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.

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