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?

Previous section

Next section