^noteHolie Iob otherwise called Iobab (Gen. 36.) as S. Augustin, S. Chrisostom, S. Ambrose, S. Gregorie, and other fathers teach, the sonne of Zara, the sonne of Rahuel, the sonne of Esau, was king (or absolute prince) of the land of Hus. who being perfect in religion, sincere in life, rich in wealth, and blessed with children, for an admirable example of patience, and to shew that a mortal man through Gods grace, may resist al the diuels tentations, by Gods permi&esset;ion, sudainly lost al his goodes and children, was striken with horrible sores in al his bodie, reuiled by his wife, and in steed of comforth which his special freindes pretemted towards him, was iniuriously charged by them, with impatience, arrogancie, blasphemie, and other crimes, ^note for which they falsly supposed was so afflicted, affirming, and by diuers sophistical argumentes, grounded as they pretended vpon Gods iustice, wisdome, powre, mercie, and goodnes, would proue that God suffereth none but wicked men to be so afflicted. But Iob constantly defendeth his owne iust innocencie, and that worldlie calamities, and prosperitie happen indifferently

to good and bad in this life, and that the true reward of the iust, and punishment of the wicked, is to be expected in the other world. At last God, with due reprehension of Iob for some imperfections, sharply rebuketh the errors, and insolencie of his aduerse freindes; geueth sentence on Iobs side; pardoneth them at his intercession; and restoreth al thinges to him duble, to that he had before.

Besides the literal sense Iob in al his actions, sufferinges, and whole life, was a special figure of Christ, shewing (sayth S. Gregorie) by those thinges which he did and susteyned, what our Redemer should do and suffer yea more particularly then most part of the Patriarches. which S. Ierome (epist. ad Paulin.) also admireth and testifieth, saying: what mysteries of Christ doth not this booke comprehend? ^note Euerie word is ful of sense. ^note Moreouer this historie is replenished with moral documents, how to embrace vertue, and eschew vice: proposing the life of a right godlie man, neither insolent in prosperitie, not desparing in aduersitie, alwayes resolute in Gods seruice, as wel in his prosperous kingdom as in the miserable dunghil. ^note Here also we haue the true maner of arguing, according to the rules of Logike, with detection of sophistrie, Iob prouing and disprouing assertions by proposition, assumption, and conclusion, as S. Ierom obserueth, with profound knovvlege of natural thinges and causes, as appeareth in very manie places. ^note Al which varietie and abundance of matter, comprised in smal rowme, make manie thinges hard and obscure, yet are the same so tempered with other thinges plaine and easie, that here is verified S. Augustins obseruation (li. 2. c 6. doct. Christ) certaine places of holie Scriptures serue as delectable meate to them that hunger and thirst diuine knowlege, and the obscure take away tediousnes from them, that loath vsual plaine doctrin.

It is most probable that Iob himself, inspired by the Holie Ghost, by whose grace he excelled al in right simplicitie (c. 1.) writte his owne historie; the most part in verse, only the two first chapters and the last in prose, in the Arabian tongue; which Moyses translated into Hebrew, for the consolation of the Israelites afflicted in Ægypt. ^note

And it may be diuided into three general partes. First the change of Iobs state from prosperitie into affliction, with his lamentation for the same, are recorded in the three first chapters. ^note In foure and thirtie chapters folowing are sundrie disputations, conflictes, and discourses betwen him and his freindes, touching the cause of his so vehement affliction. In the fiue last chapters God discu&esset;eth the quarel, geueth sentence for Iob against his aduersaries, pardonteh them, and rewardeth him.

THE BOOKE OF IOB. Chap. I. Holie Iob offereth sacrifice for euerie one of his children, ^note 6. whose good estate Satan enuying, by Gods permi&esset;ion spoyleth him of al his goodes, and children, 20. for which he being pensiue offendeth not, but thanketh, God for al.

1   There was a man in the Land of Hus, named Iob, & that man was09Q0196 simple, & right, and fearing God, and departing from euil. ^note

2   And there were borne to him seuen sonnes and three daughters.

3   And his possession was seuen thousand sheepe, and three thousand camels, also fiue hundred yoke of oxen and fiue hundred she asses, and a familie exceding great: and that man was great among al them of the East.

4   And his sonnes went, and made a feast by houses, euerie one in his day. And sending they called their three sisters, to eate and drinke with them.

5   And when the dayes of feasting had passed about in course, Iob sent to them, and sanctified them: and rising vp early09Q0197 offered holocaustes for euerie one. For he sayd: Lest perhaps my sonnes haue sinned, and haue blessed God in their hartes. So did Iob al the dayes.

6   But on a certaine day when the sonnes of God were come to assist before our Lord, ^note Satan also was present amongst them.

7   To whom our Lord sayd: From whence comest thou? Who answering, sayd: I haue gone round about the earth, and walked through it.

8   And our Lord sayd to him: Hast thou considered my seruant Iob, that there is not the like to him in the earth, a man simple, and right and fearing God, and departing from euil.?

9   To whom Satan answering, said: Why, doth Iob feare God in vayne?

10   hast not thou fensed him, and his house, and al his substance round about, blessed the workes of his handes, and his possession hath increased on the earth?

11   But stretch forth thy hand a little, and touch al thinges that he possesseth, vnlesse he blesse thee in the face.

12   Our Lord therfore sayd to Satan: ^note behold, al things that he hath, are in thy hand, onlie vpon him extend not thy hand. And Satan went forth from the

face of our Lord.

13   And when vpon a certeine day his sonnes and daughters did eate, and drinke wyne in the house of their eldest brother,

14   there came a messenger to Iob, which sayd: The oxen plowghed, and the she asses fed beside them,

15   and the Sabeians came in violently, & haue taken al things, and haue stroken the seruantes with the sword, and I onlie haue escaped to tel thee.

16   And when he yet spake, an other came, and sayd: The fire of God fel from heauen, and striking the sheepe and the seruantes hath consumed them, and I only haue escaped to tel thee.

17   But whiles he also was yet speaking, there came an other and said: The Chaldees made three troupes, and haue inuaded the camels, and taken them, moreouer the seruantes also they haue strooken with the sword, and I alone am fled to tel thee.

18   He yet spake, and behold an other came in, and said: Thy sonnes and daughters eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother,

19   sodenly a vehement winde came violently from the countrie of the desert, and shooke the foure corners of the house, which falling oppressed thy children and they are dead, and I alone haue escaped to tel thee.

20   Then Iob rose vp, and rent his garmentes, and with powled head falling on the ground, adored,

21   and said ^note Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, and naked shal I returne thither: Our Lord gaue, and our Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased our Lord, so is it done: the name of our Lord be blessed.

22   In al these thinges Iob sinned not with his lippes, neither spake he anie foolish thing against God. ^{note note}

^note Chap. II. Satan by Gods permi&esset;ion, 7. striketh Iob with sores from the sole of his foote to the toppe of his head. 9. His wife also insulteth against him, but he sinneth not 11 Three freindes coming to visite and conforte him, sitte silent by him siuen dayes.

1   And it came to passe when on a certaine day the sonnes of God were come, and stood before our Lord, and Satan came among them, and stood in his sight,

2   that our Lord sayd to Satan: From whence comest thou? who answering sayd: I haue gone round about the earth, and walked through it.

3   And our Lord sayd to Satan: Hast thou considered my seruant Iob, that there is not the like to him in the earth, a man ^note simple, and right, and fearing God, and departing from euil, and yet reteyning innocencie? But thou hast moued me against him, that I should afflict him in vaine.

4   To whom Satan answering, said: Skinne for skinne, & al thinges that a man hath, he wil geue for his life:

5   otherwise put thy hand, and touch his bone and flesh, and then shalt thou see that he wil blesse thee in the face.

6   Our Lord therfore sayd to Satan: Behold he is in thy hand, but yet saue his life.

7   Satan

therfore going out from the face of our Lord, stroke Iob with a verie sore boile, from the sole of the foote euen to the toppe of his head:

8   who with a shel scraped the corruption, sitting on a dunghil.

9   And ^note his wife sayd to him: Doost thou yet continue in thy simplicitie? blesse God and die.

10   Who sayd to her: Thou hast spoken like one of the foolish wemen, if we haue receiued good things of the hand of God, euil thinges why should we not receiue? In al these things Iob sinned not with his lippes.

11   Therfore09Q0198 Iobs three frendes hearing al the euil, that had changed to him, came euerie one out of their place, Elephaz a Themanite, and Baldad a Suhite, and Sophar a Naamathite. For they had appointed, that coming together they would visite him, and confort him.

12   And when they had lifted vp their eies a far of, they knew him not, and crying out they wept, and renting their clothes sprinkled dust ouer their head toward heauen.

13   And they sate with him on the ground ^note seuen daies and seuen nightes, and no man spake to him a word: for they saw the payne to be vehement. ^{note note} Chap. III. Iob lamenteth, describing his owne, and the general calamities of man, 13. and shewing how escape manie miseries which either are nester borne or dye presently after their borth.09Q0199

1   After these things Iob opened his mouth, and ^note cursed his day,

2   and spake.

3   Perish may the day wherin I was

borne, and the night wherin it was sayd: A man is conceiued.

4   Be that day turned into darkenesse, God require it not from aboue, and let it not be lightened with light.

5   Let darkenes, and the shadow of death obscure it, let a mist possesse it, and be it wrapped in bitternesse.

6   A darkesome hurle wind possesse that night, be it not counted in the daies of the yeare, nor numbred in the monethes.

7   Be that night solitarie, nor prayse worthie.

8   Let them curse it which curse the day, which are readie to raise vp Leuiathan.

9   Let the starres be darkened with the mist therof: let it expect light and let it not see, neither the rysing of the appearing morning.

10   Because it shut not vp the doores of the wombe, that bare me, nor tooke away euils from myne eies.

11   Why died I not in the matrice, perished not forthwith being come forth of the wombe?

12   Why receiued vpon the knees? why nurced with the breastes?

13   For now sleping I should be quiet, and should rest in my sleepe:

14   With kinges and consules of the earth, which build themselues solitarie places:

15   Or with princes, that possesse gold, and replenish their houses with siluer:

16   Or as a thing vntimely borne that is hid I should not be, or as they that being conceiued haue not seene the light.

17   There the impious haue ceased from tumult, & there the wearied with strength haue rested.

18   And they sometime bound together without griefe, haue not heard the voyce of the exactor.

19   Litle and great are there, and the seruant free from his master.

20   Why is there light geuen to a miserable man, and life to them, that are in bitternesse of soule?

21   That expect death, and it cometh not, as they that dig vp treasure.

22   And they reioyce excedingly when they haue found the graue.

23   To a man whose life is hid, and God hath compassed him with darkenes?

24   Before I eate I sigh: and as it were ouerflowing waters so my roaring:

25   Because the feare which I feared, hath chanced to me: and that which I was afrayd of, hath happened.

26   haue I not dissembled? haue I not kept silence? haue I not beene at ease? and indignation is come vpon me. Chap. IIII. Eliphaz blameth Iob as guiltie of impatience, arguing thereupon that he was not so perfect in vertue as he semed. ^note 7. and therfore is now punished by God, who (as Ehiphaz falsly supposeth) afflicteth not innocent men. 12. alleaging for proofe an imaginarie vision.

1   Bvt Eliphaz the Themanite answering, sayd: ^note

2   If we shal begin to speake to thee, perhaps thou wilt take it greuously, but the word conceiued who can hold?

3   Behold thou hast taught manie, & wearie handes thou hast strengthened:

4   Them that wauered thy wordes haue confirmed, and trembling knees thou hast strengthened:

5   But now a plague is come vpon thee, and thou hast faynred: hath touched thee, and art trubled.

6   Where is thy feare, thy strength, thy patience, and the perfection of thy wayes?

7   Remember I besech thee, who euer being innocent hath ^note perished? or when haue the iust bene destroyed?

8   Yea rather I haue sene them, that worke iniquitie, and sow sorrowes, & reape them,

9   to haue perished by the blast of God, and with the spirit of his wrath to haue bene consumed.

10   The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the lionesse, & the teeth of the whelpes of lions are bruised:

11   The tigre hath perished, because he had no praye, and the lions whelpes are destroyed.

12   Moreouer ^note to me there was spoken a secret word, and as it were by stealth hath mine eare receiued the vaines of the whispering therof.

13   In the horrour of a vision by night, when deepe sleepe is wont to hold men,

14   feare held me, and trembling, and al my bones were made sore afrayd:

15   And when the spirit passed in my presence, the heares of my flesh stood vpright.

16   There stood one, whose countenance I knew not, an image before mine eies, and I heard the voyce as it were of a gentle winde.

17   What, ^note shal man be iustified in comparison of God, or shal a man be more pure then his maker?

18   Behold they that serue him, are not stable, and in his Angels he found wickednes:

19   How much more they that inhabite houses of clay, which haue an earthly foundation, shal be consumed as it were of the moth?

20   From morning vntil euening they shal be cut downe: and because none vnderstandeth, they shal perish foreuer.

21   And they that shal be least, shal be taken away from them: they shal die, and not in wisedom. Chap. V. Eliphaz prosecuteth his discourse to conuince Iob of great sinnes, because he is so vehemently afflicted. 17. exhorteth him therfore to acknowlege his sinnes, so al thinges shal succede prosperously.

1   Cal therfore ^note if there be that wil answer thee, &09Q0200 turne to some of the sainctes.

2   Anger in deede killeth the

foolish, and enuie sleaeth the litle one.

3   I haue seene a foole with firme roote, and I cursed his beautie by and by.

4   His children shalbe made far from saluation, and shal be destroyed in the gate, and there shalbe none to deliuer.

5   Whose haruest the hungrie shal eate, & the armed shal take him by violence, and the thirstie shal drinke his riches.

6   Nothing in the earth is done without a cause, and out of the ground sorrow shal not rise.

7    ^noteMan is borne to labour, and the bird to flight.

