne? where as (not withstandinge) thou knowest that I B    am no wycked person, and that ^note there is no man able to delyuer me out of thyne hande. ^noteThy h&abar;des haue made me, and fasshioned me all together ro&ubar;de aboute, wilt thou then destroye me sodenly? O remembre (I beseke the) how that thou madest me of the moulde of þe; erth, ∧ shalt bringe me into dust agayne.

Hast þu; not turned me, as it were mylck, and turned me to cruddes lyke chese? Thou hast couered me with skynne and fleshe, and ioyned me together with bones and synnewes. Thou hast graunted my life, and done me good: and the diligent hede that thou tokest vpon me, hath preserued my sprete.

C   Thou hast hyd these thynges in thyne hert. I am sure, that thou remembrest thys thynge. If I dyd synne, thou haddest an eye vnto me, and shalt not declare me innocent because of myne offence. Yf I haue done wickedly, wo is me therfore. Yf I haue done righteously, yet darre I not lift vp my hede: so full am I of confusion, and se myne awne misery.

Thou huntest me out (being in heuynes) as it were a lyon, ∧ troublest me out of measure. Thou bryngest fresh wytnesse agaynst me, and thy wrath increasest thou vpon me, very many are þe; plages þt; I am in. ^noteWherfore hast thou brought me oute of my mothers wombe? O that I had perisshed, and þt; no eye had sene me. D   Yf they had caryed me to my graue assone as I was borne, then shuld I be now, as though I had neuer bene

Are not my dayes feawe? Lett hym then leaue of fro me and let me alone, that I may ease my selfe a lytle afore I go thyther, from whence I shall not turne agayne: euen to the

lande of darcknesse and shadowe of death: yee, into that darck clowdy land and deadly shadowe, where as is no ordre, but terrible feare as in the darcknesse. ¶ The .xi. Chapter. ¶ Iob ys vniustly reprehended of Sophar. God is incomprehensyble. He ys mercyfull to the repentaunce.

A   Then answered Sophar the Naamathite, and sayde: Shulde not he that maketh many wordes, be answered? Shuld he þt; bableth moch, be comm&ebar;ded therin? Shulde men geue eare vnto the onely? Thou wilt laugh other men to scorne, and shal no body mock the againe? Wylt thou saye vnto God. The thyng that I take in hande is perfecte, and I am cleane in thy syght? O that God wolde speake, and open his lyppes agaynst the, that he myght shewe the (out of his secrete wysdome) why he rewardeth the double as he was appoynted B    to do: then shuldest thou knowe, þt; God had forgotten the because of thy synne.

Art thou able to fynde out the secretes of God? Or wylt thou attayne to the perfectnesse of the almyghtye? He is hyer then heauen, what arte thou able to do? Deper then the hell, how wilt thou then know him? His length exceadeth the length of the earth, and hys bredth the bredth of the see. Though he turne all thinges vp syde downe, close them in, gather them togeather, who wyll turne hym from his purpose? (Or who maye saye vnto hym, why doest thou so.)

^noteFor it is he that knoweth the vanite of men: he seyth theyr wyckednesse also, shulde he not then considre it? A vayne body exalteth hym selfe, and man new borne is lyke a wylde asses colte. C   If thou haddest nowe a ryght hert, and lyftedst vp thyne handes towarde hym: yf thou woldest put awaye the wickednes which thou hast in hande, so that no vngodlynesse dwell in thy house. Then myghtest thou lyft vp thy face without shame, and then shuldest thou be sure, and haue no nede to feare.

Then shuldest thou forget thy miserye, ∧ thyncke nomore vpon it then vpon the waters that runne by. Then shuld the residue of thy lyfe be as cleare as the noone daye, and sprynge forth as the mornyng. Then mightest thou haue c&obar;forte, D   in the hope that thou hast: and slepe quyetly, wh&ebar; thou art buried. Then shuldest thou take thy rest, ∧ no man to make the afrayed, yee, many one shuld set moch by the. As for the eyes of the vngodly, they shalbe consumed, and not escape: theyr hope shalbe misery and sorow of mynde. ¶ The .xij. Chapter. ¶ Iob shewyng hys pacyence declareth the myght and power of God.

A   So Iob answered, and sayd: Then (no doute) ye are the men alone, ∧ wysdome shall perysh with you. But I haue vnderst&abar;dyng as wel as ye, and am no lesse then ye. Yee, who knoweth not these thynges? Thus he that calleth vpon God, and whom God heareth, is mocked of hys neyghboure: the godly and innocent man is laughed to scorne. Godlynes is a lyght despysed in þe; hertes of the ryche, and is set for them to stomble vpon. The houses of robers are in wealth ∧ prosperite: and they that malyciously medle agaynst God, dwell without care, in those thynges that God hath geuen rychely with hys hande.

B   Aske the catell, and they shall infourme the: the foules of the ayre, and they shall tell the. Or the increace of the earth, and it shall shewe the. Or the fysshers of the see, &abar;d they shall certifye þe;. What is he, but he knoweth that the hande of the Lorde made all these? ^noteIn whose h&abar;de is the soule of euery liuyng thynge, and the breth of the flesh of all men. ^noteHaue not the eares pleasure in hering, and and the mouth in tastynge the thynge that it eateth? ^noteAmonge olde personnes there is wisdome, and in age is vnderstandyng. Yee, with God is wysdome and strength, it is he that hath councell and forknowledge. Beholde, If he breake downe a thyng, who can set it vp agayne? ^noteIf he shut a thynge, who will open it? Behold, ^note yf he witholde þe; waters, they drye vp. If he let them go, they destroye the erth. With him is strength ∧ wysdome: he knoweth both the disceauer ∧ hym that is disceaued.

He carieth awaye the wyse m&ebar;, as it were a spoyle, and bryngeth the iudges oute of theyr wittes. He taketh awaye the subiecci&obar; of the people from their kinges, and gyrdeth theyr loynes with a bonde. D   He ledeth awaye the greate men into captiuyte, and turneth the mightye vpsyde downe. ^noteHe taketh the veryte from out of the mouth, and disapointeth the aged of theyr reason. He poureth the confusion vpon prynces, and comforteth them that haue bene oppressed. Loke ^note what lyeth hyd in darcknes, he declareth it openly: and the very shadowe of death bryngeth he to lyght. He both increaseth the people, &abar;d destroyeth them. He maketh them to multyplye, and dryueth them awaye. He chaungeth the herte of them that rule the people of the earthe, and disapoynteth them: so that they go wandrynge out of the waye, and grope in the darcke without lyght: he maketh th&ebar; also to stacker to and fro lyke dr&obar;cken men. ¶ The .xiij. Chapter. ¶ Iob reproueth hys frendes with theyr awne sayenges, and condempneth ypocrysye.

A   Lo, all thys haue I sene with myne eye, heard with myne eare, and vnderstande it. Loke what ye knowe, that same do I knowe also, nether am I inferior vnto you. Neuerthelesse, I talke with the almyghtye, and my desire is to comen with God. As for you, yeare worckmasters of lyes, and vnprofytable ^note Phisicyans all together. Wold God ye kepte your tonge, for then myght ye be taken for wyse men. Now heare my chydyng, and pondre the sentence of my lyppes. Do ye speake iniquite against God? and talke agaynst hym with disceate? B   Wyll ye not accepte the person of hym? Or wyll ye contende with God? Shall that helpe you, wh&ebar; he calleth you to rekeninge. For as one man mocketh another, so do ye mocke hym. He shall punysh you, and reproue you, yf ye do secretly accept any pers&obar;ne. Shall he not make you afrayed, when he sheweth hym selfe? Shall not hys terrible feare fall vpon you? youre remembraunce is lyke vnto a sparke, and youre bodyes lyke the claye. Holde your t&obar;ges for my sake, that I also maye speake, and my sorow shalbe the lesse. C   &rhand; Wherfore do I beare my flesh in my teth, ^note and put my soule in myne handes? Lo, though he slaye me, yet wyll I put my trust in hym. But ^note I wil reproue myne awne wayes in his sight, he shall make me whole: and there maye no ypocrite come before hym. Heare my wordes, and pondre my sayenges with your eares. Beholde, now haue I prepared my iudgement, and knowe þt; I shalbe founde ryghteous. What is he, that wil go to lawe with me? (Let hym come) that I maye nowe holde my tonge, and dye. Neuertheles, graunt me two thynges, and then wyll I not hyde my selfe from the.

Withdrawe thyne hande from me, and let not the fearfull drede of þe;, make me afrayed. D   And then call me, and I wil answere: or els, let me speake, &abar;d geue me thou an answere. How many are my mysdedes ∧ synnes? Lett me knowe my transgressyons and offences? Wherfore hydest thou thy face, ∧ holdest me for thyne enemye? Wylt thou be so cruel and extreme vnto a flyeng leafe, &abar;d folowe vp&obar; drye stubble? for thou layest sharpely to my charge, and punysshest me ^note for the synnes of my youth. ^noteThou puttest my fete also in the stockes: and lokest narowly vnto all my pathes, and marckest the steppes of my fete: where as I (notwithstandynge) must consume lyke as a foule carion, ∧ as a cloth that is motheaten. ¶ The .xiiij. Chapter. ¶ Iob descryveth the lyfe of man, and prophecyeth of the resurreccyon. Hope susteyneth the godly, tyll they obteyne that they loke for.

A   Man that is borne of woman, hath but a short tyme to lyue, and is full of miserye. He commeth vp and is cutt downe lyke a floure. He flyeth as it were a shadowe, and neuer contynueth in one state. Doest thou open thyne eyes vp&obar; soche one, and bryngest me in thy iudgem&ebar;t? Who can make cleane, that commeth of an vncleane thynge? Nobody. ^noteThe dayes of man surely are determyned, the nombre of his monethes are knowne onely vnto the. Thou hast appoynted hym hys boundes, whych he can not go beyonde. God from hym, that he maye rest (a lytle) vntyll hys daye come: which he loketh for, lyke as an hyrelynge doth.

B   If a tre be cut downe, there is some hope yet, that it wyll sproute, and shute forth the braunches agayne. For though the rote of it be waxen olde, and the stock therof be dead in the ground, yet when it getteth the sent of water, it wyll budde, and brynge forth bowes, lyke as a tre that is planted. But as for man, when he is dead, perisshed and consumed awaye, what becommeth of hym? The floudes when they be dryed vp, and the ryuers when they be empty, are filled agayne thorowe the flowynge waters of the see: but when m&abar; slepeth, he ryseth not agayne, (of hys awne strength) ^note vntyll the heauen perysh: he shall not wake vp ner ryse out of hys slepe. C   O that thou woldest kepe me, and hyde me in the hell, vntyll thy wrath were stylled: and to appoynte me a tyme, wherin thou myghtest remembre me. Maye a dead man lyue agayne? ^noteAll the dayes of my lyfe wyll I waite styll, tyll my chaungynge shall come. Thou shalt call me, and I shall answere the: ^note despyse not thou the worke of thyne awne handes.

