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.

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