8   For the which thing I wil besech our Lord, and toward God I wil set my speach:

9   Who doeth great and vnsearchable and meruelous things without number:

10   Who geueth raine vpon the face of the earrh, and watereth al thinges with waters:

11   Who setteth the humble on high, and them that are in heauinesse he conforteth with health:

12   Who dissipateth the cogitations of the malignant, that their handes can not accomplish that which they began:

13   Who apprehendeth the wise in their subteltie, and dissipateth the counsel of the wicked:

14   By day they shal incurre darkenesse, and as it were in the night, so shal they grope at noone daies.

15   Moreouer he shal saue the needy from the sword of their mouth, and the poore from the hand of the violent.

16   And to the needie there shal be hope, but iniquitie shal draw together her mouth.

17   Blessed is the man that is corrected of God: refuse not therfore the chastising of our Lord:

18   Because he woundeth, and cureth: striketh, and his hands shal heale.

19   In ^note six tribulations he shal deliuer thee, and in the ^note seuenth euil shal not touch thee.

20   In famine he shal deliuer thee from death; and in battel, from the hand of the sword.

21   From the scourge of the tongue thou shalt be hid; & thou shalt not feare calamitie when it cometh.

22   In waste and famine thou shalt laugh; and the beastes of the earth thou shalt not feare.

23   But with the stones of the landes thy couenant, and the beastes of the earth shal be peaceable to thee.

24   And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle hath peace, and visiting thy beautie, thou shalt not sinne.

25   Thou shalt know also that thy seed shal be manifold, and thy progenie as the grasse of the earth.

26   Thou shalt enter into the graue in abundance, as a heape of wheate is caryed in his time.

27   Behold, this is euen so, as we haue searched out: which thou hauing heard reuolue in thy mind.

^{note note} Chap. VI. Iob answereth the obiections of Eliphaz, shewing that in deede the calamitie which he suffereth is much greatter than his sinnes deserue; and therfore his lamentation is excusable. 8. wisheth (if it so please God) that he may dye. 13. complaneth that his freindes are become his aduersertes, 16. grauely expostulateth that they reprehend him, 12. and helpe him not.

1   Bvt Iob answering, sayd:

2    ^noteWould God my sinnes were weyed, wherby I haue deserued wrath, and the calamitie, which I suffer in a balance.

3   09Q0201As the sand of the sea this would appeare heauier, wherfore my wordes also are ful of sorrow:

4   Because the arrowes of our Lord be in me, the indignation whereof drinketh vp my spirit, and the terrours of our Lord warre agaynst me.

5   Wil the wilde asse roare when he hath grasse? or the oxe loweth when he shal stand before the ful manger.

6   Or can an vnsauerie thing be eaten, that is not seasoned with salt? or can a man tast that which being tasted bringeth death?

7   The thinges which before my soule would not touch, now for anguish are my meates.

8   Who wil graunt that my petition may come: and that God would geue me that which I expect?

9   And he that hath begune, the same would loose his hand, and cut me of?

10   And this might be my comfort, that afflicting me with sorrow, he

spare not, nor gaynesay09Q0202 the wordes of the Holie one.

11   For What is my strength, that I can susteyne it? or what is mine end, that I should doe patiently.

12   Neither is my strength the strength of stones, neither is my flesh of brasse.

13   Behold there is no help for me in my self, and my familiar freindes also are departed from me.

14   He that taketh away mercie from his frend, forsaketh the feare of our Lord.

15   My brethren haue passed by me, as the torrent that passeth swiftly in the valleys.

16   They that feare the hoarefrost, snow shal fal vpon them.

17   At the time, when they shal be dissipated they shal perish: and after they waxe hore they shal be dissolued out of their place.

18   The pathes of their steppes are intangled: they shal walke in vayne, and shal perish.

19   Consider ye the pathes ^note of Thema, the wayes of Saba, & expect a litle while.

20   They are confounded, because I haue hoped: they are come also euen vnto me, and are couered with shame.

21   Now you are come: and euen now seing my plague you are afrayd.

22   haue I sayd: Bring ye to me, and of your substance geue to me?

23   Or deliuer me from the hand of the enemie, and out of the hand of the strong deliuer me?

24    ^noteTeach ye me, and I wil hold my peace: and if I perhaps haue beene ignorant in anie thing, instruct ye me.

25   Why haue you detracted from the wordes of truth, whereas there is none of you that can controwle me?

26   To rebuke only you frame speaches, and you vtter wordes in the wind

27   You rush in vpon a pupil, and you endeuoure to ouerthrow your frend.

28   Not withstanding accomplish that which you haue begune: geue eare, and see whether I lie.

29   Answer I besech you without contention: and speaking that which is iust, iudge ye.

30   And you shal not finde iniquitie in my tongue, neither shal folie sound in my iawes. ^note

Chap. VII. Iob explicateth diuers calamities of mans life, and namely of his owne. 6. Supposing it not likelie that he shal returne to former prosperous state, 15. desireth to dye.

1   The life of man vpon earth is a ^note warfare, & his daies, as the daies of an hyred man.

2   As a seruant desireth the shadow, & as the hired man taryeth for the end of his worke:

3   So I also haue had vayne monethes, and haue numbred to my self laborious nightes.

4   If I sleepe, I shal say: When shal I arise? and agayne I shal expect the euening, and shal be replenished with sorowes euen vntil darkenens.

5   My flesh is clothed with rottenesse and filth of dust, my skinne is withered, & drawen together.

6   My daies haue passed more swiftly, then the webbe is cut of the weauer, and are consumed without anie hope.

7   Remember that my life is a winde, and myne eie shal not returne to see good thinges.

8   Neither shal the sight of man behold me: thine eies vpon me, and I shal not stand.

9   As a clowde is consumed, and passeth away: so he that shal descend to ^note hel shal not ascend.

10   Neither shal he returne anie more into his house, neither shal his place know him anie more.

11   Wherfore I also wil not spare my mouth, I wil speake in the tribulation of my spirit: I wil talke with the bitternesse of my soule.

12   Why, am I a sea, or a whale, that thou hast compassed me with a prison.

13   If I say: My litle bed shal confort me, and I shal be releeued speaking with myself in my couch:

14   Thou wilt terrefie me by dreames, and by visions shake me with horrour.

15   For the which thing my soule hath chosen hanging, and my bones death.

16   I haue despayred. I shal now liue no longer: ^note Spare me, for my daies are nothing.

17   What is man that thou magnifiest him? or why settest thou thy hart toward him?

18   Thou doest visite him early, and sodenly thou prouest him:

19   How long doest thou not spare me, nor suffer me that I swallow my spitle?

20   I haue sinned, what shal I doe to thee ô keeper

of men? why hast thou sette me contrarie to thee, and I am become burdenous to my self?

21   Why doest thou not take away my sinne, and why doest thou not take away mine iniquitie? Behold now I shal sleepe in the dust: and if thou seeke me in the morning, I shal not be. Chap. VIII. Baldad chargeth Iob to haue spoken, vniustly exhorting him to turne to God, and so he shal prosper better then hereto fore. 13. shewing that hypocrites shal not prosper, 20. inferreth (falfly) that God afflicteth not the sincere, nor helpeth the malignant.

1   Bvt Baldad the Suhite answering, sayd:

2    ^noteHow long wilt thou speake such thinges, and shal the spirit of the word of thy mouth be multiplied? ^note

3   Why doth God supplant iugement? or doth the Omnipotent subuert that which is iust?

4   Although thy children haue sinned to him, and he hath leaft them in the hand of their iniquitie:

5   Yet if thou wilt arise early to God, and wilt besech the Omnipotent:

6   If thou wilt walke cleane & vpright, he wil forthwith awake vnto thee, and wil make the habitation of thy iustice peaceable:

7   In so much, that if thy former thinges haue bene litle, thy later thinges may be multipled excedingly.

8   For aske the old generation, and search diligently the memorie of the fathers.

9   (For we are but as yesterday, and are ignorant ^note that our daies vpon the earth are as a shadow.)

10   And they shal teach thee: they shal speake to thee, and from their hart shal vtter wordes.

11   Can the rush be greene without moysture? or a seggie place grow without water?

12   When it is yet in his flowre, and is not plucked with the hand, it witereth before al hearbes:

13   Euen so the waies of al, that forget God, and the hope of the hypocrite shal perish:

14   His folie shal not please him, and his confidence as the spiders webbe.

15   He shal leane vpon his house, and it shal not stand: he shal stay it vp, and it shal not rise:

16   He semeth moystened before the sunne come, and in his rising his blossome shal goe forth.

17   Vpon a heape of rockes his rootes shal be thicke, and among stones he shal abide.

18   If he swallow him vp out of his place, he wil denie him, & wil say: I know thee not.

19   For this is the ioy of of his way, that others may spring againe of the earth.

20   God wil not reiect the simple, nor reach his hand to the malignanr.

21   Vntil thy mouth be filled with laughter, and

thylippes with iubilation.

22   They that hate thee, shal be clothed with confusion: and the tabernacle of the impious shal not stand. Chap. IX. Iob approueth that no man auouching his owne iustice before God is iustified. 22. Teacheth that affliction of the innocent standeth wel with Gods iustice, wisdom, and powre.

1   And Iob answering, said:

2    ^noteIn deede I know it is so, & that man can not be iustified compared with God.

3   If he wil contend with him, he can not answer him one for a thousand.

4   He is wise of hart, and strong of force: who hath resisted him, & hath had peace?

5   He that transported mountaynes, and they whom he subuerted in his furie, knew not.

6   He that remoueth the earth out of her place, and the pillers therof are shaken.

7   He that commandeth the sunne, & it riseth not: and shutteth vp the starres as it were vnder a seale:

8   He that alone spreadeth the heauens, and goeth vpon the waues of the sea.

9   He that maketh Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the inner partes of the south.

10   He that doth great thinges, and incomprehensible, and meruelous, of the which there is no number.

11   If he come to me, I shal not see him: if he depart, I shal not vnderstand.

12   If sodenly he aske, who shal answer him? or who can say: Why doest thou so?

13   God whose wrath no man can resist, and vnder whom they stoope that ^note carie the world.

14   How great am I then, that I may answer him, and speake in my wordes with him?

15   Who although I haue anie iust thing, wil not answer, ^note but wil besech my iudge.

16   And when he shal heare me inuocating, I doe not beleue that he hath heard my voice.

17   For in a hurlewinde shal he breake me, and shal multiplie my woundes yea without cause.

18   He graunteth not my spirit to rest, and he filleth me with bitternesse.

19   If strength be demaunded, he is most strong: if equitie of iudgement, not man dare geue testimonie for me.

20   If I wil iustifie my self, mine owne mouth shal condemne me, if I wil shew my self innocent, he shal proue me wicked.

21   Although I shal be simple, the self same shal my soul be ignorant of, and I shal be wearie of my life.

22    ^noteOne thing there is that I haue spoken, both the innocent and the impious he consumeth.

23   If he scourge, let him kil at once, and not laugh at the paynes

of innocentes.

24   The earth is geuen into the handes of the impious, he couereth the face of the iudges therof: and if it be not he, who is it then?

25   My dayes haue bene swifter then a poste: they haue fled and haue not sene good.

26   They haue passed by as shippes carying fruites, as an eagle flying to meate,

27   When I shal say: I wil not speake so, I change my face, and am tormented with sorow.

28   I ^note feared al my workes, knowing that thou didst not spare the offender.

29   But if so also I am impious, why haue I laboured in vayne?

30   If I be washed as it were with snow waters, and my handes shal shine as most cleane:

31   Yet shal thou dippe me in filth, and my garmentes shal abhorre me.

32   For neither I wil answer a man that is like my self: nor that may be heard with me equally in iudgement.

33   There is none that may be able to reproue both, and to put his hand betwen both.

34   Let him take his rod from me, and let not his dread terrifie me.

35   I wil speake, and wil not feare him: for I can not answer fearing. Chap. X. Iob scarse able to speake yet sheweth that there is no iniustice nor ignorance in God, neither is his sinne the cause of so great afflictions. 9. Acknowledgeth Gods loue and benefites towards himself. 15. and dreadeth his strict iudgement.

1   My soule is wearie of my life, I wil let my speach passe agaynst my self. I wil speake in the bitternes of my soule.

2   I wil say to God: Condemne me not: tel me why thou iudgest me so.

3   Doth it seeme good to thee, if thou ^note calumniate me, and oppresse me the worke of thy handes, and helpe the counsel of the impious?

4   Hast thou eies of flesh: or as a man seeth, shalt thou also see?

5   Are thy daies as the daies of man, and are thy yeares as the times of men:

6   That thou sekest my iniquitie, and searchest my sinne?

7   And thou mayst knowe that I haue done no impious thing, whereas there is no man that can deliuer out of thy hand.

8    ^noteThy handes haue made me, and framed me wholly round about, and dost thou so sodenlie cast me downe headlong?

9   Remember I besech thee that as clay thou madest me, and into dust thou wilt bring me agayne.

10   Hast thou not as milke milked me, and curded me as cheese?

11   With skinne and flesh thou hast clothed me: with bones & sinowes thou hast compacted me.

12   Life and mercie thou hast geuen to me, and

thy visitation hath kept my spirit.

13   Although thou conceale these thinges in thy hart, yet I know that thou remembrest al thinges.

14   If I haue sinned and thou hast spared me for an houre: why doest thou not suffer me to be cleane from mine iniquttie?

15   And if I shal be impious, woe is to me: and if iust, I shal not lift vp my head, filled with affliction and miserie.

16   And for pride as a lionesse thou wilt take me, and returning thou doest meruelously torment me.

17   Thou renewest thy witnesses agaynst me, and multipliest thy wrath toward me, and paynes doe warre vpon me.

18   Why didst thou bring me forth out of the matrice? Who would God, I had beene consumed that eye might not see me.

19   I had beene as if I were not, caried from the wombe to the graue.

20   Shal not the fewnes of my daies be ended shortly? suffer me ^note therfore, that I may a litle lament my sorow:

21   Before I goe, and returne not, vnto the darke land, that is couered with the mist of death:

22   A land of miserie and darkenesse, where is the shadow of death, and no order, but euerlasting horrour inhabiteth. Chap. XI. Sophar imputeth Iobs discourse, about the cause of his so great afflictions, to insolencie of mind, and loquasitie of tongue, perswading him to acknowlege greuous sinnes, that so he may haue the reward of a iust man. ^note

1   Bvt sophar the Naamathite answering, said:

2   Why, shal he that speaketh manie thinges, not heare also? or ^note shal a man ful of wordes be iustified?

3   To thee onlie shal men hold their peace? and when thou hast mocked others, shalt thou be confuted of none?

4   For thou hast sayd: My word is pure, and I am cleane in thy sight.

5   And I would wish that God would speake with thee, and would open his lippes to thee,

6   That he might shew thee the secretes of wisdom, and that his law is manifold, and thou mightest vnderstand that thou art exacted much lesser thinges of him, ^note then thy iniquitie deserueth.

7   Peraduenture thou wilt comprehend the steppes of God, and wil find out the Omnipotent perfectly?

8   He is higher then heauen, and what wilt thou doe: deeper then hel, and how wilt thou know?

9   The measure of him is longer then the earth, and broder then the sea.

10   If he shal ouerthrow al things, or shal strayten them into one, who shal say against him?

11   For he knoweth the vanitie of men, & seing iniquity

doth he not c&obar;sider?