For now thou nombrest all my goinges, yet be not thou to extreme vpon my synnes. My &ibar;iquite is sealed vp, as it were &ibar; a bagg but be mercyfull vnto my wickednesse. D   The mountaynes fall awaye at the last, the rockes are remoued out of theyr place, the waters pearse thorowe the very stones by lytle and lytle, the floudes wasshe a waye þe; grauell and earth. And destroyest thou the hope of man? Thou preuaylest styl agaynst him, so that he passeth awaye: thou cha&ubar;gest hys estate, and puttest hym from the. And whether hys chyldren come to worshyp or no, he cannot tell. And yf they be men of lowe degre, he knoweth not. Whyle he lyueth, hys flesh must haue trauayle, and while the soule is in hym, he must be in sorowe. ¶ The .xv. Chapter. ¶ Eliphas reprehendeth Iob because he ascrybeth wysdome and purenes to hym selfe. He descrybeth the curse that falleth on the wycked, rekeuyng Iob to be one of that nombre.

A   Then answered Eliphas the Themanite, and said: Shal a wyse mans answer be the scyence of the wynde, and fil any mans Bely as it were with the wynde of the east? Shal he reproue &wt; a word, that is nothyng worth: and speake the thinges, which can do no good? As for shame, thou hast sett it asyde, elles woldest thou not make so many wordes before God: but thy wyckednesse teacheth thy mouth, and so thou hast chosen the a craftye tonge. Thyne awne mouth condempneth the, and not I: yee, thyne awne lyppes shape an answer agaynst the. Art thou the fyrste man, that euer was borne? Or, wast thou made before the hylles? hast thou hearde the secrete councell of God, that all wysdome is to lytle for the? What knowest thou, þt; we knowe not? B   And what vnderstandest thou, but we can the same? With vs are both olde and aged men, yee, soch as haue lyued longer then thy father.

Thynckest thou it a small thynge of the consolacyons of God? with the is a lyenge word. Why doth thyne hert so be wytch the? And wherfore wynckest thou wyth thyne eyes, that thy mynde is so puft vp agaynst God, and lettest soch wordes go oute of thy mouth? What is man, þt; he shulde be cleane? what hath he (which is borne of a woman) wherby he myght be righteous? ^noteBehold, he doth not trust hys saynctes: yee, the very heauens are not cleane in hys syght. Howe moch more then an abhomynable and vyle man, which drincketh wickednesse lyke water? I wyll tell the, heare me: and I wyll shewe the that I haue sene: which wyse men haue tolde, C   and hath not bene hyd from their fathers &rhand; vnto whom onely the earthe was geuen, and no straunger went amonge them.

The ^note vngodly soroweth all the dayes of hys lyfe as it were a woman with a childe, and the nombre of a tyrauntes yeares is vnknowne. A fearfull sounde is euer in hys eares, and when it is peace, yet feareth he destruccyon. He beleueth neuer to be delyuered oute of darckenes, for the swearde is alwaye before hys eyes. When he goeth forth to get his lyuying, he seeth plainely, that the daye of darcknesse is at hande. Sorowe and carefulnesse wyll make hym afrayed, and compasse hym rounde aboute, lyke &rhand; as it were a kynge with hys hoost ready to the batayll. For he hath stretched out hys hande agaynst God, and armed hym selfe agaynst the almyghtye, He runneth proudly vpon hym, and with a styff necke fyghteth he agaynst hym: where as he couereth hys face with fatnesse, and maketh hys body well lykynge. Therfore shall hys dwellynge be in desolate cyties, and in houses which no man inhabyteth, but are become heapes of stones.

D   He shall not be riche, nether shall hys substaunce contynue, ner encrease vpon earthe. He shall neuer come oute of darcknesse, the flame shall drye vp hys braunches: with the blast of the mouth of God shall he be taken awaye. He beleueth not that he is in vanyte, and yet he is out of the waye, and vanyte shalbe hys recompence.

He shall perysh, afore hys tyme be worne out, and hys braunche shall not be grene. He shalbe pluckt of as an vntymely grape fr&obar; the vyne, ∧ shall lett his floure fall, as the olyue doth. For the congregacyyon of ypocrites shalbe desolate and vnfrutefull, and þe; fyre shall consume þe; houses of soch as are gredy to receaue giftes. He ^note conceaueth trauayle, and beareth vanyte, and theyr bodye bryngeth forth disceate. ¶ The .xvj. Chapter. ¶ Iob repetynge hys myserye, sayeth that he suffereth moare then hys wyckednesse hath deserued.

A   Iob answered, and sayde: I haue oft tymes hearde soch thynges. Myserable geuers of conforte are ye, all the sorte of you. Shall not vayne wordes come yet to an ende? Or, hast thou yet eny more to saye? I coulde speake, as ye do also. But wold God, that youre soule were in my soules steade: then shuld I heape vp wordes agaynst you, and shake my heade at you. I shuld comforte you with my mouthe, and release youre payne with the talkyng of my lippes. (But what shall I do) For all my wordes, my sorow wyll ceasse: and though I holde my tonge, yet wyll it not departe from me. But now that God hath sente me aduersytie, thou hast troubled all my congregacyon. B   And that thou hast fylled me wyth wrynckles, my fleshe is recorde, and my leanesse ryseth vp agaynst me, and beareth wytnesse agaynst me. He is angrye at me, he hateth me and gnassheth vpon me wyth hys teth. Myne enemye skouleth vpon me wyth hys eyes.

&rhand; They haue opened their mouthes wyde vpon me ^note ∧ smytten me vpon þe; cheke despitefully, they gather them selues together agaynst me. C   God hath put me in prease with the vngodly, ∧ delyuered me into the h&abar;des of the wycked. I was in wealth, but he hath brought me to naught. He hath taken me by the neck, he hath rent me, and sett me as a marck for him selfe. His archers c&obar;passe me

rounde aboute: he wounded my loynes, and doth not spare. My bowels hath he poured vpon the gro&ubar;d. He hath geu&ebar; me one wo&ubar;d vpon another, and is fallen vpon me lyke a giaunte. I haue sowed a sack cloth vpon my skynne, ∧ lye with my heare in the dust.

D   My face is swollen with wepynge, and in myne eyes is the shadow of death. Howbeit, there is no wyckednesse in my handes, but my prayer is cleane. O earth &rhand; couer not thou my bloude, and let my cryenge fynde no rowme. For lo, my witnesse is in heauen: ∧ he that knoweth me, is aboue in the heygth: My frendes geue me many wordes, to scorne, and myne eye poureth out teares vnto God. O that a body might pleate with God, as one man doth with another, yet the nombre of my yeares is come, and the waye that I must go is at hande, from whence I shall not turne agayne. ¶ The .xvij. Chapter. ¶ Iob sayth that he consumeth awaye, and yet doth paciently abyde yt.

A   My breth stincketh, my dayes are shortened. I am harde at deathes dore. Froward men are &wt; me, and myne eye must continue in the bitternesse of them. O deliuer me, and loke out one to be my suertie in thy sight, what is he that knoweth who will promes for me? For thou hast with holden their hertes from vnderstandynge, B   therfore shalt thou not sett (them) vp on hye. He promiseth his frendes parte of his good, but his awne children spende it. He hath made me as it were a byworde of the people: where as afore, I was theyr ioye. Myne eye is dymme, for very heuynesse, ∧ all my str&ebar;gth is become like a shadow. Uertuous m&ebar; therfore shall well consydre this, and the innoc&ebar;t shall take parte agaynst the ypocrite.

C   The righteous also will kepe hys waye, and he that hath cleane handes, wyll euer be stronger and stronger. As for you, turne you, and get you hence (I praye you) seynge I cannot fynde one wyse man amonge you: My dayes are past, and my councels and thoughtes of my hart are vanysshed awaye chaungynge the night into daye, and þe; light into darcknes. Though I tary neuer so moch, yet the graue is my house, and I haue made my bed in the darcke. D   I call corrupcyon my father, and the wormes call I my mother and my syster. What helpeth then my longe taryenge? Or, who hath considred the thynge, that I loke for? All that I haue, shall go downe into the pytt, and lye with me in the dust. ¶ The .xviij. Chapter. ¶ Baldad reherseth the paynes of the vnfaythfull and wyckyd.

A   Then answered Baldad the Suhite, and sayde: &rhand; when wyll ye make an ende of youre wordes? Marcke well, and then we wyll speake. Wherfore are we counted as beastes, ∧ reputed so vyle in youre sight? He destroied him selfe with his anger? Shal the earth be forsaken, or any stone remoued out of his place because of the? Yee, the light of the vngodly shall be put out? and the sparke of hys fyre shall not burne. The lyght shalbe darcke in his dwelling, and his candle shalbe put out with him. B   His presumpteous goinges are kepte in, and his awne councell shall cast him downe. For his fete are taken as it were in the nett, and he is at his wittes ende. His fote shalbe holden in the snare, and it shall catch them that be thyrsty of bloude. The snare is layed for him in the grounde, &abar;d a pytfall in the waye.

C   Fearfulnesse shall make him afrayed on euery syde, that he shall not knowe, where to get out. Honger shalbe his strength: mysfortune shall hange vpon him. He shall eate the strength of his awne skynne, eu&ebar; þe; fyrst borne of death shall eate his strength. His hope shalbe roted out of his dwellynge, very ferfulnesse shall bringe him &rhand; to the kyng. D   Other men shal dwell in his house (but shalbe none of his) and brymstone shalbe scatered vpon his habitacyon. His rotes shalbe dried vp beneth, and aboue shall his braunch be cutt downe. His remembraunce shall perysshe from þe; earth, and he shall haue no name in the strete: they shall dryue him from þe; light into darcknesse, and cast him cleane out of the worlde. He shall nether haue chyldr&ebar; nor kynsfolckes amonge his people, no, ner eny posterite in his dwellinges. They that come after hym, shalbe astonied at his daye, and they that go before, shall be afrayed. Soch are now the dwellynges of the wycked, and this is the place of hym þt; knoweth not God. ¶ The .xix. Chapter. ¶ Iob recyteth hys myseries and greuouse paynes, He prophesyeth of the generall resurreccyon.

A   Iob answered, and sayde: how longe will ye vexe my soule, and trouble me with wordes? Lo &rhand; ten tymes haue ye reproued me: and are not a shamed, for to laugh me so to scorne: yf I go wronge, I go wronge to my selfe. But yf ye will enhaunce your selues agaynst me, and accuse me to be a wycked personne because of the shame that is come vpon me: knowe this then, that it is God, which hath handled me so viol&ebar;tly and hath compased me aboute with his nette. Yf I ^note c&obar;playne of the viol&ebar;ce þt; is done vnto me, I cannot be herde. And yf I crye, there is no

sentence geuen with me. He hath hedged vp my waye, that I cannot passe, and he hath set darcknesse in my pathes. ^note B   He hath spoyled me of myne honoure, and tak&ebar; þe; crowne awaye fro my head. He hath destroyed me on euery syde, and I am vndone: My hope hath he taken awaye fro me, as it were a tre pluckt vp by the rote. His wrath is kyndled agaynst me: he taketh me, as though I were hys enemy.

