Verse 1
Wherfore, heare my wordes (O Iob) & herken vnto all, that I wyll saye:
Verse 2
Beholde, I wil open my mouth, & my tonge shal speake out of my chawes.
Verse 3
My hert shall ordre my wordes a right, & my lyppes shal talke of pure wy?dome.
Verse 4
The sprete of God hath made me, & the breth of the Allmightie hath geue me my life.
Verse 5
Yf thou cast, then geue me answere: prepare thy self to stode before me face to face.
Verse 6
Beholde, before God am I euen as thou, for I am fashioned and made eue of the same moulde.
Verse 7
Therfore, thou nedest not be afrayed of me, nether nedest thou to feare, that my auctorite shal be to heuy for the.
Verse 8
Now hast thou spoken in myne eares, & I haue herde ye voyce of thy wordes:
Verse 9
I am clene without eny fawte, I am innocent, & there is no wickednesse in me.
Verse 10
But lo, he hath pyked a quarell agaynst me, & taketh me for his enemy:
Verse 11
he hath put my fote in the stockes, & loketh narowly vnto all my pathes.
Verse 12
Beholde, vnto these vnreasonable wordes of thyne wil I make answere. Shulde God be reproued of man?
Verse 13
Why doest thou then stryue agaynst him, because he geueth the no accomptes of all his doinges?
Verse 14
For whe God doth once commaunde a thinge, there shulde no man be curious, to search whether it be right.
Verse 15
In dreames and visions of the night season (when slombrynge cometh vpo me, that they fall a slepe in their beddes)
Verse 16
he rowneth them in the eares, he infourmeth them, & sheweth the planely,
Verse 17
that it is he, which withdraweth man from euell, delyuereth him from pryde,
Verse 18
kepeth his soule from destruccion, & his life from ye swearde.
Verse 19
he chasteneth him with sicknesse, & bringeth him to his bed: he laieth sore punyshmet vpo his bones,
Verse 20
so that his life maye awaye wt no bred, & his soule abhorreth to eate eny dayntie meate:
Verse 21
In so moch, that his body is clene consumed awaye, & his bones appeare nomore.
Verse 22
His soule draweth on to destruccion, & his life to death.
Verse 23
Now yf there be an angel (one amonge a thousande) sent for to speake vnto ma, and to shewe him the right waye:
Verse 24
the the LORDE is mercifull vnto him, & sayeth: He shalbe delyuered, yt he fall not downe to destruccion, for I am sufficiently recociled.
Verse 25
Than his flesh (which hath bene in misery & trouble) shalbe, as it was in his youth.
Verse 26
For yf he submitte himself vnto God, he is gracious, & sheweth him his countenaunce ioyfully, & rewardeth man for his rightuousnes.
Verse 27
Soch a respecte hath he vnto me. Therfore let a man cofesse, (& saye:) I offended, but he hath chastened & refourmed me: I dyd vnrightuously, neuerthelesse he hath not recopensed me therafter.
Verse 28
Yee he hath delyuered my soule from destruccion, & my life, that it seyth ye light.
Verse 29
Lo, thus worketh God allwaie with ma,
Verse 30
that he kepeth his soule from perishinge, & latteth him enioye the light of ye lyuinge.
Verse 31
Marke well (O Iob) & heare me: holde the still, vntill I haue spoken.
Verse 32
But yf thou hast eny thinge to saye, then answere me and speake, for thy answere pleaseth me.
Verse 33
Yf thou hast nothinge, then heare me, and holde thy tonge, so shal I teach the wy?dome.