12   A vaine man is extolled into pride, and thinketh him self borne free as a wilde asses colt.

13   But thou hast confirmed thy hart, & hast spred thy handes to him.

14   If thou shalt take away from thee the iniquitie ^note that is in thy hand, and iniustice remaine not in thy tabernacle:

15   Then mayst thou lift vp thy face wthout spotte, and thou shalt, be stable, and shalt not feare.

16   Thou shalt also forget miserie, and shalt remember it as waters that are passed.

17   And the brightnes as it were of noone daies, shal arise to thee at euening: and when thou shalt think thyself consumed, thou shalt rise as the day starre.

18   And thou shalt haue confidence, hope being set before thee, and buried thou shalt sleepe secure.

19   Thou shalt rest, and there shal be none to terrifie thee: and verie manie shal besech thy face.

20   But the eies of the impious shal decay, and escape shal faile them, and their hope the abomination of the soule. Chap. XII. Iob sheweth the knowlege, which his freinds much boast of, to be the common knowne doctrin of Gods seruantes. He more truly, and more profoundly discourseth of Gods powre and wisdome, stil defending his owne innocencie in respect of great sinnes.

1   Bvt Iob answering, sayd:

2   Are you then men alone, & shal wisedome die with you?

3   I also haue a hart euen as you, neither am I inferiour to you: for who is ignor&abar;t of these thinges, which you know?

4   He that is mocked of his frend as I, shal inuocate God & he wil heare him: for the ^note simplicitie of the iust man is scorned.

5   The lampe contemned in the cogitations of the riche, is prepared to the time appointed.

6   The tabernacles of robbers abound, & they prouoke God bouldly, wheras he hath geuen al thinges into their handes.

7   For aske the beastes, and they shal teach thee: and the foules of the ayre, and they shal tel thee.

8   Speake to the earth, and it shal answer thee, and the fishes of the sea shal tel.

9   Who is ignorant that the hand of our Lord hath made al these things?

10   In whose hand is the soule of euerie liuing thing, and the spirit of al the flesh of man.

11   Doth not the eare discerne wordes, and the iawes of him that eateth, the rast?

12   In the ancientes is wisedom, and in long time prudence.

13   With him is wisedom and strength, he hath counsel and vnderstanding.

14   If he shal destroy, there is no man that can build: if he shut vp a

man, there is none that can open.

15   If he hold in the waters, al things shal be dried: and if he send them forth, they shal ouerthrow the earth.

16   With him is strength and wisedom: he knoweth both the deceiuer, & him that is deceiued.

17   He bringeth ^note counselers to a folish end, and iudges to astonishment.

18   He looseth the belt of kings, and girdeth their reines with a corde.

19   He leadeth away Priestes without glorie, and supplanteth the great men.

20   Changing the lippe of the true, and taking away the doctrine of the ancientes.

21   He powreth out contempt vpon princes, releeuing them that had bene oppressed.

22   Who reueleth profound things out of darkenesse, and bringeth forth the shadow of death into light.

23   Who multiplieth nations, and destroyeth them, and restoreth the destroyed whole agayne.

24   Who changeth the hart of the princes of the people of the earth, and deceiueth them, that they may goe in vayne where is no passage.

25   They shal grope as in the darke, and not in the light, and he shal make them goe amis as druncken men. Chap. XIII. Of their owne wordes Iob confuteth his aduersaries, that they haue spoken that which they know not. 13. defendeth his owne innocencie. 22. desiring of God, if he be afflicted for secrete sinnes, that he may know them.

1   Behold mine eie hath seene al these thinges, and mine eare hath heard, & I haue vnderstood euerie thing.

2   According to your knowledge I also do know: neither am I inferiour to you.

3   But yet I wil speake to the Omnipotent, and I couet to dispute with God.

4   First shewing you to be forgers of lying, and mainteyners of peruerse opinions.

5   And would God ye would hold your peace, that you might be thought to be wise men.

6   Heare ye therfore my correptions, and attend the iudgement of my lippes.

7   Hath God neede of your lye, that for him you speake guiles.

8   Doe you take his person, and doe you endeuour ^note to iudge for God?

9   Or shal it please him from whom nothing can be concealed, or shal he be deceiued as a man, with your fraudulent dealings?

10   He shal reproue you, because in secrete you take his person.

11   Forthwith as he shal moue himself, he shal truble you: and his terrour shal come violently vpon you.

12   Your memorie shal be compared to ashes, and your neckes shal be brought into clay.

13   Hold your peace a litle while,

that I may speake, what soeuer my minde shal prompt me.

14    ^noteWhy doe I teare my flesh with my teeth, & carie my soule in my handes?

15   Although he shal kil me, I wil ^note trust in him: but yet I wil reproue my waies in his sight.

16   And he shal be my sauiour: for no hypocrite shal come in his sight.

17   Heare ye my word, and receiue the obscure sayings with your eares.

18   If I shal be iudged, ^note I know that I shal be found iust.

19   What is he that wil be iudged with me? let him come: why am I consumed holding my peace?

20   Two things only do not to me, and then shal I not be hid from thy face:

21   Make thy hand far from me, and let not thy feare terrifie me.

22   Cal me, and I wil answer thee: or els I wil speake, and doe thou answer me.

23   How great iniquites and sinnes I haue, my wicked deedes and my offences ^note shewe thou me.

24   Why hidest thou thy face, and thinkest me thine enemy?

25   Against the leafe, that is violently taken with the wind, thou shewest thy might, and persecutest drie stuble.

26   For thou writest bitternes against me, and wilt consume me with the sinnes of my youth.

27   Thou hast put my feete in the stockes, and hast obserued al my pathes, and hast considered the steppes of my feete.

28   Who as rottenes am to be consumed, and as a garment, that is eaten of the moth. Chap. XIIII. Againe Iob describeth the miseries of mans life. 3. Neuertheles Gods great prouidence towards him. 7. professeth his beleefe of the Resurrection.

1   Man borne of ^note woman, liuing a short time, is replenished with many mseiries.

2   Who as a flowre cometh forth and is destroyed, & fleeth as a shadow, & neuer abideth in the same state.

3   And doest thou counte it a worthy thing to open thine eies vpon such an one, and to bring him with thee into iudgement?

4   Who can make cleane him that is conceiued of vncleane seede? is it not thou which onlie art?

5   The daies of man are short, & the number of his monethes is with thee, thou hast appointed his limittes ^note which can not be passed.

6   Depart a litle from him, that he may rest, vntil his day wished for, come, euen as the hyred man.

7   A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it waxeth greene againe, and the boughes thereof spring.

8   If his roote be old in the earth, and the truncke therof be dead in the dust.

9   At the sent of water it shal spring, and bring forth leaues, as when it was

first planted.

10   But when man shal be dead, and naked and consumed, where is he I pray?

11   As if the waters should deparr out of the sea, and a riuer made emptie should be dried vp.

12   So man when he is a sleepe shal not rise agayne, til heauen perish, he shal not awake, nor rise vp out of his sleepe.

13   Who wil grant me this, that in hel thou protect me, and hide me, til thy furie passe, and appoynt me a time, wherin thou wilt remember me?

14   Shal man that is dead, thinkest thou, liue agayne? al the daies, in which I am now in warfare, I expect vntil my change do come.

15   Thou shalt cal me, and I shal answer thee: to the worke of thy handes thou shalt reach thy right hand.

16   Thou in dede hast numbred my steppes: but thou wilt spare my sinnes.

17   Thou hast sealed my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured mine iniquitie.

18   A mountaine falling slideth downe, and a rock is remoued out of his place.

19   Waters make stones holow, and with inundation the earth by litle and litle is consumed: and men therfore thou shalt destroy in like maner.

20   Thou hast strengthened him a litle that he might passe away foreuer: thou shalt ch&abar;ge his face, and shalt send him forth.

21   Whether his children shal be noble, or vnnoble, he ^note shal not vnderstand.

22   But yet his flesh whiles he shal liue shal haue sorow, & his soule shal mourne vpon himself. Chap XV. Eliphaz againe chargeth Iob to haue spoken presumptuously, & blasphemously. 14. auoucheth that no man is innocent nor iust. 20. describing the malediction of impious and hypochrites.

1   Bvt Eliphaz the Themanite answering, sayd: ^note

2   Wil a wife man answer as it were speaking into the wind, and fil his stomacke with burning?

3   Thou ^note reprouest him in wordes, that is not equal to thee, and speakest that which is not expedient for thee.

4   As much as is in thee, thou hast euacuated feare, and hast taken away prayers before God.

5   For thine iniquitie hath taught thy mouth, and thou doest imitate the tongue of blasphemers.

6   Thine owne mouth shal condemne thee, and not I: and thy lippes shal answer thee.

7   Wast thou the first man borne, and formed before the litle hilles?

8   Hast thou heard Gods counsel, and shal his wisedome be inferiour to thee?

9   What doest thou know, that we are ignorant of? what doest thou vnderstand that we know not?

10   There are

both oldmen and ancientes among vs, much elder then thy fathers.

11   Is it a great matter that God should comforth thee: but thy naughtie wordes hinder it.

12   Why doth thy hart eleuate thee, and as thinking great thinges, hast thou estonied eies.

13   Why doeth thy spirit swel agaynst God, to vtter such wordes out of thy mouth.

14   What is man, that he should be ^notewithout spot, and that the borne of a woman should appeare ^noteiust?

15   Behold among his sainctes none is immutable, and the heauens are not cleane in his sight.

16   How much more is man abominable, and vnprofitable, who drinketh iniquitie as it were water?

17   I wil shew thee, heare me: that which I haue seene I wil tel thee.

18   Wisemen confesse and hide not their fathers.

19   To whom onlie the earth was geuen, and stranger hath not passed by them.

20   The impious is proud al his daies, and ^note the number of the yeares of his tyrannie is vncertaine.

21   The sound of terrour is alwaies in his eares: and when there is peace, he alwaies suspecteth treason.

22   He beleueth not that he may returne from darkenesse to light, looking round about for the sword on euerie side.

23   When he shal moue himself to seeke bread, he knoweth that the day of darkenesse is prepared in his hand.

24   Tribulation shal terrifie him, and distresse shal compasse him, as a king that is prepared to battel.

25   For he hath stretched his hand against God, and is strengthened against the Omnipotent.

26   He hath runne against him with necke set vp right, and is armed with a fatte necke.

27   Fatnesse hath couered his face, and from his sides there hangeth tallow.

28   He hath dwelt in desolate cities, and in desert houses, that are brought into hillockes.

29   He shal not be enriched, neither shal his substance continew, neither shal he put his roote in the earth.

30   He shal not depart out of darkenes, the flame shal drie his boughes, and he shal be taken away with the spirit of his owne mouth.

31   He shal not beleeue vainely deceiued with errour, that he may be redemed with anie price.

32   Before his daies be accomplished, he shal perish: and his handes shal wither.

33   His cluster in the first flower shal be hurt as a vine, and as the oliue tree casting his flower.

34   For the congregation of the hypocrite is barren, and fire shal deuoure their tabernacles, which gladly take giftes.

35   He conceiued sorow, and hath brought forth iniquitie, and his wombe preprareth guiles.

Chap. XVI. Iob moued by his importune freindes, 4. expostulateth their seueritie, 12. further describeth his afflictions, and appealeth to Gods iudgement, that he suffereth more then his sinnes deserue.

1   Bvt Iob answering sayd:

2   I haue heard often times such things, ^note heauie conforters you are al.

3   Shal wordes ful of winde haue an end? or is anie thing trublesome to thee, if thou speake?

4   I also could speake thinges like to you: and would God your soule were for my soule.

5   I also would confort you with wordes, and would wag my head vpon you.

6   I would strengthen you with my mouth, and would moue my lippes, as sparing you.

7   But what shal I doe? If I speake, my paine wil not rest: and if I hold my peace, it wil not depart from me.

8   But now my sorow hath oppressed me, and al my limmes are brought to nothing.

9   My wrinkles giue testimonie against me, and ^note a false speaker is raysed vp against my face contradicting me.

10   He hath gathered his furie vpon me, and threatening me hath gnashed against me with his teeth, mine enemy hath beheld me with terrible eies.

11   They haue opened their mouthes vpon me, and exprobating haue strooken my cheke, they are filled with my paines.

12   God hath shut me vp with the wicked man, and hath deliuered me to the hands of the impious.

13   I sometime that welthie one sodenly am broken: he hath held my necke, broken me, and set me to himself as it were a marke.

14   He hath compassed me with his speares, he hath wounded my loynes, he hath not spared, and hath powred out on the earth my bowels.

15   He hath cut me with wound vpon wound, he hath come violently vpon me as it were a giant.

16   I haue sowed sackcloth vpon my skinne, and haue couered my flesh with ashes.

17   My face is swollen with weeping, and my eyeliddes are dimme.

18   These thinges haue I suffred ^note without the iniquitie of my hand, wheras I had cleane prayers to God.

19   Earth couer not my bloud, neither let my crie find place in thee to be hid.

20   For behold my witnesse is in heauen, and he that knoweth my conscience on high.

21   My freindes ful of wordes: mine eie distilleth vnto God.

22   And would God a man might so be iudged with God, as the sonne of man is iudged with his companion.

23   For behold the short yeares passe away, and I walke the path, by the which I shal not returne.

Chap. XVII. For the greuousnes of bis paine iob expecteth speedie death, 4. chargeth his freindes with folie for holding only remuneration in this life. 6. himself hopeth happie rest in the other world.

1   My spirit shal be extenuated, my daies shal be shortened, and the graue only remaineth for me.

2   I haue ^notenot sinned, and mine eie abideth in bitternesse.

3   Deliuer me, and set me beside thee, and let anie mans hand fight against me.

4   Thou hast made their hart far from discipline, and therfore they shal not be exalted.

5   He promiseth a praye to his felowes, and the eies of his children shal faile.

6   He hath set me as it were for a prouerbe of the comon people, and I am an example before them.

7   Mine eie is dimne for indignation, and my members are brought as it were to nothing.

8   The iust shal be astonied vpon this, and the innocent shal be raised vp against the hypocrite.

9   And the iust shal hold his way, and with cleane handes shal adde strength.

10   Be al you therfore conuerted, and come, and I shal not finde among you anie wiseman.

11   My daies haue passed, my cogitations are dissipated, tormenting my hart:

12   Night they haue turned into day, and againe after darkenesse I hope for light.

13   If I shal expect, ^{note note} hel is my house, and in darkenesse I haue made my bed.

14   I haue sayd to rottenes: Thou art my father, my mother, and my sister, to wormes.

15   Where is now then my expectation, and my patience who considereth.

16   Al my thinges shal descend into most deepe hel: there at the least, shal I haue rest thinkest thou? Chap. XVIII. Baldad setteth vpon Iob againe, chargeing him with present impatience, and former impietie, ^note 6. and that therfore he suffereth worthie punishment.