&rhand; Hys men of warre came together, which made their waye ouer me, &abar;d beseged my dwellynge ro&ubar;de aboute. ^noteHe hath put my brethren farre awaye fro me, and soch as were of myne acquayntance, are become straungers vnto me. ^noteMyne awne kynsfolkes haue forsak&ebar; me, and my frendes haue put me out of rem&ebar;braunce. C   The serua&ubar;tes and maydens of myne awne house toke me for a straunger: and I am be come as an aleaunt in theyr syght.

I called my seruaunt, and he gaue me no answere, no though I prayed him with my mouth. Myne awne wyfe myght not abyde my breth, I was fayne to speake fayre for the chyldren of myne awne body. Yee, þe; children despysed me: And wh&ebar; I was gone fr&obar; them, they spake euell vpon me. All soch as were my most familiers, abhorred me: and they whom I loued best, are turned agaynst me. My bone hangeth to my skynne and my flesh is awaye, only there is left me þe; skynne aboute my teth. D   Haue pyte vpon me, haue pyte vpon me (O ye my frendes) for the h&abar;d of God hath touched me. Why do ye persecute me as God doth, and are not satisfyed of my flesshe?

O that my wordes were nowe written O that they were put in a boke: wolde God they were grauen with an yron penne in leade or in stone to c&obar;tinue. For I am sure, that my redemer lyueth, and that I hall ryse out of the earth in the latter daye: that I shall be clothed agayne with this skynne, &abar;d se God in my flesh. Yee, I my selfe shall beholde him, not with other, but with these same eyes. My reynes are c&obar;sumed within me: dyd not ye saye: why doth he soffer persecucion? Is theyr founde an occasion in me? But be warre of the swearde, for the swearde wylbe au&ebar;ged of wyckednesse, and be sure, that there is a iudgement. ¶ The .xx. Chapter. ¶ Sophar sayth, that the vnfaythfull, the couetouse and the wycked shall haut a short ende.

A   Then answered Sophar the Naamathite, and sayde. For the same cause do my thoughtes compell me to answere. And why? my mynde is ready within me. I haue sufficiently herde thy checking and reprofe, therfore am I purposed to make answere after myne vnderstandynge. Knowest thou not this, namely: that from the begynnyng (euer sence þe; creacion of man vpon earth) þe; gladnes of the vngodly hath bene shorte, and that the ioye of ypocrites continued but the twyncklynge of an eye? Though he be magnified vp to the heau&ebar;, so that his head reacheth vnto þe; cloudes: yet at a turne he perisheth for euer. Insomoch that they which haue sene hym, shall saye. B   Where is he? He shall vanysh as a dreame, so that he can no more be fo&ubar;de, and shall passe awaye as a vision in þe; nyght. So that the eye which sawe hym before, shall haue nomore syght of hym, and hys place shall knowe hym nomore. &rhand; Hys chyldren shall be fayne to agree with the poore, and his handes shall restore them their goodes.

Fr&obar; his youth his bones are full of pleasures, but now shall it lye downe within him in þe; earth. When wyckednesse, was swete in his mouth, he hid it vnder hys tonge. That he fauoured, þt; wolde he not forsake, but kepte it close in his throte. C   The breade that he dyd eate, is turned to the poyson of serp&ebar;tes, within his body. The ryches that he deuoured, shall he perbrake agayne, for God shall drawe them out of his bely, he shal sucke the gall of serpentes, and the adders tonge shall slaye hym: so that he shall nomore se the ryuers and brokes of hony and butter. The thing that other men haue laboured for, shall he restore agayne, and shall not eate it vp. Greate trauayle shall he make for ryches, but he shall not enioye them. And why? he hath oppressed the poore, ∧ not helped them: houses hath he spoyled, ∧ not buylded them. His bely coulde neuer be fylled, therfore shall he perishe in hys coueteousnesse. There shall none of hys meats be left behinde, therfore shall no man loke for hys prosperite. D   Whan he had plenteousnesse of euery thynge, yet was he poore, though he was helped on euery syde.

For though the wycked haue neuer somoch to fyll his bely, yet God shall sende his wrath vpon him, and cause his indignacyon to raygne ouer him: so that yf he fle the yron weapens, he shall be shott &wt; the stele bowe. The arowe is taken forth, and gone out of the quyuer, ∧ a glystering sweard thorowe the gall of him, feare shall come vpon hym. There shall no darcknes be able to hyde him An vnkyndled fyre shall consume him, and loke what remayneth in hys house, it shall be destroyed. The heauen shall declare hys wyckednesse, and the earth shall take parte agaynst him. The substaunce that he hath in hys house, shalbe taken awaye and peryshe in the daye of the Lordes wrath. ^noteThis is the porcyon that the wycked man shall haue of God, and the herytage that he maye loke for of God. &rhand; because of his wordes.

¶ The .xxj. Chapter. ¶ Iob recyteth the prosperytte of the wycked, ∧ after descrybeth their sodayn ruyne and destruccyon.

A   Iob answered, and sayde: O heare my wordes, and that shalbe my c&obar;fort of you. Suffre me a lytle, that I maye speake also, &abar;d then laugh my wordes to scorne (yf it lyke you.) Is it for mans sake that I make thys disputacyon? Which yf it were so, shulde not my sprete be then in sore trouble? Marcke me well, and be abasshed, and laye youre hand vpon youre mouth. For when I consyder my selfe, I am afrayed, and my fleshe is smytten with feare. ^noteWherfore do wycked m&ebar; lyue in health and prosperite, come to theyr olde age, and increase in ryches? Their chyldren lyue in theyr syght, and theyr generacyon before theyr eyes. Their houses are safe from all feare, and the rodd of God doth not smyte them. Their bullocke gendreth, and that not out of tyme: theyr cowe calueth, and is not vnfrutefull.

B   They sende forth their children by flockes, and their sonnes lede the da&ubar;ce. ^noteThey beare with them tabrettes and harpes, and haue instrumentes of musycke at their pleasure. They sp&ebar;de their dayes in welthynesse: but sodenly they go downe to hell. They saye also vnto God: go from vs, we desyre not the knowledge of thy wayes. ^noteWho is the Allmyghtie, that we shulde serue hym? And what profyt shuld we haue to submyt our selues vnto him? Lo, there is vtterly no goodnesse in them, therfore will not I haue to do with the councell of the vngodly. How oft shall the c&abar;dle of the wycked be put out? how oft c&obar;meth their destruccion vpon th&ebar;? O what sorowe shal God geue them for their parte in hys wrath? Yee, they shall be eu&ebar; as haye before the wynde, &abar;d ^note as chaffe that the storme caryeth awaye.

C   And though God saue their children from soch sorowe, yet wyll he so rewarde th&ebar; selues, þt; they shall knowe it. Their awne destruccion and misery shall they se with their eyes, &abar;d drincke of the fearfull wrath of the Almyghty. For what careth he what become of his housholde after hys death, whan þe; nombre of his monethes is cut short? In as moch then as God hath the hyest power of all, who can teach him eny knowledge? One dyeth now when he is mightye and at hys best, ryche, and in prosperite: euen when his bowels are at the fattest, and hys bones full of mary. Another dyeth in sorowe &abar;d heuinesse, and neuer had good dayes. They shall slepe both a lyke in the earth, ∧ the wormes shall couer them. Beholde, I knowe what ye thincke, yee, and the sotiltye that ye ymagyn agaynst me. D   For ye saye: &rhand; where is the princes palace? and where is the dwellynge of the vngodly: haue ye not asked them þt; go by the waye? &rhand; Doutlesse ye cannot denye their tokens, that ^note the wicked is kepte vnto the daye of destruccyon, and that the vngodly shalbe brought forth to the daye of wrath. Who darre reproue him for his waye to hys face? Who wyll rewarde him for the vngraciousnesse that he doth? Yet shall he be brought to his graue, and dwell among the heape of the deed. Then shall he be fayne to be buried amonge the stones of the playne. All men also must folowe him, and there are innumerable gone before him. How vayne then is the comforte that ye geue me? Doth not falshede remayne in all youre answers? ¶ The .xxij. Chapter. ¶ Eliphaz reprehendeth Iob of vnmercyfulnesse.

A   So Eliphas the Themanite gaue answere, and sayde: Maye a man be profitable vnto God, as he that is wyse maye be profytable to hym selfe? Is it any vauntage to the Allmyghtye that thou art ryghteous? Or shall it profyte hym, that thou makest thy wayes perfect? Is he afrayed to reproue the, &abar;d to steppe forth with the into iudgment? Is not thy wickednesse greate, aud thyne vngracious dedes innumerable? For thou hast taken the pledge from thy brother for naught, &abar;d robbed the naked of their clothinge: To soche as were weery hast þu; geuen no water to drincke, B   ∧ hast withdrawen bred from the hungrye: Shulde soch one th&ebar; as vseth violence, wrong ∧ oppressi&obar; (doing all thinge of parcialite, and hauinge respecte of personnes) dwell in the lande? Thou hast sent wyddowes awaye emptie &abar;d oppressed the poore fatherlesse.

Therfore art thou compassed aboute with snares on euery syde, &abar;d sodenly vexed with feare. Shuldest thou then se no darckenesse? Shulde not the water floude runne ouer þe;? Now ^note because that God is hyer then þe; heauens, and because thou seyst that the starres are so hye, wilt thou therfore saye: Tushe, how shulde God knowe? Doth his dominy&obar; reache beyonde the cloudes? Tush, the cloudes couer him that he maye not se, ∧ he dwelleth aboue heauen. C   Dost not thou kepe the olde waye, that vayne m&ebar; haue gone? Which were cut downe out of tyme, &abar;d whose fo&ubar;dacyon was as a runnynge water, which sayed vnto God: go from vs, and what dyd the Allmyghtye with them? He fylled theyr houses with good thinges. But the councell of the vngodly is farre fro me. The ryghteous sawe it and were glad, and the innoc&ebar;t laughed th&ebar; to scorne. Is oure increase hew&ebar; downe? As for the remnaunt of them, the fyre hath consumed it.