1   Bvt Baldad the Suhite answering, sayd:

2   How long wil ^noteye speake vaunting wordes? vnderstand ye first, and so let vs speake.

3   Why are we reputed as beastes, and accounted vile before you?

4   Which destroyest thy soule in thy furie, shal the earth be forsaken for thee, and shal rockes be transported out of their place?

5   Shal not the light of the impious be extinguished, and the slame of his fire not shine?

6   The light shal be darke in his tabernacle, and the candel that is

ouer him, shal be extinguished.

7   The steppes of his power shal be straytened, and his owne counsel shal cast him downe headlong.

8   For he hath thrust his feete into a nette, and walketh in the mashes therof.

9   The sole of his foote shal be held in a snare, and thirst shal burne against him.

10   His ginne is hid in the earth, and his spring vpon the path.

11   Feares shal terrifie him on euerie side, and his feete shal entangle him.

12   Let his strength be extenuated with famine, and let hunger inuade his ribbes.

13   Let it deuoure the beautie of his skinne, let death the firstborne consume his armes.

14   Let his considence be plucked away out of his tabernacle, and let destruction as a king tread vpon him.

15   Let the companious of him, that is not, dwel in his tabernacle, let brinston be sprinkled in his tent.

16   Let his rootes be dried downward, and his haruest destroyed vpward.

17   Let the memorie of him perish from the earth, and let not his name be renowmed in the streates.

18   He shal expel him out of light into darkenesse, and shal transport him out of the world.

19   His seed shal not be, nor his progenie in his people, nor anie remnantes in his countries.

20   In his daie the last shal be astonied, and horrour shal inuade the first.

21   These are then the tabernacles of the wicked man, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God. Chap. XIX. Iob lamenteth of his freindes crueltie, 6. affirmeth that his so great affliction is not for his sinnes. 25. and comforteth himself with his vndoubted beliefs of the Resurrection.

1   Bvt Iob answering, sayd:

2   How long doe you afflict my soule, and weare me with wordes?

3   Behold, ten times you counfound me, and are not ashamed oppressing me.

4   For although I haue beene ignorant, mine ignorance shal be with me.

5   But you are set vp against me, and reproue me with my reproches.

6   At the least now vnderstand ye, that God hath afflicted me ^note not with equal iudgement, and hath compassed me with his scourges.

7   Behold I shal crie suffering violence, and no man wil heare: I shal crie out, and there is none to iudge.

8   He hath hedged my path round about, and I can not passe, and in my way hath put darkenesse.

9   He hath spoiled me of my glorie, and hath taken the crowne from my head.

10   He hath destroyed me on euerie side, and I perish, and as it were from a tree plucked hath he taken away my hope.

11   His

furie is wrath against me, and he hath so accounted me as his enemie.

12   His seriantes haue come together, and haue made them selues a way by me, and haue besieged my tabernacle round about.

13   He hath made my brethren far from me, and my acquaintance as strangers haue departed from me.

14   My kinsemen haue forsaken me, and they that knew me haue forgotten me.

15   The ghestes of my house, and my maydseruantes haue counted me an aliene, and I haue bene as it were a stranger in their eies.

16   I called my seruant, and he did not answer me, with mine owne mouth I besought him.

17   My wife hath abhorred my breath, and I prayed the children of my wombe.

18   Fooles also despised me, and when I was departed from them, they backbited me.

19   My counselers sometime haue abhorred me: and he ^note whom I loued most hath turned against me.

20   The flesh being consumed my bone hath cleaued to my skinne, and there are left onlie lippes about my teeth.

21   Haue mercie vpon me, haue mercie vpon me, at the least you my frendes, because the hand of our Lord hath touched me.

22   Why doe you as God persecute me, and are silled with my flesh.

23   Who wil grant me that my wordes may be writen? who wil geue me that they may be drawen in a booke,

24   with yron penne, and in plate of leade, or els with stile might be grauen in flintstone?

25   For ^note I know that my Redemer liueth, and in the last day I shal rise out of the earth.

26   And I shal be compassed agayne with my skinne, and in my flesh I shal see God.

27   Whom I my self shal see, and mine eies shal behold, and ^note none other: this my hope is layd vp in my bosome.

28   Why then doe you say now: Let vs persecute him, and let vs finde roote of word agaynst him?

29   Flee therfore from the face of the sword, because the sword is the reuenger of iniquities: and know ye that there is iudgement. Chap. XX. Sophar auoucheth that some wicked men florish for a time, but are afterwards iustly plaged. 29. therupon condemneth Iob as an hypocrite.

1   Bvt Sophar the Naamathite answering, sayd: ^note

2   Therfore my diuerse cogitations succede one an other, and my minde is rapt into sundrie things.

3   The doctrine, wherwith thou reprouest me, I wil heare, and the spitit of my vnderstanding shal answer me.

4   This I know from the beginning,

since man was placed vpon the earth,

5   That the praise of the impious is ^note short, and the ioy of the hypocrite as it were for a moment:

6   If his pride rise vp euen to the heauen, and his head touch the cloudes:

7   As a dunghil in the end he shal be destroyed, and they that had sene him, shal say: Where is he?

8   As a dreame that fleeth away he shal not qe found, he shal passe as a vision by night:

9   The eie that had sene him, shal not see him, neither shal his place behold him anie more.

10   His children shal come to naught with pouertie, and his handes shal render him his sorow.

11   His bones shal be filled with the vices of his youth, and they shal sleepe with him in the dust.

12   For when euil shal be sweete in his mouth, he wil hide it vnder his tongue.

13   He wil spare it, and not leaue it, and wil hide it in his throte.

14   His bread in his belly shal be turned into the gaule of aspes within him.

15   The riches, which he hath deuoured, he shal vomite out, and God shal draw them forth out of his belly.

16   He shal sucke the head of aspes, and the vipers tongue shal kil him.

17   (Let him not see the streames of the riuer, the torrentes of honie, & of butter.)

18   He shal be punished for al thinges that he did, & yet not be c&obar;nsumed: according to the multitude of his inuentions so also shal he suffer.

19   Because breaking in he hath made the poore naked: he hath violently taken house, & built it not

20   Neither is his bellie filled: and when he shal haue the thinges be coueted, he can not possesse them.

21   There remayned not of his meate, & therfore nothing shal continewe of his goodes:

22   When he shal be filled, he shal be straytened, he shal burne, and al sorow shal fal vpon him.

23   Would God his belly were filled, that he may send forth the wrath of his furie vpon him, and rayne his battel vpon him,

24   He shal flee wepons of yron, and shal fal vpon a bowe of brasse.

25   The sword plucked out, and coming forth of his scabbard, and glistering in his bitternesse: the horrible shal goe and come vpon him.

26   Al darkenesse is hid in his secretes: fyre that is not kindled shal deuoure him, he shal be afflicted leaft in his tabernacle.

27   The heauens shal reuele his iniquitie, and the earth shal rise against him.

28   The blossome of his house shal be opened, he shal be plucked downe in the day of Gods furie.

29   This the portion of an impions man from God, & the inheritance of his wordes from our Lord.

Chap. XXI. Iob requiring his freindes to beare him, 7. discourseth of the cause, why some euil men prosper al this life.

1   Bvt Iob answering, sayd:

2   Heare I besech you my wordes, and doe penance.

3   Beare with me, that I also may speake, and after my wordes, if it shal seme good, laugh ye.

4   Is my disputation ^note agaynst man, that I ought not worthely to be sorie?

5   Harken to me, and be astonied, and put the singer vpon your mouth.

6   And I when I shal remember, am afrayd, and trembling shaketh my flesh.

7   Why then doe the impious liue, are they aduanced, and strengthened with riches?

8   Their seede contineweth before them, a multitude of kinsemen, and of nephewes in their sight.

9   Their houses be secure and peaceable, & the rod of God is not vpon them.

10   Their bullock hath conceiued, and hath not made abortion: their cow hath calued, and is not depriued of her calfe.

11   Their litle ones goe forth as flockes, and their infantes reioyse with pastimes.

12   They hold the timbrel, & the harpe, & reioyse at the sound of the organe.

13   They ^note lead their daies in wealth, and in a moment they goe downe to ^note hel.

14   Who sayd to God: depart from vs, we wil not the knowlege of thy waies.

15   Who is the Omnipotent, that we should serue him? and what doth it profite vs if we shal pray him?

16   But yet because their good things are not in their hand, be the counsel of the impious far from me.

17   How often shal the candel of the impious be extinguished, and inundation come vpon them, and shal he deuide the sorowes of his furie?

18   They shal be as chaffe before the face of the winde, and as ashes, which the whirlewinde scattereth.

19   God shal reserue the sorow of the father to his children: and when he shal haue rendred it, then shal he know

20   His eies shal see his owne slaughter, and he shal drincke the furie of the Omnipotent.

21   For what doeth it pertayne to him concerning his house after him: although the number of his monethes be diminished the halfe?

22   Shal anie man teach God knowledge, who iudgeth the high ones.

23   This man dieth strong and in health, rich and happie.

24   His vowels be ful of fatte, and his bones be embrewed with marrow.

25   But an other dieth in bitternesse of soule without anie riches:

26   And yet they shal sleepe together in the dust, and wormes shal couer them.

27   Surely

I know your cogitations, and vniust sentences agaynst me.

28   For you say: Where is the house of the prince? and where are the tabernacles of the impious?

29   Aske anie of the wayfaring men, and you shal vnderstand that he knoweth these self same thinges.

30   Because the euil man is kept vnto the day of perdition, and he shal be led to the day of furie.

31   Who shal reproue his way before him? and who shal repay him the thinges that he hath done?

32   He shal be brought to the graues, and shal watch in the heade of the dead.

33   He hath beene sweete to the grauel of ^note Cocytus, & after him he shal drawe euerie man, and before him innumerable.

34   How therfore doe ye comforth me in vayne, whereas your answer is shewed to be repugnant to the truth? Chap. XXII. Eliphaz contendeth that God is not pleased with a iust mans afflictions. 5. falsly imputeth enormious crimes to holie Iob, 12. and grosse errors. 21. wisheth him therfore to repent, that so he may prosper.

1   Bvt Eliphaz the Themanite answering, sayd: ^note

2   Can man be compared with God, yea though he be of perfect knowledge.

3   What doth it ^note profite God if thou be iust? or what doest thou aduantage him if thy way be vnspotted.

4   Shal he be afrayde to reproue thee, and come with thee into iudgement:

5   And not for thy very great malice, and thine infinite iniquities?

6   For thou hast taken away the pledge of thy brethren without cause, and the naked thou hast spoyled of clothes.

7   Water to the wearie thou hast not geuen, and from the hungrie thou hast withdrawen bread.

8   In the strength of thine arme thou didst possesse the earth, and being the mightiest thou didst obteyne it.

9   Widowes thou hast sent away emptie, and the armes of pupilles thou hast broken in peeces.

10   Therfore art thou compassed with snares, and soden feare trubleth thee.

11   And thoughtest thou that thou shouldest not see darkenes, and that thou shouldest not be oppressed with the violence of ouerflowing waters?

12   Doest thou not thinke that God is higher then heauen, & is exalted aboue the toppe of the starres?

13   And thou sayest: For what knoweth God? and he iudgeth as it were by a mist.

14   The cloudes are his couert, ^note neither doth he consider our thinges, and he walketh about the poles of heauen

15   Doest thou couet to keepe the path of worldes, which wicked men haue troden?

16   Who

were taken away before their time, and a floud hath ouerthrowen their foundation:

17   Who sayd to God: Depart from vs: and as though the Omnipotent could do nothing, they estemed him:

18   Whereas he had filled their houses with good things, whose sentence be far from me.

19   The iust shal see, and shal reioyse, and the innocent man shal skorne them

20   Is not their exaltation cut downe, and hath not fire deuoured the remnantes of them?

21   Agree thou therfore to him, and haue peace: and by these thinges thou shalt haue the best fruites.

22   Receiue the law of his mouth, and put his wordes in thy hart.

23   If thou wilt returne to the Omnipotent, thou shalt be builded vp, and shalt make iniquitie far from thy tabernacle.

24   He shal geue for earth flint, and for flint torrentes of gold.

25   And the Omnipotent shal be agaynst thine enemies, & siluer shal be heaped together vnto thee.

26   Then shalt thou abound in delightes vpon the Omnipoten, and shalt lift vp thy face to God.

27   Thou shalt aske him, and he wil heare thee, and thou shal pay thy vowes.

28   Thou shalt decree a thing, and it shal come to thee, and light shal shine in thy waies.

29   For who wil be humbled, shal be in glorie: and he that wil bow downe his eies, he shal be saued.

30   The innocent shal be saued, but he shal be saued in the cleannesse of his handes. Chap. XXIII. Iob expecteth helpe and sentence of God, 6. with iust feare, yet with good conscience maintaineth his owne innocencie.

1   Bvt Iob answering, sayd:

2    ^noteNow also my talke is in bitternesse, and the hand of my plague is aggrauated vpon my mourning.

3   Who wil grant me that I may know and find him, and come euen to ^note his throne?

4   I wil set iudgement before him, and wil fil my mouth with accusations.

5   That I may know the wordes, that he wil answer me, and vnderstand what he wil speake to me.

6   I wil not that he contend with me with much strength, nor that he oppresse me with the weight of his greatnes.

7   Let him propose equitie against me, and my iudgement shal come to victorie.

8   If I shal goe to the East, he appeareth not: if to the West, I shal not vnderstand him.

9   If to the left band, what shal I doe? I shal not apprehend him: if I turne my self to the right hand, I shal not see him.

10   But he knoweth my way, & hath proued

me as gold that passeth through the fyre:

11   My foote hath folowed his steppes, I haue kept his way, & haue not declined out if it.

12   From the commandementes of his lippes I haue not departed, and I haue hid the wordes of his mouth in my bosome.

13   For he is alone, and no man can turne away his cogitation: and whatsoeuer his soule would, that hath he done.

14   And when he shal haue fulfilled his wil in me, manie other things also are at hand wit him.

15   And therfore I am trubled at his face, and considering, him I am made pensife withfeare.

16   God hath mollified my hart, and the Omnipotent hath trubled me.

17   For I haue not perished because of the imminent darkenesse, neither hath the mist couered my face. Chap. XXIIII. God in his prouidence knoweth when he wil punish the wicked, which his true seruantes know not, much lesse the impious.

1   Times are not hid from the Omnipotent: but they ^note that know him, know not his daies.

2   Some haue transferred boundes, spoiled flockes, & fed them.

3   They haue driuen away theasse of pupilles, & haue taken away the widowes oxe for a pledge.

4   They haue subuerted the way of the poore, and haue oppressed together the meeke of the earth.

5   Others as wilde asses in the deserte goe forth to their worke: watching to the praye, doe prepare bread for their children.

6   They reape the filde that is not theirs, and gather the grapes of his vineyard, whom by violence they haue oppressed.

7   They send men away naked, taking away their clothes, which haue no couering in the cold.

8   Whom the showers of the mountaynes doe wash, and not hauing a couert, they embrace stones.

9   They did violence spoyling the pupilles, and the common poore people they spoyled.

10   From the naked and them that goe without clothing, and the hungrie they haue taken away the eares of corne.

11   They haue rested the noonetide among their heapes, which hauing troden the wine presses are a thirst.

12   Out of the cities they haue made men to mourne, and the soule of the wounded hath cryed, and God doth not suffer it to passe vnreuenged:

13   They haue bene ^note rebellious to the light, they haue not knowen his wayes, neither did they returne by his pathes.

14   At the verie breake of day the murderer ryseth, he killeth the needie, and the poore

man: but by night he wil be as a theefe.

15   The eie of the aduouterer obserueth darkenesse, saying: Eie shal not see me: and he wil couer his face.

16   He diggeth through houses in the darke, as in the day they had oppoynted with them selues, and they haue not knowen the light.

17   If sodenly the morning shal appeare, they thinke it the shadow of death: and they walke so in darkenesse as it were in light.

18   He is light aboue the face of the water: cursed be his portion in the earth, neither walke he by the way of the vineyardes.

19   Let him passe ^note from snowe waters to exceding heate, and his sinne euen vnto hel.

20   Let mercie forget him: wormes his sweetnes: be he not in remembrance, but be he broken in peeces as an vnfruitful tree.

21   For he hath fedd the barren, and her that bareth not, and to the widow he hath not done good.

22   He hath pulled downe the strong in his strength, and when he shal stand, he wil not credit his life.

23   God hath geuen him place for penance, and he ^note abuseth it vnto pride: but his eies be vpon his waies.

24   They are eleuated for a litle, and shal not stand, and shal be humbled as al thinges, and shal be taken away, and as the toppes of the eares of corne they shal be broken.

25   And if it be not so, who can reproue me that I haue lied, and set my wordes before God? Chap. XXV. Baldad endeuoreth againe to terrifie Iob, with Gods iudgement, from appealing therto, and from auouching his owne innocencie.

1   Bvt Baldad the Suhite answering, sayd: ^note

2   Power and terrour is with him, that maketh concord in his high ones.

3   Is there anie number of his souldiars? and vpon whom shal not his light arise,

4    ^notecan man be iustified compared with God, or the borne of a woman appeare cleane?

5   Behold the moone also doth not shine, and the starres are not cleane in his sight.

6   How much more man rottennes, & the some of man a worme? Chap. XXVI. Iob refuteth his aduersariese needles and common argumentes, by more sound discoursing of Gods powre, and wisdome.

1   Bvt Iob answering, sayd:

2    ^noteWhose helper art thou? his that is weake? and doest thou hold vp the arme of him, that is not strong?

3   To whom hast thou geuen counsel?

perhaps to him, that hath not wisdom, and ^note thy prudence hast thou shewed very great.

4   Whom wouldest thou teach? not him that made breath?

5   Behold the ^note gyantes grone vnder the waters, and they that dwel with them.

6   Hel is naked before him, and there is no couert to perdition.

7   Who stretcheth out the northwind ouer the vacant, and hangeth the earth vpon nothing.

8   Who bindeth the waters in his cloudes, that they breake not forth together downeward.

9   Who holdeth the countenance of his throne, and spreddeth his clowde ouet it.

10   He hath made a limite about the waters, til light & darkenes be ended.

11   The pillers of heauen tremble, and dread at his beck.

12   In his strength sodenly the seas are gathered together, and with his wisdom he stroke the proud man.

13   His spirite hath adorned the heauens, and his hand being the midwife, the ^note winding serpent is brought forth.

14   Loe, these things are sayd in part of his waies: and where as we haue heard scarce a litle droppe of his word, who shal be able to behold the thunder of his greatnes? Chap. XXVII. More and more Iob confirmeth his innocencie, auouching that God not presently iudging, 11. wil in time condemne the wicked.

1   Iob also added, taking his parable, and sayd:

2   God liueth, who hath ^note taken away my iudgement, and the Omnipotent, which hath brought my soule to bitternesse.

3   That as long as breath remaineth in me, and the spirit of God in my nosthrels,

4   My lippes shal not speake iniquitie, neither shal my tongue meditate ^note lying.

5   God forbid that I should iudge you to be iust: til I faile, I wil not departe from mine innocencie.

6   My iustification which I haue begune to hold, I wil not forsake: for my hart doth not reprehend me in al my life.

7   Let mine enemie be as the impions, and mine aduersarie as the wicked one.

8   For what is the hypocrites hope if couetousely he take by violence, and God deliuer not his soule?

9   Wil God heare his crie, when distresse shal come vpon him?

10   Or can he be delighted in the Omnipotent, and inuocate God at al time?

11   I wil teach you by the hand of God, what the Omnipotent hath, neither wil I hide it.

12   Loe, you doe al knowe, and why speake you vaine thinges without cause.

13   This is the portion of an impions man with God, and inheritance of the violent, which they shal receiue of the

Omnipotent.

14   If his children be multiplied, they shal be in the sword, & nephewes shal not be filled with bread.

15   They that shal be leaft of him, shal be buried in death, and his widowes shal not weepe.

16   If he shal heape together siluer as earth, and as clay shal prepare garmentes:

17   He shal prepare in deede, but the iust man shal be clothed with them: and the innocent shal diuide the siluer.

18   He hath built his house as a moth, and as a keeper hath he made a bowre.

19   The rich man ^note when he shal sleepe shal take away nothing with him: he shal oppen his eies, & finde nothing.

20   Pouertie as water shal apprehend him, in the night a tempest shal oppresse him.

21   The burning wind shal take him vp, and cary him away, and as a whirlewinde shal pul him violently out of his place.

22   And he shal cast vpon him, and shal not spare: out of his hand fleing he shal flee.

23   He shal claspe his handes vpon him, and shal hisse vpon him, beholding his place. Chap. XXVIII. The maruelous workes of God, the author of nature, shew his powre and wisdome, 12. and that true riches consist not in temporal creatures, but in wisdome, 28. and feare of God.

1   Silver hath ^note beginnings of her vaines, and gold hath a place, where in it is molten.

2   Yron is taken out of the earth, and stone resolued with heate, is turned into brasse.

3   He hath set a time for darkenesse, and the end of al thinges he considereth, the stone also of darkenesse, and the shadow of death.

4   The ^note torrent diuideth from the pilgrime people, them whom the foote of the needie man hath forgotten, and to whom there is no way.

5   The land, out of which bread grew in his place, is destroyed with fire.

6   The place of the sapphire the stones thereof, and the cloddes of it gold.

7   The bird hath not knowen the path, neither hath the eie of the vulter beheld it.

8   The children of merchantes haue not troden it, neither hath the lionesse passed by it.

9   He hath stretched forth his hand to the flint, he hath ouerthrowen mountaines from the rootes.

10   In the rockes he hath cut out riuers, and his eie hath seene euerie pretious thing.

11   The depthes also of riuers he hath searched, & hid things he hath brought forth to light:

12   But where is wisdome to be found, and what is the place of vnderstanding?

13   Man knoweth not the price therof, ^note neither is it found in the land of them

that liue pleasently.

14   The depth sayth: It is not in me: and the sea speaketh: It is not with me.

15   The finest gold shal not be geuen for it, neither shal siluer be weyed in the change therof.

16   It shal not be compared with the died colours of India, nor with Sardonyx the most pretious stone, or with the Sapphire.

17   Gold or glasse shal not be equal to it, neither shal vessels of gold be changed for it.

18   High and eminent thinges shal not be mentioned in comparison of it: and wisedom is drawen out of secrete places.

19   The topazius of Æthiopia shal not be equal to it, neither shal it be compared to the cleanest diyng.

20   From whence then cometh wisedom? and what is the place of vnderstanding?

21   It is hid from the eies of al liuing, the foules of the ayre also know it not.

22   Perdition and death haue sayd: With our eares we haue heard the fame therof.

23   God vnderstandeth the way of it, and he knoweth the place therof.

24   For he beholdeth the endes of the world: & looketh on al thinges that are vnder heauen.

25   Who made a poise to the windes, and weyed the waters in a measure.

26   When he gaue a lawe to the raynes, and a way to the sounding stormes.

27   Then he saw it, and declared, and prepared and searched it.

28   And he sayd to man: Behold ^note the feare of our Lord, that is wisedom: and to ^note depart from euil vnderstanding. Chap. XXIX. Againe Iob recounteth Gods former benefites, as wel his grace, wherby he did good workes, 5. as temporal prosperitie. 9. and wisdome aboue other princes.

1   Iob also added, taking ^note his parable, and sayd:

2   Who wil grant me, that I may be according to the former monethes, according to the daies in which God kept me?

3   When his lampe shined ouer my head, & I walked by his light in darknes?

4   As I was in the daies of my youth, when God was secretly in my tabernacle?

5   When the Omnipotent was with me: and my seruantes round about me?

6   When I washed my feete with butter, and the rocke powred me riuers of oile?

7   When I went forth to the gatte of the citie, and in the streate they prepared me a chaire?

8   Yong men sawe me, and hid them selues: and old men rising vp stoode.

9   The princes ceased to speake, and did put the finger vpon their mouth.

10   Dukes held in their voice, and their tongue cleaued to their

throte.

11   The eare hearing counted me blessed, and the eie seing gaue testimonie to me:

12   For that I had deliuered the poore man crying out, and the pupil, that had no helper.

13   The blessing of him that was readie to perish came vpon me, and I conforted the hart of the widow.

14   I was clothed with iustice: and I reuested me with my iudgement, as with a garment and crowne.

15   I was an eie to the blind, and a foote to the lame.

16   I was the father of the poore: and the cause which I knew not, I searched most diligently.

17   I brake the iawes of the wicked man, and out of his teeth I tooke away the praye.

18   And I said: I wil die in my litle nest, & as a palme-tree wil multiplie daies.

19   My roote is opened beside the waters, and dewe shal continue in my haruest.

20   My glorie shal alwaies be renewed, and my bow in my hand shal be repayred.

21   They that heard me, expected sentence, and attent held their peace at my counsel.

22   To my wordes they durst adde nothing, and my speach distilled vpon them.

23   They expected me as rayne, and they opened their mouth as it were to a lateward shower.

24   If at anie time I laughed on them, they beleued not, and the light of my countenance fel not on the earth.

25   If I would haue gone to them, I sate first, and when I sate ^note as a king, with his armie standing about him, yet was I a conforter of them that mourned. Chap. XXX. Holie Iob sheweth the great change of his temporal estate, from welfare into great calamitie.

1   Bvt now they of yonger time scorne me, whose fathers I vouchsafed not to put ^note with the dogs of my flocke:

2   The force of whose handes was to me as nothing, and they were thought vnworthie of life itself.

3   Barren with pouertie and famine, who gnawed in the wildernes, il fauoured by calamitie and miserie.

4   And they did eate grasse, and the barkes of trees, and the roote of iunipers was their meat.

5   Who taking these thinges violently out of the valles, when they had found euerie thing, they ranne to them with a crie.

6   They dwelt in the deserts of torrentes, and in caues of the earth, or vpon grauel.

7   Who reioysed among these kind of thinges, and counted it delicacies to be vnder the briars.

8   The children of foolish and base men, and in the earth not appearing at al.

9   Now am I turned into their song, and

become a prouerb with them.

10   They abhorre me, and flee far from me, and are not a frayd ^note to spit in my face.

11   For he hath opened his quiuer, and hath afflicted me, and ^note hath put a bridle into my mouth.

12   At the right hand of me rising, my calamities forth with arose: they haue ouerthrowen my feete, and as with waues haue oppressed with their pathes.

13   They haue dissipated my waies, they haue lyen in wayte against me, and they haue preuailed, and there was not that would helpe.

14   As when a wal is broken, and the gate opened, they haue broken violently vpon me, and are come trambling downe to my miseries.

15   I brought to nothing as a wind he hath taken away my desire mand my prosperitie hath passed away as a clowde.

16   And now my soule withereth in my self, and the daies of affliction possesse me.

17   In the night my bone is pearsed with sorrowes: and they that eate me, sleepe not.

18   In the multitude of them my garment is consumed, and they haue girded me about, as it were with the coler of a wate.

19   I am compared to durt, and am resembled to imbers and ashes.

20   I crie to thee, and thou hearest me not: I stand, and thou doest not respect me.

21   Thou art changed to be cruel toward me, and in the hardenesse of thy hand thou art against me.

22   Thou didst lift me vp, and setting me as it were vpon the wind thou hast mightely dashed me.

23   I know ^note that thou wilt deliuer me to death, where a house is appointed for euery one that liueth.

24   But yet not to my consumption doest thou send forth thy hand: and if they shal fal, thou wilt saue.

25   I wept sometime vpon him that was afflicted, and my soul had compassion on the poore.

26   I expect good thinges, and euils are come vpon me: I taried for light, and darkenesse brake forth.

27   My inner partes haue boyled without anie rest, the dayes of affliction haue preuented me.

28   I went mourning without furie, rising vp, I cried in the multitude.

29   I was the ^note brother of dragons, and felow of Ostriches.

30   My skinne is made blacke vpon me, and my bones are dried with heate.

31   My harpe is turned into mourning, and my instrument into the voice of weepers. Chap. XXXI. Holie Iob reciteth sincerly his owne vertues, shewing therby that he is not punished so grieuously for his sinnes, but by Gods prouidence for some other cause.