Therfore reconcile the vnto God, and be cont&ebar;t, so shall all thinges prospere with the

ryght well. Receaue the lawe at his mouth, and laye vp his wordes in thyne herte. D   For ^note yf thou wilt turne to the Almightye, thou shall st&abar;de fast, and put all vnrighteousnesse from thy dwellynge: Thou shall make golde as plentifull as the dust, and the golde of Ophir as the flyntes of the ryuers. Yee, Almightye God hys awne selfe shalbe thy defence, and thou shalt haue plentye of syluer. Then shalt þu; haue thy delite in the Almightie, ∧ lyft vp thy face vnto God. Then shalt thou make thy prayer vnto him, and he shall heare the, and thou shalt kepe thy promyses. Then, loke what thou takest in h&abar;d, he shall make it to prospere with the, and the lyght shall shyne in the wayes. For ^note who so humbleth hym selfe, him shall be set vp: &abar;d who so loketh mekely, shalbe healed. If thou be innocent thou shalt deliuer the countre because of the vngyltynesse of thyne handes. ¶ The .xxiij. Chapter. ¶ Iob affirmeth that he both knoweth and feareth the power and sentence of the iudge, and sayth that the hath walked in hys ryghteousnesse.

A   Iob answered, and sayde: My sayinge is yet this daye in bytternes, and my hande heuy because of my gronynge. O that I myght se him, and fynde hym: O that I myght come before his seate, to pleate my cause before him, and to fyll my mouth with argumentes. That I myght knowe, what answere he wolde geue me: &abar;d that I myght vnderstande, what he wolde saye vnto me. Wyll he pleate agaynst me with his great power and strength? B   No, but he wyll make me the str&obar;ger. He that is iust, shall entre disputacion with hym, and my iudge shall delyuer me for euer. Beholde, though I go before, I fynde him: If I come behynde, I can get no knowledge of him: Yf I go on the left syde where he doth hys worcke, I cannot atteyne vnto hym. A gayne, yf I go on the ryght syd, he hydeth hym selfe, that I cannot se him. But as for my waye, he knoweth it: and ^note tryeth me as the golde in the fyre.

C   &rhand; My fote doth kepe his path, his hye waye haue I holden, and will not go out of it. I will not forsake the commaundem&ebar;t of his lippes, but loke what he charged me with his mouth, that haue I shutt vp in my herte. &rhand; He is styll at one poynt, and who wyll turne him back? He doth as him listeth, and bringeth to passe what he will. He perfourmeth the thynge that is appoynted for me, ∧ many soch thynges doth he. This is þe; cause that I shrincke at his presence, so that when I consydre hym, I am afrayed of him. D   For in somoch as he is God, he maketh my herte soft: and seynge that he is Allmyghtie, he putteth me in feare. Thus can not I gett out of darckenesse, nether hath he couered the cloude fro my face. ¶ The .xxiiij. Chapter. ¶ Iob descrybeth the wykedues of men, and sheweth what cursse belongeth to the wycked.

A   Consyderinge then that there is no tyme hid from the Almyghtie, how happeneth it, that they which knowe hym, do not regarde his dayes? For some men there be, that ^note remoue other mens landemarkes: that robbe them of their catell, and kepe the same for theyr awne: that ^note dryue awaye the asse of the fatherlesse: that take the wyddowes oxe for a pledge: that thrust the poore out of the waye, and oppresse the simple of the worlde together. Beholde, eu&ebar; as the wylde asses in þe; deserte goo they forth to their worke, B   and ryse by tymes to spoyle: Yee þe; very wyldernesse ministreth foode for their chyldr&ebar;. They reape the corne felde that is not their awne: and &rhand; let the vyneyarde of the vngodly alone. They are the cause that so many men are naked and bare, hauinge no clothes to couer them and to kepe them from colde: So that wh&ebar; the showers in the mountaynes haue rayned vpon them, ∧ they be all wett, they haue none other succoure, but to kepe them amonge the rockes.

They spoyle þe; suckinge fatherlesse childe, and take the pledge fr&obar; the poore. In somoch that they let him go naked without clothing, and haue taken awaye the sheafe of the h&ubar;grie. The poore are fayne to laboure in their oyle milles, yee, and to treade in theyr wyne presses, and yet to suffre thyrst. The men of the cytie crieth vnto the Lorde with sything, ^note the soules of the slayue also make theyr complainte: But God destroyeth them not for all this, C   where as they (not withstandinge) are conuersaunt amonge them that abhorre the lyght: they knowe not hys waye, ner contynue in his pathes. ^noteTymely in the mornynge do they aryse, to murthur the symple and poore, and in the nyght they go a stealynge.

The eye of the aduolterer wayteth for the darcknesse, and sayeth thus in him selfe: Tush, there shall no eye se me, and so he disgiseth his face. In þe; night ceason they search the houses, and hyde them selues in the daye tyme, but will not knowe the light. For as soone as the daye breaketh, the shadowe of death c&obar;meth vpon them, &abar;d they go in horrible darcknesse. The vngodly is swyfter then the water: their porcion shalbe cursed in the earth, aud he shall not beholde the waye of the vineyardes. O that they (for the wickednesse which they haue done) were draw&ebar; to the hell, soner then snowe melteth at the drouth and heate. D   O that all compassi&obar; vp&obar; th&ebar; were forgott&ebar;: that their daynties were wormes, that they were cleane put out of remembra&ubar;ce,

and vngodlynesse vtterly hewen downe lyke as a tre. He hath oppressed the baren, that he cannot beare, and vnto þe; wyddowe hath he done no good. He drue the mightie after hym with his power, and wh&ebar; he was gott&ebar; vp, no man was without feare, as longe as he lyueth. And though they might be safe, yet they wyll not receaue it, for their eyes loke vpon their awne wayes. They are exalted for a lytle, but shortly are they gone, brought to extreme pouerte, and taken out of the waye: ye &abar;d vtterly pluckte of, as the eares of corne. Is it not so? Who wyll then reproue me as a lyar, and saye that my wordes are nothynge worth? ¶ The .xxvj. Chapter. ¶ Baldad proueth that no man is cleane and with out synne before God.

A   Then answered Baldad the Suhite, and sayde. Is there power and feare with him aboue, that maketh peace, sytting in his hyghnesse, whose men of warre are innumerable, and whose light aryseth ouer all. B   But how maye a m&abar; compared vnto God, ^note be iustifyed? Or how c&abar; he be cleane, that is borne of a woman? Beholde, the Moone shyneth nothynge in comparison to him, &abar;d the starres are vncleane in his sight. How moche more then man, that is but corrupcion: and the sonne of man, which is but a worme? ¶ The .xxvj. Chapter. ¶ Iob sheweth that man cannot helpe God, and proueth it by hys miracles.

A   Iob answered, and sayde: Whom hast thou helped? Him that is &wt;out strength? what comforte geuest thou vnto hym that hath no strength? Where is the councell þt; thou shuldest geue him, which hath no wysdome? Hast thou shewed the waye of ryght lyuinge. B   To whom hast thou spoken those wordes? Who made the breth to come out of thy mouth? &rhand; Are not deed thinges shapen vnder the waters: ∧ thinges by the waters syde? Hell is naked before him, and the very destruccion it selfe cannot be hyd out of his syght. C   He stretcheth out the north ouer the emptie, and hangeth the earth vpon nothing. He byndeth the ^note waters in his cloudes, and the cloude is not broken vnder th&ebar;. He holdeth back his stole, that it cannot be sene, and spredeth his cloude before it.

^noteHe hath compased the waters with certayne boundes vntill the daye ∧ nyght come to an ende. The very pyllers of heau&ebar; tremble and quake at his reprofe. ^note D   He stilleth þe; se with his power, &abar;d thorow his wysdome smyteth he the strength therof. Hys sprete hath garnisshed the heauens, and hys hande hath made the rebellious serpent. Lo, this is nowe a shorte s&ubar;me of his wayes. But who is able sufficiently to rehearse hys workes? Who can perceaue and vnderstande the th&obar;dre of hys power? ¶ The .xxvij. Chapter. ¶ The confrontnes and parfectnes of Iob, and the part of the vnfaythfull with God.

A   And Iob proceaded ∧ went forth in hys communicacyon, sayeng: As truly as God lyueth (which hath taken awaye &rhand; my iudgem&ebar;t) and the Almightie, that hath vexed my mynde: My lyppes shal talke of no vanyte, and my tonge shall speake no dysceate, whyle my breth is in me, and as longe as the wynde (that God hath geuen me) is in my nostrels.

God forbid, that I shulde graunte youre cause to be ryght. As for me, vntyil myne ende come wyll I neuer goo fro myne innocency. B   My ryghtwes dealynge kepe I fast, which I wyll not forsake: my hert shall not reproue me of my dayes. Therfore, myne enemy shalbe founde as the vngodly, and he that taketh parte agaynst me, as þe; vnryghteous. For what hope hath the ypocryte though he haue greate good, &abar;d though God geue him riches after his hertes desyre? Doth God heare him the soner, when he crieth vnto him in hys necessite? Hath he soch pleasure and delyte in þe; Almightye, that he darre alwaye call vpon God? I wyll teach you in the name of God, and the thinge that I haue of the Almyghtie, C   will I not kepe from you, Beholde, ye stande in youre awne conceate, as though ye knewe all thynges. Wherfore then do ye go aboute with soch vayne wordes, sayenge. ^noteThis is the porcion that the wycked shall haue of God, and the heretage that Tyrauntes shall receaue of þe; Almyghtie. If he get many children, they shall perish with the swerde, and his posterite shall haue scarcenesse of bred. Loke whom he leaueth behinde him, they shall dye and be buried, &abar;d no man shall haue pitye of hys wyddowes. Though he haue as moch money as the dust of the earth, and rayment as ready as the claye, he maye well prepare it: but the godly shall put it vpon hym, and the innocent shall deale out the money. D   His house shall endure as the moth, and as a boothe that the watch m&abar; maketh. ^noteWhen the ryche man dyeth, he carieth nothynge with him: he is gone in the twyncklinge of an eye and hath nothynge. Destruccion taketh holde vp&obar; him as a water floude, ∧ the tempest stealeth him awaye in the nyght season. A vehement east winde caryeth hym hence, and departeth, a storme plucketh hym oute of his place. It russheth in vpon him, and spareth hym not, he maye not escape fr&obar; þe; power therof. Then clappe men their handes at him, yee, ∧ ieast of hym

when they loke vpon his place. ¶ The .xxviij. Chapter. ¶ Iob sheweth that the wysdome of God is vnsearcheable.