1   I Have ^note made a couenant with mine eyes, that I would not so much as ^note thinke of a virgin.

2   For what part should God from aboue haue in me, & inheritance the Omnipotent from on high?

3   Is there not perdition to the wicked man, and alienation to them that worke iniustice?

4   Doth not he consider my waies, and number al my steppes?

5   If I haue walked in vanitie, and my foote hath hastened in guile:

6   Let him wey me in a iust balance, and let God know my simplicitie.

7   If my steppe haue declined out of the way, and if mine eie hath folowed my hart, and if sporte hath cleaued to my handes:

8   Let me sawe, and let an other eate it: and let my progenie be plucked vp by the rootes.

9   If my hart hath bene deceiued vpon a woman, and if I haue lyene in waite at my freinds doore:

10   Let my wife be the harlot of an other man, and let other men lye with her.

11   For this is a hainous thing, and most great iniquitie.

12   It is a fire deuoring euen to perdition, and rooting vp al thinges that spring.

13   If I hane contemned to abide iudgement with my man seruant, and my mayd seruant, when they had anie controuersie against me.

14   For what shal I doe when God shal rise to iudge? and when he shal aske, what shal I answer him?

15   Did not he make me in the wombe that made him also: and did not one forme me in the matrice?

16   If I haue denied to the poore, that which they would, and haue made the eyes of the widow to expect:

17   If I haue eaten my morsel alone, and the pulpil hath not eaten therof with me.

18   (Because from mine infancie mercy hath growen with me: and from my mothers wombe it came forth with me.)

19   If I haue dispised him that perisheth, for that he had not clothing, and the poore man without wherwithal to couer him:

20   If his sides haue not blessed me, & he was not warmed with the flises of my sheepe:

21   If I haue lifted vp my hand ouer the pupil, yea when I saw my self in the gate the superior:

22   Let my shoulder fal from his iuncture, and let my arme with his bones be broken.

23   For I haue alwaies feared God as waues swelling vpon me, and his weight I could not beare.

24   If I haue thought gold my strength, and haue said to fine gold: My confidence.

25   If I haue reioysed vpon my great riches, and because my hand found manie thinges.

26   If I saw the sunne when it shined, and the moone going cleerly:

27   And my hart in secret reioysed, and I kissed my hand with my

mouth.

28   Which is ^note most great iniquitie, and a denial against God the most high?

29   If I haue beene glad of his fal, that hated me, & haue reioysed that euil had found him.

30   For I haue not geuen my throte to sinne, that cursing. I wished his soule.

31   If the men of my tabernacle haue not sayd: Who wil giue of his flesh that we may be filled?

32   The stranger taried not without, my doore was open to the wayfaring man

33   If as man I haue hid my sinne, and haue concealed my iniquitie in my bosome.

34   If I haue bene afrayd at a verie great multitude, & the contempt of kinsmen hath terrified me: and I haue not rather held my peace, & not gone out of the doore.

35   Who wil grant me an hearer, that the Omnipotent would heare my desire: and that himself that iudgeth would write a booke.

36   That I may carie it on my shoulder, and put it about me as a crowne?

37   At euerie steppe of mine I wil pronounce it, and as to the prince I wil offer it.

38   If my Land cry against me, and with it the furrowes therof lament:

39   If I haue eaten the fruites therof without money, and haue afflicted the soule of the tillers therof.

40   For wheate let the bryar grow to me, and for barlie the thorne. ^noteThe wordes of Iob are ended. Chap. XXXII. Eliu a young man being angrie that Iob persisted in his opinion, and that his three freindes could not conuince him, 8. taketh vpon him to confute Iob which they could not do.

1   Bvt these three men omitted to answer Iob, for that he seemed iust to himself. ^note

2   And ^note Eliu the sonne of Barachel a Buzite, of the kinred of Ram, was angrie and tooke indignation: and he was angrie against Iob, for that he sayd himself to be iust before God.

3   Moreouer against his freindes he had indignation, for that they had not found a reasonable answer, but onlie had condemned Iob.

4   Therfore Eliu expected Iob speaking, because they were his elders that spake.

5   But when he saw that the three were not able to answer, he was wrath excedingly.

6   And Eliu the sonne of Barachel a Buzite answering, sayd: I am yonger in time, and you more ancient, therfore casting downe my head, I was afrayd to shewe yon my sentence.

7   For I hoped that longer age would speake, and that a multitnde of yeares would teach wisdom.

8   But as I see, there is a Spirite in men, and the

inspiration of the Omnipotent geueth vnderstanding.

9   They of many yeares are not the wise men, neither doe the ancientes vnderstand iudgement.

10   Therfore wil I speake: Heare ye me, I also wil shew you my wisedom.

11   For I haue expected your wordes, I haue heard your wisdom, as long as you contended in wordes.

12   And as long as I thought you said somewhat, I considered: but as I see, ^note here is none of you that can reproue Iob, and answer to his wordes.

13   Left perhaps you may say: We haue found wisedom, God hath reiected, him not man.

14   He hath spoken nothing ^note to me, and I wil not answer him according to your wordes.

15   They were afrayd, and answered no more, & they haue taken away talke from themselues.

16   Therfore because I haue expected, and they spake not: they stoode, & answered no more:

17   I also wil answer my part, and wil shew my knowledge.

18   For I am ful of wordes, and the spirit of my bellie streyneth me.

19   Behold, my bellie is as new wine without a vent, which breaketh new vessels.

20   I wil speake, and take breath a litle: I wil open my lippes, and wil answer.

21   I wil not accept the person of a man, and I wil not make God equal to man.

22   For I know not how long I shal continewe, and whether after a while my maker wil take me away. Chap. XXXIII. Eliu endeuoreth to proue by Iobs speach that he is vniust: 13. arguing that God (by afflicting him) hath alreadly so iudged. 23. but if by an Angels admonition he repent, al shal be remitted.

1   Heere therfore Iob my sayings, and harken to al my wordes.

2   Behold I haue opened my mouth, let my tongue speake within my iawes.

3   My wordes are of my simple hart, and my lippes shal speake a pure sentence.

4   The Spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Omnipotent gaue me life.

5   If thou canst, answer me, and stand against my face.

6   Behold God hath made me also euen as thee, and of the same clay I also was formed.

7   But yet let not my ^note miracle terrifie thee, and let not my eloquence be burdenous to thee.

8   Thou therfore hast sayd in my eares, and I haue heard the voice of thy wordes:

9   I am cleane, and without sinne: vnspotted, and there is no iniquitie in me.

10   Because he hath found quarrels in me, therfore hath he thought me his enemy

11   He hath put my feete in the stockes, he hath obserued al my

waies.

12   This therfore is it, wherein thou art not iustified: I wil answer thee, that God is greater then man.

13   Doest thou contend against him because he hath not answered thee to al wordes?

14   God ^note speaketh once, & repeateth not the self same the second time.

15   By a dreame in a vision by night, when heauie sleepe falleth vpon men, and they sleepe in their bed.

16   Th&ebar; doth he open the eares of men, & teaching instructeth them with discipline,

17   That he may turne a man from these things, which he doth, & may deliuer him from pride:

18   Deliuering his soule from corruption: and his life, that it passe not vnto the sword.

19   He rebuketh also by sorow in the bed, and he maketh al his bones to wither.

20   Bread is become abominable to him in his life, and to his soule the meate before desired.

21   His flesh shal consume, and the bones that had beene couered, shal be made naked.

22   His soule hath approched to corruption, and his life to things causing death.

23   If there shal be an Angel speaking for him, one of thousandes, to declare mans equitie.

24   He shal haue mercie on him, and shal say: deliuer him, that he descend not into corruption: I haue found wherein I may be propitious to him.

25   His flesh is consumed with punishments, let it returne to the daies of his youth.

26   He shal beseche God, and he wil be pacified towards him: and he shal see his face in iubilation, and he wil render to a man his iustice.

27   He shal behold men, and shal say: I haue sinned, and in deede I haue offended, and, as I was worthie, I haue not receiued.

28   He hath deliuered his soule that it should not goe into death, but liuing should see the light.

29   Behold, al these things doth God worke three times in euerie one.

30   That he may reclame their soules from corruption, and illuminate them with the light of the liuing.

31   Attend Iob, and heare me: and hold thy peace, whiles I speake.

32   But if thou hast what to speake, answer me, speake: for I would thee to appeare iust.

33   And if thou haue not, heare me: hold thy peace, and I wil teach thee wisedom. Chap. XXXIIII. Againe Eliu chargeth Iob with blasphemie, and other crimes, 10. sheweth the equitie of Gods iudgement: 20. and that al thinges are subiect to Gods powre and knowlege.

1   Eliv therfore pronouncing, spake these wordes also.

2   Heare ye wise men my wordes, and ye learned harken

to me:

3   For the eare proueth wordes, and the throate discerneth meates by the tast.

4   Let vs choose vs iudgement, and among vs let vs see what is the better.

5   Because Iob sayd: I am iust, and God hath ^note subuerted my iudgement.

6   For in iudging me there is a lie: mine arrow is violent without anie sinne.

7   What man is there as is Iob, that drinketh skorning as it were water?

8   That goeth with them that worke iniquitie, and walketh with impious men?

9   For he hath sayd: Man shal not please God ^note although he runne with him.

10   Therfore ye discrete men heare me, far from God be impietie, and iniquitie from the Omnipotent.

11   For he wil render a man his worke, and according to the waies of euerie one he wil recompence them.

12   For in verie deed God wil not condemne without cause, neither wil the Omnipotent subuert iudgement.

13   What other hath he appointed ouer the earth? or whom hath he sette ouer the world, which he made?

14   If he direct his hart to him, he shal drawe his spirit and breath vnto him.

15   Al flesh shal faile together, and man shal returne into ashes.

16   If then thou haue vnderstanding, heare that is sayd, and harken to the voice of my speach.

17   Can he that loueth not iudgement, be healed? and how doest thou so far condemne him, that is iust?

18   That sayth to the king, Apostata: that calleth dukes impious:

19   Who accepteth not the persones of princes: nor hath knowen the tyrant, when he contended against the poore man: for al are the worke of his handes.

20   They shal sodenly die, and at midnight peoples shal be trubled, and shal passe, and take away the violent without hand.

21   For his eies are vpon the waies of men, and he considereth al their steppes.

22   There is not darkenesse, and there is not shadow of death, that they may be hid there which worke iniquitie.

23   For it is no more in mans powre, to come to God into iudgement.

24   He shal destroy manie, & innumerable, & shal make other to stand for them.

25   For he knoweth their workes: and therfore he shal bring night, and they shal be destroyed.

26   As impious men he hath stroken them in the place of them that see.

27   Who as it were of purpose haue reuolted from him, and would not vnderstand al his waies:

28   That they caused the crie of the needie man to come to him, and he heard the voice of the poore.

29   For he granting peace, who is there that can condemne? After he shal hide his countenance, who is there that may behold him,

both vpon nations, and vpon al men?

30   Who maketh a man that is ^note an hypocrite reigne for the sinnes of the people.

31   Therfore because I haue spoken to God, thee also I wil not prohibite.

32   If I haue erred, teach thou me: if I haue spoken iniquitie, I wil adde no more.

33   Doth God require it of thee, because it hath displeased thee? for thou beganst to speake, and not I: but if thou know anie better thing, speake.

34   Let men of vnderstanding speake to me, and let a wiseman heare me.

35   But Iob hath spoken folishly, and his wordes sound not discipline.

36   O my father, let Iob be proued euen to the end: cease not from the man of iniquity.

37   Who addeth blasphemie vpon his sinnes, let him be restrayned in the meane time among vs: and then let him prouoke God to iudgement with his speaches. Chap. XXXV. Eliu pretending that Iob had sayde God to be vniust, she weth that mans pietie nor impietie neither prositeth nor disprositeth God: 13 and that he iudgeth al thinges rightly.

1   Therfore Eliu againe spake these wordes:

2   Doth thy cogitation seme iust to thee, that thou saydst: ^note I am iuster then God?

3   For thou saydst: That which is right doth not please thee: or what wil it profite thee if I sinne?

4   Therfore wil I answer to thy wordes, & to thy frendes with thee.

5    ^noteLooke vp to heauen and see, and behold the skie, that it is higher then thou.

6   If thou sinne, what shalt thou hurt him? and if thine iniquities be multiplied, what shalt thou doe against him?

7   Moreouer if thou doe iustly, what shalt thou geue him, or what shal he receiue of thy hand?

8   Man that is like to thee, thy impietie shal hurt: and thy iustice shal helpe the sonne of man

9   Because of the multitude of calumniatours they shal cry: and shal waile for the force of the arme of tyrantes.

10   And he hath not sayd: Where is God, that made me, that hath geuen songs in the night?

11   Who teacheth vs aboue the beastes of the earth, and instructeth vs aboue the soules of the ayre.

12   There shal they crie, and he wil not heare, because of the pride of the euil.

13   God therfore wil not heare without cause, and the Omnipotent wil behold the causes of euerie one.

14   Yea when thou shalt say: He considereth not: be iudged before him, & expect him.

15   For he doth not now inferre his furie, neither doth he reuenge wickednesse excedingly.

16   Therfore Iob in vaine openeth his mouth, and without knowledge multiplieth wordes. Chap. XXXVI. Yet further Eliu sheweth, that God by his powre and wisdome geueth to euerie one that is iust. 16. inferring (falsly) that al Iobs affliction is for his sinnes. 22. discoursing stil of Gods powre, wisdom, and prouidence.

1   Eliv also adding speake these wordes:

2   Beare with me a litle, and I wil shew to thee: for as yet I haue what to speake for God.

3   I wil repete my knowledge from the beginning, and I wil proue my maker iust.

4   For in deede my wordes are ^note without lye, and perfect knowledge shal be proued to thee.

5   God doth not cast away the mightie, wheras himself also is mightie.

6   But he saueth not the impious, and he giueth iudgement to the poore.

7   He shal not take away his eyes from the iust man, and he placeth kinges in the throne ^note for euer, and there they are extolled.

8   And if they shal be in cheines, and be bound with the ropes of pouertie.

9   He shal shew them their workes, and their wicked deedes, because they haue bene violent.

10   He also shal reuele their eare, to chastise them: and shal speake, that they may returne from iniquitie:

11   If they shal heare and obserue, they shal accomplish their daies in good, and their yeares in glorie.

12   But if they heare not they shal passe by the sworde, and shal be consumed in folie.

13   Dissemblers and craftie men prouoke the wrath of God, neither shal they crie when they are bound.

14   Their soule shal dye in tempest, & their life among the effeminates.

15   He shal deliuer the poore out of his distresse, and shal reuele his eare in tribulation.

16   Therfore he shal saue thee most largely out of the narrow mouth, and not hauing foundation vnder it: and the quietnesse of thy table shal be ful of fatnesse.

17   Thy cause is iudged as an impious mans, cause and iudgement thou shalt receiue.

18   Let not therfore anger ouercome thee, that thou oppresse anie man: neither let multitude of gifres incline thee.

19   Lay downe thy greatnes without tribulation, and al the puissant of strength.

20    ^noteProtract not the night, that ^note peoples may come vp for them.

21   Beware thou decline not to iniquitie: for thou hast begunne to folow it after miserie.

22   Behold, God is high in his strength, and none is like to him ^note among the law geuers.

23   Who can search his waies? or who can say to him: Thou

hast wrought iniquitie?

24   Remember that thou knowest not his worke, wherof men haue song.

25   Al men see him, euerie one beholdeth far of.

26   Behold, God is great surmounting our knowledge: the number of his yeares is inestimable.

27   Who taketh away the droppes of raine, and powreth out showers as it were gulfes of water.

28   Which flow out from the clowdes, that couer al thinges from aboue.

29   If he wil stretch forth clowdes as his tent.

30   And lighten with his light from aboue, he shal couer also the endes of the sea.

31   For by these he iudgeth peoples, and geueth victuals to manie mortal men.

32   In his handes ^note he hideth the light, and commandeth it that it come agayne.

33   He sheweth his freind therof, that it is his possession, and that he may ascend to it. Chap. XXXVII. Eliu continueth his discourse, shewing Gods wisdom, powre, and iustice, by his meruelous workes of Meteors, 14. and vse therof to mans commoditie. 18. which the wisest men sufficiently vnderstand not, much lesse may presume (as he vniustly chargeth Iob) to contend with God.

1   Vpon ^note this my hart is sore afrayd, and is moued out of his place.

2   Heare ye his speach in the terrour of his voice, and the sound proceding out of his mouth.

3   Vnder al the heauens he considereth, and his light is vpon the endes of the earth.

4   After him shal sounding roare, he shal thunder with the voice of his greatnes, & shal not be found out, when his voice shal be heard.

5   God shal thunder in his voice meruelously, he that doeth great & vnsearcheable thinges.

6   He that commandeth the snow to descend vpon the earth, and the winter raines, and the shower of his strength.

7   He that signeth in the hand of al men, that euerie one may know his workes.

8   The beast shal enter into his couert, and shal abide in his denne.

9   From the inner partes shal tempest come forth, and cold from ^note Arcturus.

10   When God bloweth frost congeleth, and againe waters are powred most largely.

11   Corne desireth clowdes, and the clowdes spred their light.

12   Which goe round about, whither soeuer the wil of ^note the gouerner shal lead them, to al that he shal c&obar;mand them vpon the face of the whole earth.

13   Whether in one tribe, or in his land, or in what place so euer of his mercy he shal command them to be found

14   Harken to these things Iob: stand, and consider the maruels of God.

15   Doest thou know when God commanded

the raines, that they shew the light of his clowdes?

16   Knowest thou the great pathes of the clowdes, and the perfect knowledges?

17   Are not thy garments hote, when the earth shal be blowen with the South winde?

18   Thou perhaps madst the heauens with him, which are most sound, cast as it were of brasse.

19   Shew vs what we may say to him: for we are wrapped in darkenes.

20   Who shal tel him the things that I speake? yea if man shal speake, he shal be deuoured.

21   But now they see not the light: sodenly the ayre shal be thickned into clowdes, and the wind passing by shal driue them away.

22   From the North gold cometh, & toward God ^note fearful praysing.

23   We can not find him worthely: great of strength, and iudgement, and iustice, and he can not be vttered.

24   Therfore shal men feare him, and al that seme to themselues to be wise, shal not dare to behold him. ^note Chap. XXXVIII. God after terrour of a whirlewind, by way of examining his client Iob of diuers creatures about their nature, sheweth that no man hath perfect knowlege of them, much lesse of Gods immensitie.

1   Bvt our Lord answering Iob out of a whirlewind, sayd: ^note

2   Who is this that wrappeth in sentences with vnskilful wordes?

3   Gird thy loynes as a man: I wil aske thee, and ^note answer thou me.

4   Where wast thou when I layd ^note the foundations of the earth? tel me if thou hast vnderstanding.

5   Who set the measures therof, if thou know? or who stretched out the line vpon it?

6   Vpon what are the foundations therof grounded? or who let downe the corner stone therof,

7   when the morning starres praised me together, and al the sonnes of God made iubilation?

8   Who shut in the ^note sea with doores when it brake forth proceding as it were out of a matrice:

9   When I made a clowde the garment therof, and wrapped it in darkenes as in cloutes of infancie.

10   I compassed it with my boundes, and put barre and doores.

11   And I sayd: Hitherto thou shalt come, and shalt not procede farder, & here thou shalt breake thy swelling waues.

12   Didst thou after thy birth command ^note the morning, and shew the dawning his place.

13   And didst thou hold the extremities of the earth shaking them, and hast thou shaken the impious out of it?

14   The seale shal be restored as clay, and shal stand as a garment:

15   From the impious their light shal be taken away, and the high arme

shal be broken.

16   Hast thou entered into ^note the depthes of the sea, and walked in the lowest partes of the great depth?

17   Haue the gates of death bene open to thee, and hast thou sene the darkesome doores?

18   Hast thou considered the bredth of the earth? tel, me if thou know al things,

19   In what way the light dwelleth, and what is the place of darkenesse.

20   That thou canst bring euerie thing to his borders, and vnderstand the pathes of the house therof.

21    ^noteDidst thou know then that thou shouldest be borne? and didst thou know the number of thy dayes?

22   Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow, or hast thou beheld treasures of haile?

23   Which I haue prepared for the time of the enemie, for the day of fight and battel?

24   What way is the ^note light spred, is heate diuided vpon the earth?

25   Who ^note gaue course to the most vehement shower, and the way of the sounding thunder:

26   That it should rayne vpon the earth, without man in the desert, where no mortal man abideth:

27   That it should fil the desert & desolate ground, and should bring forth grene grasse?

28   Who is the father of rayne? or who begot the droppes of dewe?

29   Out of whose wombe came forth yse? & frost from heauen who ingendred?

30   Waters are hardened like stone, and the face of the depth is congealed?

31   Shalt thou be able to ioyne together the shining ^note starres Pleiades, or canst thou dissipate the circuite of Acturus?

32   Doest thou bring forth the day starre in his time, and make Euening starre to rise vpon the children of the earth?

33   Doest thou know the order of heauen, and shalt thou Put downe the reason therof on the earth?

34   Shalt thou eleuate the voice in the clowde, & the violence of the waters couer thee.

35   Shalt thou send lightenings, and wil they goe, and returning shal they say to thee: Here we are?

36   Who put ^notewisedom in the hart of man? or who gaue the ^note cocke vnderstanding?

37   Who shal declare the maner of the heauens, and the harmonie of heauen who shal make to ^note sleepe.

38   When was the dust powred on the earth, and the cloddes compact together?

1    ^noteShalt thou take a praye for the liones and fil the appetite of her whelpes.

2   When they lie in the dennes, and in holes sit in wayte?

3   Who prepareth for the rauen her meate, when her yong ones crie to God, wandring about, because they haue not meate?

Chap. XXXIX. God Almightie prosecuteth his discourse, shewing hts admirable powre and prouidence in liuing creatures. 34. wherupon Iob acknowlegeth his owne ouersight in some light wordes.

4   Hast ^note thou knowen the time when the ^note wild goates bring forth yong among the rockes, or hast thou obserued the ^note hyndes when they fawne?

5   Hast thou numbred the monethes of their conceiuing, and knowen the time of their bearing?

6   They bowe downe themselues to bring forth yong, and they cast them, and make roarings.

7   Their yong are seperated, and goe to feed: they goe forth, and returne not to them.

8   Who hath dismist the ^note wilde asse free, and who hath loosed his bondes?

9   To whom I haue geuen a house in the wildernes, and his tabernacles in the land of saltnesse.

10   He contemneth the multitude of the citie, the crie of the exactour he heareth not.

11   He looketh about the mountaines of his pasture, and seeketh out al greene places.

12   Wil the ^note Rhinoceres serue thee, and wil he tarie at thy stal?

13   Shal thou tie the Rhinoceres with thy coller to plough, or wil he breake the cloddes of the valleys after thee?

14   Shalt thou haue confidence in his great strength, and leaue thy labours vnto him?

15   Wilt thou credit him that he wil render thee the seede, and gather together thy barne floore?

16   The wing of the ^note Ostrich is like to the winges of the ^note Herodius, and of the hawke.

17   When she leaueth her egges on the earth, thou perhaps wilt heate them in the dust.

18   She forgeteth that foote may treade vpon them, or beast of the fild breake them.

19   She is hardened toward her yong, as though they were not hers, she hath laboured in vaine no feare compelling her.

20   For God hath depriued her of wisedom neither hath he geuen her vnderstanding.

21   When time shal be, she setteth vp the winges on high: she skorneth the horse & his rider.

22   Shalt thou geue strentgh to the ^note horse, or put neying about his necke?

23   Shalt thou raise him vp as Locustes? the glorie of his nosthrels is terrour.

24   He diggeth the earth with his house, he prawnseth boldly, he goeth forward to meete the armed men.

25   He contemneth feare, neither yealdeth he to the sword.

26   Vpon him shal the quiuer sound, the speare shal glister and the shilde.

27   Feruent and foming he suppeth the earth, neither doth he make account when the noyse of the trumpet soundeth.

28   When he

shal heare the trumpet he sayth: Vah, he smelleth battel far of, the exhortation of the captaines, and the crie of the armie.

29   Doth the ^note hawke waxe fethered by thy wisedom, spreding her winges to the South?

30   Shal the ^note eagle mount at thy commandment, and put her nest in high places?

31   She abideth in rockes, and tarieth among cragged flintes, and stonie hilles where is no accesse.

32   Thence she beholdeth the praye, and her eies see a far of.

33   Her yong ones shal licke bloud: & whersoeuer the carcasse shal be, she is present by and by.

34   And our Lord added, and spake to Iob:

35   He that contendeth with God is he quieted so easily? Verely he that reproueth God, ought to answer him.

36   But Iob answering our Lord, sayd:

37   I that haue spoken ^note lightly what can I answer? I wil put my hand vpon my mouth.

38   One thing I haue spoken, which I would I had not sayd: and an other, to the which thinges I wil adde no more. Chap. XL. Our Lord further sheweth that manspowre, nor iustice, is not comparable to Gods. 10. as appeareth in ouercoming Behemoth, 20. and Leuiathan.

1   And our Lord answering Iob out of the whirlewinde, sayd:

2   Gird thy loynes as a man: I wil aske thee, and doe thou tel me.

3   Shalt thou make my ^note iudgement of none effect: and condemne me, that thou mayst be iustified?

4   And hast thou an arme as God, and dost thou thunder with like voice.

5   Put beautie about thee, and set vp thy selfe aloft, and be glorious, and put on goodlie garmentes.

6   Disperse the prowde in thy furie, and beholding euerie arrogant man, humble him.

7   Behold al the prowde, and confound them, and destroy the impious in their place.

8   Hide them in the dust together, and plunge their faces in the pit.

9   And I wil confesse, that thy right hand is able to saue thee.

10   Behold, ^note Behemoth whom I made with thee, shal eate hay as it were an oxe.

11   His strength is in his loynes, and his powre in the nauil of his bellie.

12   He gathereth together his taile as the ceder tree, the sinewes of his stones are perplexe.

13   His bones are as pipes of brasse, his gristle as it were plates of iron.

14   He is the beginning of the wayes of God, which made him, he shal applie his sword.

15   To him the mountaines beare grasse: al the beastes of the filde shal play there.

16   He sleepeth vnder the shadow, in the secrete of the reede, and in moyst places.

17   Shadowes doe protect his shadow, the willowes of the torrent shal compasse him.

18   Loe, he shal sup vp the riuer, and shal not meruaile: and he hath confidence that Iordan may runne into his mouth.

19   In his eies as with a hooke he shal take him, and with stakes he shal boare through his nosthrels.

20   Canst thou drawe out the ^note Leuiathan with a hooke, and with a rope shalt thou tye his tongue?

21   Shalt thou put a ring in his nosthrels, or bore through his iaw with a buckle?

22   Wil he multiplie prayers to thee, or speake to thee gentle wordes?

23   Wil he make a couenant with thee, and shalt thou take him to be a seruant for euer?

24   Shalt shou delude him as a birde, or tye him for thy handmaydes?

25   Shal freindes cut him, merchantes diuide him?

26   Shalt thou fil nettes with his skinne, and the cabbin of fishes with his heade.

27   Lay thy hand vpon him: remember battel, and adde to speake no more.

28   Behold his hope shal frustrate him, and in the sight of al he shal be cast downe headlong. Chap. XLI. Leuiathan is further described by the peculiar partes of his bodie, and terrible composition of al his members.

1   Not as ^note cruel wil I raise him: for who can resist my contenance?

2   Who hath geuen me before, that I may render vnto him? Al thinges that are vnder heauen be myne.

3   I wil not spare him, and his mightie wordes, and framed to beseech.

4   Who shal reuele the face of his garment: and who shal enter into the middes of his mouth:

5   Who shal open the gate of his countenance? dreade is round about his teeth.

6   His bodie as shildes that are cast, compact with skales fast cleauing together.

7   One is ioyned to an other, and not so much as anie ayre entereth betwen them:

8   One shal sticke to another, & holding eche other, they shal not be seperated.

9   His sneesing is as the shining of fire, & his eies as the twinklings of the morning.

10   Out of his mouth procede lampes, as it were torches of lighted fire.

11   Out of his nosthrels procedeth smoke, as it were of a pot heated and boyling.

12   His breath maketh coales to burne, & a flame cometh fotth out of his mouth.

13   In his necke shal strength abide, & needines goeth before his face.

14   The members of his flesh cleaue together one to an other: ^note he shal send lightnings against him, and he shal not be caried to an other place.

15   His hart shal be

hardened as a stone, and shal be stifly compact as the smithes stithie.

16   When he shal be taken away, the ^note Angels shal feare, and being feared shal be purged.

17   When the sword shal apprehend him, neither speare, nor brestplate shal be able to abide.

18   For he shal esteme yron as chaffe, and brasse, as rotten wood.

19   The bowman shal not put him to flight, the stones of the sling, to him are turned into stubble.

20   As stubble wil he esteme the hammer, and he wil laugh him to skorne that shaketh the speare.

21   The beames of the sunne shal be vnder him, and he shal straw gold vnder him as durt.

22   He shal make the deepe sea to boyle as a pot, and shal put it as when ointmentes boyle.

23   A path shal shine after him, he shal esteme the depth as waxing old.

24   There is no power vpon the earth, that may be compared with him, who is made to feare no man.

25   He seeth euerie high thing, he is ^note king ouer al the children of pryde. Chap. XLII. Holie Iob instructed & comforted by Gods discourse, acknowlegeth his fault, and craueth pardon for his ouersight in speach, or cogitation. 7. God iustifieth his cause against his freindes. 9. They offer sacrifice for their offence. 10. Al thinges prosper with Iob, duble to that he had before. 16. and he dieth happely.