A   There is a place where siluer is brought out of, and where golde is tried ^note where yron is dygged out of the ground, and stones resolued to metall. The darckenes shall once come to an ende, he can seke out the grounde of all thinges: the stones, the darcke, &abar;d the shadow of death. With the ryuer of water parteth he asunder the stra&ubar;ge people, þt; knowe no good neyghbour head: soch as are rude, vnmanerly and boyustours. He bringeth foode out of the erth, and that which is vnder, consumeth he with fyre. B   There is founde a place, whose stones are cleane Saphirs, and where the clottes of the earth are golde. There is a waye also that the byrdes knowe not, that no vulturs eye hath sene: wherin the lions whelpes walke not, and where no lion commeth. There putteth he his hande vpon the stony rockes, &abar;d ouerthroweth the mo&ubar;taines. Riuers flowe out of the rockes, and loke what is pleasaunt, his eye seyth it. Out of droppes bringeth he greate floudes together, and the thinge that is hyd bringeth he to light. C   How commeth a man then by wysdome? ^noteWhere is the place that men fynde vnderstanding? Uerely no man can tell how worthy a th&ibar;ge she is, nether she is founde in the lande of them that lyue. (at theyr owne pleasure.) The depe saieth: she is not with me. The see saieth: she is not with me ^note She can not be gottten for (the most pure) golde, nether maye the pryce of her be bought with eny syluer. No wedges of golde of Ophir, no precions Onix stones, no Saphirs maye be compared vnto her. No, nether golde ner Christall, nether swete odours ner golden plate. There is nothinge so worthy, or so excell&ebar;t, as once to be named vnto her: for perfecte wysdome goeth farre beyonde th&ebar; all, The Topas that c&obar;meth out of Inde, maye in no wyse be likened vnto her: yee, no maner of apparell howe pleasaunt and fayre soeuer it be.

D   From whence then commeth wisdome? and where is the place of vnderstandinge? She is hid from the eyes of all men liuinge, yee, and from the foules of the ayre. Destruccion and death saye: we haue herde tell of her with oure eares. But God seeth her waye, and knoweth her place. For he beholdeth the endes of the world, and loketh vpon all that is vnder heauen. When he weyed the wyndes, and measured the waters: when he set the rayne in ordre, and gaue the myghtye floudes a lawe: Then dyd he se her, then declared he her, prepared her and knewe her. And vnto man he sayde: Beholde, ^note to feare the Lorde, is wysdome: and to for sake euell. is vnderstandinge. ¶ The .xxix. Chapter. ¶ Iob complayneth of the prosperitye of the tyme past, suttelly reprouynge his frendes of iniurye, because they sayde that Iob suffered accordynge to hys deseruyuge.

A   So Iob proceaded and went forth in his communicacyon, sayenge. O that I were as I was in þe; monethes by past, and in the dayes when God preserued me: when his light shyned vpon my head: when I wente after the same lyght and shynynge, euen thorowe the darcknesse. As it stode with me when I was yonge: when God prospered my house: when the Almyghtie was yet with me: when my chyldren stode aboute me: when my wayes ranne ouer with butter, and wh&ebar; the stony rockes gaue me ryuers of oyle: B    when I wente thorowe the cytie vnto the gate, and when they set me a chayre in the strete: when the yonge men (as soone as they sawe me) hid them selues, and when the aged arose, and stode vp vnto me, when the Princes left of their talkinge, and layed their hande to their mouth: wh&ebar; the myghty kepte still their voyce, and when their tonge cleued to the rofe of their mouthe. When all they that herde me, called me happye: and when all they that sawe me, spake good of me. For I deliuered the poore when he cried, and so did I the fatherlesse and him that had none to holde him. He that shulde haue bene lost, gaue me a good worde, and the wyddowes herte praysed me. C   And why? &rhand; I put vpon me ryghteousnes, which couered me as a garment, and equyte was my crowne. I was an eye vnto the blynde, and a fote to the lame, I was a father vnto the poore: and when I knewe not the cause, I sought it out diligently. I brake the chawes of the vnrighteous man, ^note and pluckte the spoyle out of his teth.

Therfore, I thought verely that I shuld haue dyed in my nest: and that my dayes shulde haue bene as many as the sondes of þe; see. D   For my roote was spred out by þe; watersyde, and the dewe laye vpon my corne. Myne honour encreased more and more, and my bowe was euer the stronger in my hand. Unto me men gaue eare, me they regarded, and with sylence they taryed for my councell. If I had spok&ebar;, they wolde haue it none other wayes, my wordes were so well tak&ebar; amonge them. They wayted for me as for the rayne: and gaped vpon me, as þe; grounde doth to receaue the latter shower. &rhand; When I laughed, they knewe well it was not earnest: and the lyght of my countenaunce wolde they not put out. When I agreed vnto theyr waye, I was the chefe, and sat as a kynge with hys armye aboute hym. And

whan they were in heuynes, I was theyr comfortoure. ¶ The .xxx. Chapter. ¶ The greate dispysynge of men and cursse of God that Iob suffereth.

A   But now they that are yo&ubar;ger then I, haue me in derysion: yee, euen they, whose fathers I wolde haue thought scorne to haue set with the dogges of my catell. The power ∧ strength of their handes might do me no good: for the tyme is but lost among them. For very misery and honger, they fled in to the wyldernesse horrible ∧ waist, pluckynge vp nettels amonge the busshes, and the Iuniper rotes for their meate. And when they were dryu&ebar; forth, m&ebar; cryed after them, as it had bene after a thefe. Their dwelling was besyde foule brokes, yee, in the caues and dennes of the earth. B   Amonge the busshes wente they aboute crying, and vnder the thornes they gathered them selues together. They were the chyldren of fooles and vylaines, which are vexed out of the worlde. ^noteNow am I their songe, and am become their ieastinge stock: they abhorre me, and flye farre fro me, and stayne my face with spetle. For þe; Lord hath loosed the strength of my body, and brought me lowe. The brydle haue they cast out of my syght. Upon my right hande ryse the yonge men agaynst me, they haue hurte my fete, treadinge vpon me, as vpon the wayes that they wolde destroye. My pathes haue they clene marred. It was so easy for them to do me harme, that they neded no man to helpe them. They fell vpon me, as it had bene the breakinge in of waters, and came in by heapes to destroye me. Fearfulnesse is turned agaynst me.

C   Myne honoure vanisshed awaye more swyftly then the wynde, and my prosperite departeth hence, lyke as it were a cloude. Therfore is my mynde powred full of heuynesse, and the dayes of my trouble haue taken holde vpon me. My bones are pearsed thorow, in the night season, &abar;d my synewes take no rest. For the vehemencie of sorow is my garment chaunged: and according to the diuersite of heuynes am I gyrded with my coate. He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like asshes and dust. Wh&ebar; I crye vnto the, thou doest not heare me, ∧ though I st&abar;de before the, yet thou regardest me not. Thou art become myne enemye, and with thy violent hande thou takest part agaynst me. In tymes past thou didest set me vp on hie, as it were aboue the wynde, but now hast thou geuen me a very sore fall, Sure I am, D   that thou wilt deliuer me vnto death &club; eu&ebar; to the lodginge that is due vnto all m&ebar; liuinge. Now vse not men to do violence vnto them, that are destroied allready: but where hurte is done, there vse they to helpe. Did not I wepe with him that was in trouble? Had not my soule compassion vpon the poore? Yet neuerthelesse, where as I loked for good, euell happened vnto me: and where as I wayted for light, there came darcknesse My bowles sethe within me, ∧ take no rest, for the dayes of my trouble are come vpon me. Mekely and lowly came I in, yee, and without any displeasure: I stode vp in the c&obar;gregacion, and communed with them. But now, I am a companion of dragons, and a felowe of Estriches. My skynne vpon me is turned to black, and my bones are br&ebar;t with heate: my harpe is turned to sorowe, and my pype to wepynge. ¶ The .xxxj. Chapter. ¶ Iob recyteth the innocencye of hys lyuynge, and nombre of hys vertues.

A   &rhand; I Made a couenaunt &wt; myne eyes ^note þt; I wolde not loke vpon a damsell. For how great a porci&obar; shall I haue of God? ∧ what enherita&ubar;ce from the almightie on hie? As for the vngodly and he that ioyneth him selfe to the company of wycked doers, shall not destruccion and misery come vpon him? ^noteDoth not he se my wayes, and tell all my goinges? If I haue walked in vanite, or yf my fete haue runne to disceaue: let me be weyed in an eu&ebar; bala&ubar;ce, that God may se my innocency. ^noteIf so be that I haue withdrawne my fote out of the right waye, and yf my hert hath folowed mine eye sight? If I haue stained or defiled my handes? then shal I sowe, and another eate, yee, my generacion &abar;d posterite shall be cleane roted out. If my hert hath lusted after my neghboures wyffe, or yf I haue layde wayte at his dore? O then &club; let my wiffe grinde vnto another m&abar; and let other m&ebar;lie with her. ^noteFor this is a wickednesse and synne, B   that is worthy to be punisshed, yee, a fyre that vtterly shulde consume, and rote out all my substa&ubar;ce. Did I euer thinke scorne to do right vnto my seruauntes and maydens, when they had eny mater agaynst me? But seinge that God will sytt in iudgment, what shall I do? And for so moch as he will nedes visett me, what answere shall I geue him? He that fashioned me in my mothers wombe, made he not him also? were we not both shapena like in oure mothers bodies? When the poore desired any thinge at me, haue I denied it them? Haue I caused the widdowe to stande waytinge for me in vayne? Haue I eat&ebar; my porcion alone, that the fatherlesse hath had no parte with me? for mercy grewe vp with me fro my youth, and compassion fro my mothers wombe. C   Haue I sene any man perishe thorow nakednesse and want of clothinge? Or any poore m&abar; for lack of raym&ebar;t, whose

sydes th&abar;cked me not, because he was warmed with the wolle of my shepe?

Dyd I euer lyfte vp my hande to hurte the fatherlesse? yee, in the gate where I sawe my selfe to be in auctorite: then let myne arme fall fro my shulder, and myne arme holes be broken from the ioyntes. For I haue euer feared the vengeaunce and punyshement of God, and knewe very well, that I was not able to beare hys burthen. Haue I put my trust in golde? Or haue I sayde to the fynest golde of all: thou arte my confidence? Haue I reioysed because my power was great, &abar;d because my hande gat so moche? ^noteDyd I euer greatly regarde the rysynge of þe; sonne? or had I the goinge downe of the moone in greate reputacyon? Hath my hert medled priuely with any disceate? Or, dyd I euer kysse myne awne hande? that were a wyckednesse worthy to be punished, for th&ebar; shulde I haue denyed the God that is aboue. ^noteHaue I euer reioysed at the hurte of myne enemy? Or was I euer glad, that any harme happened vnto him? Oh no. I neuer suffred my mouth to do soch a synne, as to wish him euell. D   Dyd not the men of myne awne houshold saye: who shall let vs to haue oure belly full of his fleshe? I haue not suffred a straunger to lye without, but I opened my dores vnto him, þt; went by the waye. Haue I kepte secrete my synne and hyd myne iniquite, as Ad&abar; dyd? Haue I feared any great multitude of people: or yf I had bene dispysed of the symple, O then shulde I haue bene afrayed. Thus haue I quyetly spent my lyfe, &abar;d not gone out at the dore. O that I had one which wolde heare me. Lo, this is my cause. In the which the almyghty shall answere for me: though he that is my c&obar;trary party, hath written a boke agaynst me. Yet &rhand; wyll I take him vpon my shulder, and as a garlande about my head. I wyll tell him, the nomber of my goinges, and go vnto him as to a Prince. But yf case be that my &rhand; lande crye agaynst me, or that the forowes therof make any complaynte: yf I haue eaten the frutes therof vnpayed for, yee yf I haue greued any of the plowmen: then let thystles growe in steade of my wheate, ∧ cockle for my barleye. ¶ Here ende the wordes of Iob: ¶ The .xxxij. Chapter. ¶ Elihu after the other had fynyshed theyr communicatyon, reproueth them of folysshnes. Age maketh not a man wyse, but the sprete of God.