1   And Iob answering our Lord, sayd:

2   I know that thou canst doe al thinges, and no cogitation is hid from thee.

3   Who is this, that concealeth counsel without knowledge? Therfore haue I spoken ^note vnwisely, and the thinges that did excede my knowledge beyond mesure.

4   Heare (I besech thee) and I wil speake: I wil aske thee, and do thou tel me.

5   With the hearing of the eare I haue heard thee, but now my eye seeth thee.

6   Therfore ^note I reprehend my self, and I do penance in imbers and ashes.

7   And after our Lord spake these wordes to Iob, he sayd to Eliphaz the Themanite: My furie is wrath against thee, and against thy two frendes, because09Q0203 you haue not spoken right before me, as my seruant Iob.

8   Take therfore vnto you09Q0204 seuen oxen, and seuen rammes, and goe to my seruant Iob, and offer holocauste for your selues: and my seruant09Q0205 Iob shal pray for you: his face I wil receiue, that the follie be not imputed to you: for you haue not spoken right thinges before me, as my seruant Iob.

9   Eliphaz therfore the Themanite, and Baldad the Suhite, and Sophar the Naamathite

went, and did as our Lord had spoken to them, and our Lord receiued the face of Iob.

10   Our Lord also was turned at the ^note penance of Iob, when he prayed for his freindes. And our Lord added al thinges whatsoeuer had bene Iobes, duble.

11   And al his brethren came to him, and al his sisters, and al that knew him before, and they did eate bread with him in his house: and wagged the head vpon him, and comforted him vpon al the euil that God had brought in vpon him. And euerie man gaue him one ewe, and one earelet of gold.

12   And our Lord blessed the last daies of Iob more then his beginning. And he had fourtene thousand sheepe, and six thousand camels, & a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

13   And he had ^note seuen sonnes, and three daughters.

14   And he called the name of one Dies, and the name of the second Cassia, & the name of the third Cornustibij.

15   And there were not found in al the earth wemen so beautiful as the daughters of Iob: and their father gaue them inheritance among their brethren.

16   And Iob liued after these thinges, an hundred fourtie yeares, and he saw his children, and his childrens children, vnto the fourth generation, and he died an old man, and ful of daies. ^{note note}

^{note note note}

For auoiding prolixitie (this volume growing great) we haue for most part contracted our Annotations into the margen, making very few others in this booke, which otherwise offered much more occasion, as wel for explicating hard places, as of other doctrinal and moral instructions. ^note Neither in dede can ordinarie Annotations wel suffice for vnderstanding of this, and other hard bookes. But rather large Comentaries are required, such as S. Gregorie, and other ancient Fathers: as also F. Iohn de Pineda, and others haue lately written. wherto we therfore remitte the lerned readers. And for the benefite of others of our nation, we shal here briefly recapitulate the summe, and principal pointes of this holie and admirable historie, consisting in a singular holie mans conflictes, and glorious victorie, against inuisible and visible aduersaries, both in prosperous and aduerse fortune. ^note

First this holie man Iob in al abundance of wealth and riches, blessed with manie children (ch. 1.) sitting in a princelie throne, and royal dignitie (ch. 29.) in the land of Hus, was not only assaulted with common tentations of the enuious enimie, as al are that liue piously in God, but so much the more, as he was more godlie, sincerer and perfecter then other men, yet he neuer set his hart vpon worldlie or temporal thinges, but with al due feare so serued God, and parted from euil, that Satan himself (the calumniator of mankind) could not charge him with anie sinne at al. ^note Though he would not for al that confesse him to be iust, or perfect: but for further trial of him, demanded and obtained licence of God to touch al his posssesions, and so bereued him of al his goodes, & children in one day. ^note And when he

perseuering constant in vertue, thanking God for al, not sinning in his lippes, neither speaking anie foolish thing against God, the diuel getting more ample permission to touch his bones and flesh (chap. 2) susudenly stroock him with most grieuous botch (or boyle) from the sole of the foote to the toppe of the head: who sitting on a dunghil, and scraping the corruption of his sores with a shel in extreme paine, his owne wife, by the diuels suggestion, reuiled him for his sinceritie, and prouoked him to blaspheme God: but he seuerely reprehended her follie, stil keeping necessarie patience.

Then came three special freindes, noble wisemen (or litle kinges) to visite, and comforte him, who in seuen dayes not speaking one word of consolation, nor entering into anie discourse with him, at last Iob himself (chap. 3.) broke this long silence (but not his patience) lamentably bewayling the extremitie of his paines, imputing al to the miseries of mans estate, corrupted by sinne, discoursed of certaine penal euiles, or malades ensuing therupon, wishing for his owne part (if it had so bene Gods pleasure, for he sincerly feared God) that either he had not bene borne, or bene shortly taken out of his world, cursing sinne and the proper effectes therof remaining in man, wishing also to haue wanted the ordinarie benefites of education in his infancie, and al his former prosperitie, so that he might haue escaped the calamities, wherwith he was now afflicted. ^{note note} Al which he vttering in way of contemning al worldlie thinges, and supposing his freindes there present, would haue so vnderstood him, and had compassion with him: they contrariwise (by art of the diuel, God so permitting) fel into indignation, & instead of comforting their most afflicted freind, sharply reprehended him, rashly iudged his conscience, and falsly condemned him, not only of impatient speach, as offensiue to God, and his Angels, and to al good men; but also of other enormious sinnes: as pride, tyrannie, presumption, hypochrisie, and blasphemie, because heretofore he semed to the world as iust and holie, and now (as they imagined) in his deserued punishment, charged God with iniustice. wherupon grew diuers long disputes betwen Iob and his three freindes; a fourth also intruding himselfe, when the others ceassed. ^note So that Iob indured nine conflictes, and in the tenth God iudged him the victour, which shal yet better appeare, if we repete the summe of their argumentes, & his answers, with Gods decision of the controuersie.

In the first conflict Eliphaz the chiefest of Iobs freindes (in the. 4. and 5. chapters) accused Iob of great impatience, and insolencie against God, also both him and his familie of tyrannie, like to a cruel lion, and lions whelpes, alleaging for proofe the prosperitie of good men, punishment of the wicked, and a particular vision. ^note Adiured him therfore to acknowlege

and repent the same. But Iob (in other two chapters) auoched that in deede his afflictions were greater then his sinnes deserued, relying vpon his innocencie knowen to his owne conscience. ^note Described also the manifold calamities of mans life, desired to die, and so to e nd his worldlie miseries.

Then Baldad the second opposite freind (in the 8. chap.) pretending to free Gods iudgement from al shew or resemblance of iniustice, charged Iob and his children with former wickednes, and him as iniurious to God in his speaches, of which if he would repent, he should be healed, and prosper as before: Arguing in general, that God neuer afflicteth the innocent, nor assisteth the malignant. ^{note note} Insinuating therby, that Iob was an hypocrite. wherto Iob answered (chap. 9. & 10) that in dede no man may compare, nor iustifie himselse before God. Neuertheles it standeth wel with Gods iustice, powre, & wisdome, that innocentes be sometimes exercised with tribulations, more then their offences deserue.

Thirdly Sophar (the third disputer) assaulted Iob (ch. 11.) imputing his speach, and defence of himself to loquacitie, and audacious temeritie, in that he desired to know the causes of Gods prouidence, in so grieuously afflicting him. ^note Of which faultes holie Iob purged himself (in the three next chapters) stil maintayning his innocencie, according to his owne conscience better knowen to himself then to them, desiring God to instruct him, if he had anie vnknowen sinnes. Discoursed also much more profoundly of Gods powre, wisdome, iustice, and prouidence, as wel in general, as towards himself in particular: and professed his faith, and great confidence of the Resurrection. Againe Eliphaz (ch. 15.) more bitterly then before, condemned Iob of presumption, and blasphemie, discoursed of mans corruptnes and prones to sinne, describing the maners of hypochrites, and other impious men, with their miserable endes, and argued Iob for such a one. ^note VVho (in the next two chapters) expostulated with these his freinds, that they coming with pretence to comforth him, did so violently afflict him, by charging him with false and heynous crimes, his owne conscience better knowing, and testifying his former life, and state of his soule, then that their imaginations could alter his iudgement. And so with contempt of this world, & desire of death and rest, appealed to Gods iudgement against his three freindes, touching the matter in controuersie. In the meane time comforted himself with meditation of the next world.

Baldad likewise replied (ch. 18.) with hote contention, accusing Iob of insolent impatience, inculcating the greuous punishmentes both of him, and others for their impietie. ^note In answer wherto he lamented againe the want of expected comforth, especially by such freindes. Stil comforted himself with assured faith of the Resurrection.

Sophar also (ch. 20.) attempted againe to c&obar;uince Iob of impietie, and hypochrisie, by the miserable, and speedie fal of wicked men after prosperitie: for so he imagined Iob to be fallen into irrecouerable miserie. ^note But Iob shewed the contrarie, that some wicked men prosper long, yea al their life, and the same long, and then in a moment goe downe to hel, and so the argument of present affliction proued not their opinion against him.

Eliphaz disputed the third time (ch. 22.) contending that the causes of affliction, are not to be attributed to Gods secrete prouidence, but to assured sinnes of the wicked. ^note Vpon whom only he supposed, that afflictions fal: inferring that Iob was guiltie of enormious crimes, & grosse errors. Vrged him therfore to returne to God, that he might be restored to former prosperitie. Iob againe appealed to Gods sentence, not in his terrour, nor rigour of his iustice, but against his aduersaries in this quarel, describing Gods powre, and wisdome, by which he permitteth the innocent to be afflicted, & the wicked to prosper: no man knowing how soone, or how late, al shal receiue as they deserue.

Moreouer Baldad disputed the third time, very briefly (ch. 25.) endeuouring to terrifie Iob from further answering, and especially from appealing to Gods iudgement. ^note But Iob very largely (in six ensuing chapters) discoursed diuinely of Gods souereigne Maieste, Powre, Wisdom, exact Iustice, and infinite Mercie. Also of wicked mens destruction; of his owne former prosperitie, and present calamitie, together with his good workes, and innocencie, which he stil anouched in respect of great iniquities.

After that Iob and his three freindes ceassed, nothing being agreed vpon in the point of controuersie, the diuel yet cea&esset;ed not, but sturred vp a yongman, called Eliu, proud and arrogant, but not vnlerned, who abruptly condemned them al; to witte, Iob of pertinacie, the others of insufficiencie. ^note And therfore tooke vpon him to conuince Iob, though the others could not. Very like to late-rising Protestantes, or Puritaines bragging that by new argumentes, and proofes neuer heard of, they wil ouerthrow the Papistes, or Catholique Romaine Church, and doctrin, which al former enimies, Iewes, Pagaines, Turkes, and Heretikes, nor Hel gates, could not ouercome. ^note This yong Eliu therfore, with his Priuate spirite, wiser in his owne conceipt then al that went before him, assaulted constant Iob (ch. 32. and fiue more ensuing) with manie wordes, and bragges, often chalenging & prouoking, but not extorting anie answer, from so graue a man to his friuolous and idle argumentes, largely discoursing of thinges either not denied, or so manifest false, that euerie meane seruant of God, could easely conuince them, and neuer approching to the maine controuersie, only railed against holie Iob, charging him more furiously then anie had donne before,

with impietie, impatience, ignorance, pride, blasphemie, and obstinacie, vices farre from Iobs sanctitie, dilating also of Gods iustice, mercie, wisdome, powre, and prouidence; and that no man ought to contend, nor expostulate with God, that afflictions must be borne patiently, and that God is iust, and maruelous in his workes, wherof no wiseman euer doubted; and so Iob conuinced him with silence. ^note

But God himself for decision of al (from ch. 38. to the end of the Booke) first by way of examining instructed Iob more particularly, reciting manie maruelous workes of nature, shewing therby his Diuine Maiestie, Powre, and wisdome, exercising Iob in more patience, and withal perfecting him in humilitie. ^note So that with al reuerent feare and subiection, he offered and submitted him selfe to Gods onlie good pleasure. Then finally God gaue sentence that Iob had defended the truth, & his three freindes had erred. VVhom after Sacrifice, and Iobs prayer for them, he pardoned; restored Iob to health, and to duble prosperitie, of al he had lost before, geuing him also long life, and a happie end. ^note

In this historie besides the literal sense, shewing that Iob was iust and sincere, and not for his sinnes (as his freindes falsly supposed) but for his more merite was most extremly afflicted, and afterwards restored to health and wealth: we haue also here in the Allegorical sense, an especial figure of Christ. who as he was absolutly most innocent, & most perfect: so was he without c&obar;parison most afflicted of al mankind. ^note Likewise Iobs restauration to better state then before, signified in the Anagogical sense, the Resurrection, and restaurati&obar; of better, & most glorious qualities in the blessed, with fulnes of daies, in eternal glorie. ^note Finally in the Moral sense (which S. Gregorie most especially prosecuteth) al Christians haue here a most notable example of al vertues, namely of patience, wherein Iob proceded by degrees to great perfection. ^note For he was first tried by the losse of al his goodes & children, and was proued to be very patient. ^note He was then most greuously tormented in bodie, & being left without comforth, albeit he lamentably bewayled so great extremitie, wishing such dayes had bene preuented: yet he neither spoke against God, nor good man, nor his owne soule, & according to truth auouched & defended his owne innocencie. And at last by Gods inspiration, and swete consolation, he reprehended himself, of former imperfections vttered in some wordes, and with ful resignation to Gods wil, susteyned al his losses and paynes, not only with contentment, but also with ioy. THE END OF THE FIRST TOME.

We haue already found some faultes escaped in printing, but fearing there be more, and the whole volume being ouerlong, to be examined agayne, we pray the curteous reader to pardon al, and amend them as they occurre.

Two Tables, one of the times of the old Testament: an other of the principal matters in the Annotations therof, shal folow (God willing) with the other Tome: which we desire, and hope to send you shortly. In the meane time, the gentle reader may please to supplie the want therof, as he may, by the Recapitulations of the Historie, and pointes of Religion, in the fiue first ages, already conteyned in this Volume, in their proper places: in the pages. 29. 47. 196. 701. and 934.