A   So these thre men wolde stryue no more with Iob, because he helde hym selfe a ryghteous m&abar;. But Elihu the sonne of Barachell the Bussyte of the kynred of Ram, was very sore displeased at Iob, because he called hym selfe iust before God. And with Iobs thre frendes he was angry also, because they had founde no reasonable answere to ouercome Iob. Now taried Elihu, tyll they had ended theyr communicacion with Iob, for why, they were elder then he. B   So when Elihu the sonne of Barachel the Bussyte sawe, that these thre men were not able to make Iob answere, he was myscontent: Elihu the sonne of Barachel the Bussite answered hym selfe, and sayde: ^note Considringe, that I am younge, and ye be men of age, I was afrayed, and durst not shew forth my mynde, For I thought thus within my selfe. It becommeth olde men to speake, &abar;d the aged to teach wysdome. Euery man (no doute) hath a mynde, but ^note it is the inspiraci&obar; of the Almyghty that geueth vnderstandinge. Great men are not all waye wyse, nether doth euery aged man vnderstande the thynge that is lawfull. C   Therfore will I speake also (heare me) and I wyll shew you also myne vnderstandinge. For when I had wayted tyll ye made an ende of youre talkynge, and hearde youre wysdome, what argumentes ye made in youre communicacyon: yee, when I had diligently pondred what ye sayde, I founde not one of you that made any good argument agaynst Iob, that directly coulde make answere vnto his wordes: lest ye shulde saye. We haue founde out wysdome: God shall cast hym downe, and no man. He hath not spoken vnto me, and I wyll not answere hym as ye haue done (for they were so abasshed, D    that they coulde not make &abar;swere, nor speake one worde) but in so moche as ye wyll not speake, standynge styll lyke domme men, and makynge no answere: I haue a good hope for my parte to shape hym an answere, and to shewe him my meanynge: For I am full of wordes, and the sprete that is within me, compelleth me.

Beholde, my belly is as the wyne, which hath no vente, and bursteth the new vessels in sunder. Therfore will I speake þt; I may haue a v&ebar;te: I will open my lyppes, ∧ make answere. I will regarde no maner of personne, no man will I spare. For ^note yf I wold go aboute to please men, I knowe not howe sone my maker wolde take me awaye: ¶ The .xxxiij. Chapter. ¶ Elihu sheweth wherin Iob offendeth, with God may we not stryue, nor curiously searche out hys worckes.

A   Wherfore, heare my wordes (O Iob) and herken vnto me all that I will saye: Beholde, I haue now opened my mouth, my tonge hath spoken in my throte. My hert doth ordre my wordes

a ryght, and my lyppes talke of pure wysdome. The spryte of God hath made me, &abar;d ^note the breth of the Almyghtye hath geuen me my lyfe. If thou canst, then geue me answere: prepare thy selfe to stande before me face to face, Beholde, before God am I eu&ebar; as thou, for I am fashyoned and made euen of the same mould. Therfore, thou nedest not to be afrayed of me, nether nedest thou to feare, that my auctoryte shalbe to heuy for the. B   Now hast thou spoken in myne eares, and I haue herde the voyce of thy wordes: I am cleane wythout any faute, I am innocent, and there is no wyckednes in me. But lo, he hath picked a quarell agaynst me, and taketh me for hys enemy: ^note he hath put my fote in the stockes, and loketh narowly vnto all my pathes. Beholde, in thys hast thou not done ryght. I wyll make answere vnto the, that God is more then man. And why doest thou then stryue agaynst him: for he shall not geue the accomptes of all hys wordes. For wh&ebar; God doth once c&obar;maunde a thynge, there shulde no man be curyous, to searche whether it be ryght. ^note C   In dreames and visyons of the nyght (when slombring commeth vpon men, that they fall a slepe in their beddes) he roundeth them in the eares, he infourmeth th&ebar;, and sheweth them playnely, that it is he, whych withdraweth man from euyll, delyuereth hym from pryde, kepeth hym from the graue, and hys lyfe from the swearde. He chasteneth hym wyth sycknesse, and bryngeth hym to his bed: he layeth sore punyshement vpon hys bones, so that hys lyfe maye awaye wyth no bred, and his soule abhorreth to eat any dayntie meat: In so moch that hys body is cleane consumed awaye, and his bones appeare no more. Hys lyfe draweth on to the graue, and hys lyfe to death. Now, yf there be a messenger (one amonge a thousande) sent for to speake vnto man, and to shewe him the ryght waye: then the Lorde is mercyfull vnto hym, D   &abar;d sayeth: He shalbe delyuered, that he fall not downe to the graue, for I am sufficiently reconcyled. Than shall hys flesh be as well lykyng as it was afore, and shalbe as it was in hys youth. For yf he submytte hym selfe vnto God, he shalbe gracious vnto him, &abar;d shewe him his countenaunce ioyfully, ∧ rewardeth man for his ryghteousnes. Soch a respecte hath he vnto men. Therfore, let a man confesse (and saye) I haue offended: I dyd vnryghteously, and it hath done me no good. Yee, he hath delyuered my soule from destruccyon, and my lyfe shall se the lyght. Lo, thus worcketh God allwaye with m&abar;, that he kepeth hys soule from perishing, and letteth hym enioye the lyght of the lyuynge. Marcke well (O Iob) and heare me: holde the styll, and I will speake. But yf thou hast any thynge to saye, then answere me, and speake, for thy answere pleaseth me. If thou hast nothinge, then heare me, and holde thy tonge, so shall I teach the wisdome. ¶ The .xxxiiij. Chapter. ¶ Elihu prayseth the suffyce of God, whych iudgeth the worlde, and gouerneth all.

A   Elihu proceadynge forth in hys answere, sayd: Heare my wordes (O ye wyse men) herk&ebar; vnto me, ye that haue vnderstandynge. For the eare proueth &abar;d discerneth the wordes, ^note and þe; mouth tasteth þe; meates: As for iudgement, let vs seke it out amonge oure selues, that we may knowe what is good. And why? Iob hath sayde: I am ryghteous, but God doth me wronge. I must neades be a lyer, though my cause me ryght, and violently I am plaged where as I made no faut: where is there soch a one as Iob, that &rhand; drincketh vp scornefulnes lyke water? whych goeth in the company of wycked doers, and walketh wyth vngodly men? For he hath sayed: Though a man be good, yet is he naught before God. B   Therfore herken vnto me, ye that haue vnderstandynge.

Farre be it from God, that he shuld medle wyth wickednesse: and farre be it from the Almyghtye, that he shulde medle wyth vnryghteous dealynge: ^note For he shall reward the worckes of man, and cause euery man to fynde accordynge to his wayes. For sure it is, that ^note God condemneth no man wrongefully, and the iudgement of the Almyghtye is not vnryghteous. Who ruleth þe; earth in his steade? Or, whom hath he sett to gouerne the whole worlde? To whom hath he geuen hys herte, for to drawe hys sprete and breth vnto hym? All flesh shall come together vnto naught, and all men shall turne agayne vnto ^note dust. If thou now haue vnderstandyng, heare what I saye, and herken to the voyce of my wordes?

Maye he be a ruler, that loueth no ryght? Or maye he that is a very innocent man, do vngodly? Is it reason, þt; thou shuldest saye to the kynge: Thou art wicked, or, thou art vngodly, and that before the prynces? ^noteHe hath no respecte vnto the personnes, of the lordly, and regardeth not the rych more then the poore. For they be all the worcke of hys handes. C   In the twyncklinge of an eye shall they dye: and at mydnight, when the people and the tyra&ubar;tes rage, then shall they perish, and be taken awaye without handes. And why? ^note his eyes loke vp&obar; the wayes of m&abar;, and he seyth all hys goynges. There is no darcknes nor shadowe of death, þt; can hyde the wycked doers from hym. For no man

shalbe suffred to go into iudgement &wt; God.

Many one: yee innumerable doth he punyshe, ∧ setteth other in their steades. Therfore shall he declare their worckes, he shall turne the nyght, and they shall be destroyed. They that were in þe; steade of Sears, dealt lyke vngodly men: and therfore he punyshed them, because they turned back from hym, and wolde not consyder all hys wayes. In so moch that they haue caused the voyce of the poore to come vnto hym, &abar;d now he heareth the complaynte of soche as are in trouble. If he graunte pardon, who wyll condemne? D   And yf he hyde awaye hys countenaunce, who shalbe able to se it? whether it be to the people or to any man, thus wyll he do. For the vngodlynesse of the people, doth God make an ypocrite to reygne, ouer them. For so moch then as I haue beg&obar;ne to talke of God, I will not hyndre þe;. If I haue gone a mysse, enfourme thou me: yf I haue done wr&obar;ge, I will leaue of. Can he do nothinge without the? For thou hast reproued hys iudgem&ebar;t. Thou also hast thyne awne mynde &abar;d not I. But speake on what thou knowest. Let men of vnderstonding tell me, and let a wyse man herken vnto me. As for Iob, he hath nether spoken to the purpose nor wisely. O father, let Iob be well tryed, because he hath answered for wycked m&ebar;: yee, aboue his synne he doth wyckedly: triumpheth amonge vs, and multiplieth hys wordes agaynst God. ¶ The .xxxv. Chapter. ¶ Nether doth godlynesse profet, or vngodlynes hurt to God but to man.

A   Elihu spake moreouer, ∧ sayde: Thynkest thou it ryght, that thou sayest: I am ryghtuous before God? For thou sayest: What adua&ubar;tage will it be vnto the, and what profyt shalt þu; haue of my synne. Therfore will I geue answere vnto the and to thy company&obar;s wyth the loke vnto the heauen, and beholde it: c&obar;sydre the cloudes, whych are hyer then thou. If thou hast synned, what hast thou done against him? B   If thine offences be many, what hast thou done vnto hym? If thou be ryghtuous what geuest thou him? Or what will he receaue of thy hand? Of soche an vngodly personne as thou, and of the sonne of man that is ryghtuous as thou pretendest to be: there is a greate cry and complaynte made by them that are oppressed wyth vyolence, yee, euery man c&obar;playneth vp&obar; the crueltye of tyrauntes. C   For soche a one neuer sayeth: Where is God that made me? ∧ that geueth vs occasion to prayse him in þe; night? Whych geueth vs more vnderst&abar;dyng then he doth the beastes of the earth, ∧ teacheth vs more then he doth the foules of heauen.

If any soch complayne, no man geueth answere, and that because of the wyckednesse of proude tyrauntes. But yf a man call vpon God, doth not he heare him? Doth not the almyghtye accepte his crye? D   Whan thou speakest then, shulde not he pardon the, yf þu; open thy selfe before hym, and put thy trust in hym? Then vseth he no vyolence in hys wrath, nether hath he pleasure in curyous ∧ depe inquysycions. Therfore doth Iob open hys mouth but in vayne, and folyshly doth he make so many wordes. ¶ The .xxxvi. Chapter. ¶ Elihu sheweth wherfore God punyssheth and, correcteth.

A   Elihu proceaded forth in hys talkyng, and sayd: Holde the styll a lytle, ∧ I shall shewe þe;, what I haue yet to speake on Goddes behalfe. I wyll open vnto the yet more of myne vnderst&abar;dynge, ∧ proue my mater ryghteous. And truly, my wordes shall not be vayne, seynge he is with the that is perfect in knowlege: behold, the greate God casteth awaye no m&abar;, for he him selfe is myghty in power and wysdome.

As for the vngodly, he shall not preserue hym, but shall helpe the poore to their ryght. He shall turne hys eyes awaye fr&obar; the ryghteous, but as kynges shall they be in theyr trone, he shall stablysh them for euer, ∧ they shalbe exalted. But yf they be layed in preson and cheynes, or bounde with the bondes of trouble, then wyll he shewe them theyr worcke, and the synnes wher with they haue vsed cruell vyolence.

B   He wyth punysshynge and nurtringe of them, roundeth them in the eares, warneth them to leaue of from theyr wyckednesse, ∧ to amende. ^noteIf they now wyll take hede &abar;d serue him, they shall were out theyr dayes in prosperite, and theyr yeares in pleasure and ioye. But yf they wyll not herk&ebar;, they shall go thorow the swearde, and perysh or euer they be aware. As for soch as be fayned ypocrites, they shall heape vp wrath for them selues: for they call not vpon hym, though they be hys presoners. Thus shall theyr soule perysshe in folyshnesse, ∧ theyr lyfe shalbe cond&ebar;ned am&obar;g the fornicatours. The poore shall he delyuer out of his affliction, ∧ ro&ubar;de them in the eare wh&abar; they be in trouble. Eu&ebar; so shall he kepe the (yf thou wylt be content) from the bottomlesse pytte that is beneth: ∧ yf thou wylt holde þe; quyete, he shall fyll thy table wyth plenteousnesse.

C   Neuerthelesse, thou hast condemned the iudgement of the vngodly, yee, euen soche a iudgement and sentence shalt thou suffre.

For then shall not thy cause be stylled wyth crueltye, nor pacyfyed wyth many gyftes. Thynkest thou, that he wyll regarde thy riches? he shall not care for golde, ner for all them that excell in strength. Prolonge not thou þe; tyme, tyll ther come a nyght for the, to set other people &ibar; thy steade. But bewarre that thou turne not asyde to wyckednesse &abar;d synne, which hither to thou hast chosen more th&ebar; mekenesse. Behold, God is of a mighttye hye power: Where is there soche a gyde ∧ lawe geuer as he? Who wyll reproue hym of hys waye? who wyll saye vnto him: thou hast done wrong?

D   O consydre how greate and excellent hys worckes be, whom all men loue and prayse: yee, wondre at hym, and yet they se hym but afarre of. Beholde, so greate is God, that he passeth oure knowledge, nether are we able to come to the experience of hys yeares. ^noteHe turneth the water to small droppes, he dryueth hys cloudes together for to rayne, so þt; they poure downe and droppe vpon men. He can sprede out the cloudes (a couerynge of hys tabernacle) and cause hys lyght to shyne vpon them, and to couer the botome of þe; see. By these thinges gouerneth he hys people, and geueth them aboundaunce of meate. Wyth the cloudes he hydeth the lyght, and at hys commaundement it commeth agayne. The rysyng vp therof sheweth he to hys frendes ∧ to the catell. ¶ The .xxxvij. Chapter. ¶ Elihu proueth that the wysdome of God is vnsearcheable.

A   At this, my hert is ast&obar;nied, and moued out of hys place. Heare then the sounde of hys voyce, &abar;d the noyse that goeth out of his mouth. He gouerneth euery thyng vnder the heauen, and his lyght reacheth vnto the ende of the worlde. A roaring voyce foloweth hym: for his glorious maiesty geueth soche a thondre clappe, þt; (though a man heare it) yet maye he not perceaue it afterwarde. It geueth an horryble sownde, when God sendeth oute hys voyce: greate thynges doth he, whych we can not comprehende. ^noteWhen he comma&ubar;deth the snowe, it falleth vpon the erth: As soone as he geueth the rayne a charge, immediatly the showers haue theyr strength, and fall downe. He sendeth feare vpon euery man, that they myght knowe their awne worckes. The beestes crepe into theyr dennes, and take theyr rest. Out of the south commeth the tempest, B   and colde out of the north.

At the breth of God, the frost commeth, and the waters are shed abrode. He maketh the cloudes to do theyr labour in geuynge moystnesse, ∧ agayne wyth his lyght he dryueth awaye the cloude. He distrybuteth also on euery syde, accordynge as it pleaseth hym to deale out hys worckes, that they maye do whatsoeuer he commaundeth them thorow the whole worlde: whether it be to punysh any lande, or to doo good vnto them, that seke hym.

C   Herken vnto thys (O Iob) stande styll, ∧ consydre the wondrous worckes of God. Art thou of councell wyth God, when he doth these thinges? When he causeth þe; lyght to come forth of hys cloudes? Art thou of hys councell when he spredeth out the cloudes? Hast thou the perfecte knowledge of hys w&obar;ders? ∧ how thy clothes are warme, when the lande is styll thorow the South wynde? Hast thou helped hym to spreade out the heauen, whych is to loke vpon, as it were cast of cleare metall? Teache vs what we shall saye vnto hym, for we are vnmete because of darcknes. D   Shall it be tolde hym what I saye? Shuld a m&abar; speake, or shulde he kepe it backe? For euery man seyth not the light, that he kepeth cleare in the cloudes whych he clenseth whan he maketh þe; wynde to blowe. Golde is brought out of þe; North, but the prayse and honoure of Gods feare commeth from God hym selfe. It is not we þt; can fynde out the almightye: for in power, equite, and ryghteousnesse, he is hyer than can be expressed. Let men therfore feare hym, for there shall no man se hym that is wise in his awne c&obar;ceate. ¶ The .xxxviij. Chapter. ¶ The wondres and maruelles that the Lorde hath done from the begynnynge.

A   Then answered the Lorde vnto Iob out of the storme, &abar;d sayd: what is he that hydeth his mynde with folysh wordes? ^noteGyrde vp thy loynes lyke a man, for I wyll questyon wyth the, se thou geue me a directe answere. Where wast thou, wh&ebar; I layde the foundacyons of the earth? Tell playnely, yf thou hast vnderstandyng. Who hath measured it, knowest thou? Or, who hath spreade the lyne vpon it? Where vpon stande the pyllers of it? Or, who layed the corner stone therof? Where wast thou, when the mornyng starres praysed me together,

and all the chyldren of God reioysed triumphantly? ^noteWho shut the see wyth dores, when it brake forth as a chylde out of hys mothers wombe? When I made the cloudes to be a coueryng for it, and swadled it with the darcke? when I gaue it my commaundement, makyng dores and barres for it, saying: Hyther to shalt thou come, B   but no farther, ∧ here shalt thou laye downe thy proud and hye waues. Hast thou geuen the mornynge hys charge (as sone as thou wast borne) and shewed the daye spryng hys place, that it myght take holde of the corners of þe; earth, and that the vngodly myght be shak&ebar; out? Theyr tokens and weapens are turned lyke claye, and sett vp agayne as the chaungyng of a garment. The vngodly shalbe disapoynted of their lyght, and the arme of the proude shalbe broken. Camest thou euer into the grounde of the see: or walkedest in the lowe corners of the depe? Haue the gates of deeth bene opened vnto the, or hast thou sene the dores of the shadowe of death? Hast thou also perceaued how broade the earth is? Yf thou hast knowledge of all thys, then shew me, where lyght dwelleth, and where darcknes is: that thou mayest brynge vs vnto theyr quarters, yf thou canst tell the waye to theyr houses.

C   Knewest thou (afore thou wast borne) how olde thou shuldest be? W&ebar;test thou euer into þe; treasuryes of the snowe, or hast thou sene the secrete places of the hayle, ^note whych I haue prepared agaynst the tyme of trouble, agaynst the tyme of batell and warre? By what waye is the lyght parted, and into what lande breaketh þe; east wynde: Who deuydeth the aboundaunce of waters into ryuers, or who maketh a waye for the lyghtenyng and thonder, that it watereth ∧ moystureth the drye and barengrounde: to make the grasse growe in places where no body dwelleth, and in the wyldernes where no m&abar; remayneth? Who is the father of rayne? Or who hath begotten þe; droppes of dewe? Out of whose wombe came the yse? Who hath g&ebar;dred the coldnes of the ayre? that the waters are as harde as stones, and lye congeled aboue the depe. Wylt thou hyndre the swete influences of the .vij. starres? Or art thou able to breke the circle of heauen? Canst thou brynge forth the mornynge starre or þe; euenynge starre at conuenient tyme, ∧ conueye them home agayne? D   Knowest thou the course of heauen, that thou mayest set vp the ordinaunce therof vp&obar; the erth? Moreouer, canst thou lyft vp thy voyce to the cloudes, that they maye poore downe a greate rayne vpon the? Canst thou thondre also that they maye go theyr waye, and be obedient vnto the, say&ebar;g: Lo here are we? Who geueth sure wysdome or stedfast vnderstandynge? who nombreth þe; cloudes in wysdome? who stylleth the vehement waters of the heau&ebar;? who turneth the clottes to dust, ∧ then to be clottes agayne? Wylt thou hunt the praye from the lyon, or fede hys whelpes lying in theyr dennes, and lurkyng in theyr couches? who ^note prouideth meate for the rauen, when hys yonge ones crye vnto God, and fle aboute for lack of meate? ¶ The .xxxix. Chapter. ¶ God speaketh vnto Iob hewynge hym by the examples of hys worckes, that hys ryghtuesnes is vnchearchable.

A   Knowest thou the tyme when the wylde goates brynge forth theyr yonge, amonge the stony rockes? Or layest thou wayte when þe; hyndes vse to fawne? rekenest thou the monethes after they engendre, that thou knowest the tyme of theyr bearinge? or wh&ebar; they lye downe, when they cast theyr yo&ubar;ge ones, and when they are delyuered of theyr trauayle and payne? How their yo&ubar;ge ones growe vp, ∧ waxe greate thorow good fedyng? whan they go forth, and returne not agayne vnto them? who letteth the wylde asse go fre, or who lowseth the b&obar;des of the mule? Euen I whych haue geu&ebar; the wyldernes to be theyr house, and the vntylled land to be theyr dwellyng place. That they may geue no force for the multitude of people in the cyties, nether regarde the cryenge of the dryuer: but seke theyr pasture about the mountaynes, &abar;d folowe the grene grasse. B   Wyll the vnycorne be so tame as to do the seruice, or to abyde styll by thy crybbe? Canst thou bynd the yock about the vnycorne in thy forowe, to make hym plowe after þe; in the valleys? Mayest thou trust hym (because he is strong) or committe thy labour vnto hym? Mayest thou beleue hym, that he wyll bringe home thy corne, or to cary any thyng vnto thy barne? &club; Gauest thou the fayre wynges vnto the pecockes, or wynges ∧ fethers vnto the storke? For he leaueth hys egges in the earth and layeth them in the dust. He remembreth not, that they myght be troden wyth fete, or brok&ebar; wyth some wylde beast. So harde is he vnto hys yonge ones, as though they were not hys, and laboureth in vayne wythout any feare. And that because God hath taken wysdome from hym, ∧ hath not geuen hym vnderstandynge. When hys tyme is that he flyeth vp on hye, C   he careth nether for horse ner man.

Hast thou geu&ebar; the horsse hys strength, or lerned him to bowe downe his neck &wt; feare: that he letteth hym selfe be dryuen forth lyke a greshopper, where as the stoute neynge that he maketh, is fearfull? he breaketh the gro&ubar;de with the hoffes of his fete chearfully

in his strength, and runneth to mete the harnest men. He layeth asyde all feare, hys stomack is not abated, nether starteth he a back for any swerde. D   Though the quyuers rattle vpon him, though the speare and shilde glystre: yet russheth he in fearsely, and beateth vpon the grounde. He feareth not the noyse of the trompettes, but as soone as he heareth the shawmes blowe, tush (sayeth he) for he smelleth the battel a farre of, the noyse, the captaynes and the shoutinge.

Commeth it thorow thy wysdome, that the Goshauke flyeth towarde the South? Doth the Aegle mount vp, &abar;d make hys nest on hye at thy commaundement? He abydeth in the stony rockes, and vpon the hye toppes of harde mountaynes, where no man can come. From thence seketh he his praye, ∧ loketh farre about with hys eyes. Hys younge ones are fed with bloud: ^note ∧ where any deed body lyeth, there is he immediatly. ¶ The .xl. Chapter. ¶ Iob humbleth hym selfe vnto God, the descripcion of Behemoth and Leuyathan.

A   Moreouer, God spake vnto Iob and sayde: Can he that stryueth wyth þe; Almyghtye, be at rest? Shulde not he which disputeth wyth God, geue hym an answere? Iob answered the Lorde, saying: Beholde. I am to vyle a personne, to answere the, therfore wyll I laye my hande vpon my mouth. Once or twise haue I spoken, but I wyll saye nomore.

Then answered the Lorde vnto Iob out of the storme, and sayde: ^note Gyrde vp thy loynes now lyke a man, &abar;d tell me the thinges that I will aske the. Wylt thou disanul my iudgement? Or wylt thou c&obar;demne me, that thou thy selfe mayest be made ryghteous? Is thy power then lyke the power of God? Maketh thy voyce soch a sounde as hys doth? Then arme thy selfe wyth thyne awne power, vp, decke the in thy ioly araye, powre out the indignacion of thy wrath: se þt; thou cast downe all the proude, loke well, that thou makest all soch as be stubburne, to obeye: B   treade downe all the vngodly in their place, cast them downe into the dust, and couer their faces with darcknesse: Then will I confesse vnto the also, that thyne awne right hande shall saue the.

Beholde, &rhand; the beast Behemoth (wh&obar; I made wyth the) whych eateth haye as an oxe: lo, how stronge he is in hys loynes, and what power he hath in the nauell of his body. He spredeth out hys tayle lyke a Cedre tre, all hys vaynes are styf. Hys shynnes are lyke pypes of brasse, hys rydge bones are lyke staues of yron. C   Fyrst, when God made him, he ordened the wildernesse for him, that the mountaynes shulde geue hym grasse, where all the beastes of the felde take their pastyme. He lyeth amonge the redes in the Mosses, the fennes hyde him with their shadowe, and the wylowes of the broke couer him rounde aboute. Lo, without any labour myght he drincke out of the whoale floude, &abar;d suppe of Iordane without any trauayle. Who darre laye hande vpon hym openly, and vndertake to catch him? Or, who darre put a hooke thorow his nose, and lay a snare for hym?

Darrest thou drawe out ^note &rhand; Leuiath&abar; wyth an Angle, or bynde hys tonge wyth a snare? Canst thou put a ryng in the nose of h&ibar;, or bore hys chawe thorow with a naule? Wyll he make many fayre wordes with the (thynkest thou) or flatter the? Will he make a couenaunt with the? Or art thou able for to compell hym to do the continuall seruyce? D   Wylt thou take thy pastyme wyth hym, as with a byrde, or geue him vnto thy mayd&ebar;s, that thy companyons may make a refeccion of hym, or that he maye be parted amonge the marchaunt men? Canst thou fyll the baskett with his skynne, or the fysh pannyer &wt; his heade? Darrest þu; laye hande vpon hym? It is better for the to consydre what harme myght happen the there thorow, and not to touch him. For when thou thynkest to haue holde vpon him, he shall begyle the. ¶ The .xlj. Chapter. ¶ Of the same Leuyathan wherof is mencyoned in the Chapter afore.

A   No man is so cruell, þt; is able to stere h&ibar; vp. ^noteWho is able to st&abar;de before me? Or ^note who hath geuen me any thyng afore h&abar;de, þt; I maye rewarde him agayne? All thynges vnder heauen are myne: I feare him not, whether he threaten or speake fayre. Who lyfteth him vp, and stripeth hym out of his clothes, or who taketh him by the bytt of his brydle? Who openeth þe; dore of his face? for he hath horrible tethe rounde about. His body is couered wyth scales as it were with shyldes, B   lockte in, kepte, and well compacte together: One is so ioyned to another, þt; no ayre can come in: Yee, one h&abar;geth so vp&obar; another, and stycketh so together, þt; they c&abar;not be sundered. His nesyng is lyke a glystering fyre, and his eyes lyke þe; mornynge shyne. Out of his mouth go torches, and out of his nostrels ther goeth a smoke, lyke as out of an hote sething pot. His breth maketh the coales burne, and the fl&abar;me goeth out of hys mouth. C   In his necke remayneth str&ebar;gth, and nothing is to laborious for him. The membres of his body are ioyned so strayte one to another, and cleaue so fast together, that he

cannot be moued.

His hert is as herd as a stone, and as fast as the stythye that the smyth smyteth vpon. When he goeth: the myghtye are afrayed, &abar;d feare troubleth them. If any man draw out a swearde at him, it shall not hurt him: there may nether speare, iauelinge ner brest plate, abyde hym. He setteth as moch by a strawe as by yron, and as moch by a rotten stocke as by brasse. He starteth not awaye for hym that bendeth the bowe: D   and as for slynge stones, he careth as moch for stubble as for th&ebar;. He counteth the dartes no better then a strawe, he laugheth hym to scorne that shaketh the speare. He treadeth the gold in the myre lyke the sharpe potsherdes. He maketh the depe to boyle lyke a pot, and stereth the see together lyke an oyntment. He maketh a path to be sene after hym, the depe is hys walkynge place. Upon erth is there no power lyke vnto hys, for he is so made that he feareth not. If a man wyll consydre all hye thynges, thys same is a kynge ouer all the chyldren of pryde. ¶ The .xlij. Chapter. ¶ The repentaunce of Iob. He prayeth for hys fryndes, and his goodes are restored double vnto him.

A   Then Iob answered the Lorde, and sayde. ^noteI knowe that thou hast power ouer all thynges, and that there is no thought hyd vnto þe;. For who can kepe hys awne councell so secrete, but it shalbe knowne? Therfore haue I spoken that I vnderstode not, the thynges that are so hye, ∧ passe myne vnderstanding. O herken thou vnto me also, and let me speake: answere vnto the thyng that I wyll aske þe;. I haue geuen dilig&ebar;t care vnto the, and now I se the wyth myne eyes. Wherfore, I geue myne awne selfe the blame, and take repentaunce in the dust and asshes.

B   Now when the Lorde had spoken these wordes vnto Iob, it fortuned, that the Lord sayde vnto Eliphas the Themanite: I am displeased with the, and thy two fr&ebar;des, for ye haue not spoken of me the thynge that is ryght, lyke as my seruaunt Iob hath done. Therfore, take you now seuen oxen and seuen rammes, and go to my seruaunt Iob, and ^note offre vp for youre selues a brent offeringe: and my seruaunt Iob shall praye for you. Hym wyll I accepte, &abar;d not deale wyth you after youre folyshnesse: in that ye haue not spoken the thinge whych is ryght, lyke as my seruaunt Iob hath done.

C   So Eliphas the Themanite, and Bildad the Suhite ∧ Sophar the Naamathite w&ebar;t their waye, and dyd accordyng as the Lord commaunded them, ^note The Lord also accepted the personne of Iob, and the Lorde turned the captiuite of Iob, when he prayed for his frindes: Yee, the Lord gaue Iob ^note twyse as moch as he had afore.

And then came there vnto hym all hys brethren, all hys systers, ∧ all they that had bene of hys acquayntaunce afore, ∧ dyd eat bread with him in his housse, wondrynge at hym, and c&obar;fortynge hym ouer all the trouble, that the Lorde had brought vpon hym. Euery man also gaue hym a certayne some of money and a Iewell of golde.

D   And the Lorde made Iob rycher then he was before: for he had fourtene M. shepe .vj.M. camels, a M. youck of oxen, and a .M. asses. He had seu&ebar; sonnes also ∧ thre daughters. The fyrst daughter called he &rhand; Iemima: the second Kezia, and the thirde Kerenhapuch. In all the land were no wem&ebar; fo&ubar;d so fayre, as the daughters of Iob, and their father gaue them enheritaunce amonge their brethren. After thys lyued Iob an hundred and fourty yeares, so that he sawe ^note hys chyldren, ∧ hys chyldrens chyldren into the fourth generacion. And so Iob dyed, beynge olde ∧ of a perfect age. &cross2; ¶ The ende of the boke of Iob.