Job 16

Great^{(i) 1} Iob answered, and sayde: ² I haue oft tymes hearde soch thynges. Myserable geuers of conforte are ye, all the sorte of you. ³ Shall not vayne wordes come yet to an ende? Or, hast thou yet eny more to saye? ⁴ I coulde speake, as ye do also. But wold God, that youre soule were in my soules steade: then shuld I heape vp wordes agaynst you, and shake my heade at you. ⁵ I shuld comforte you with my mouthe, and release youre payne with the talkyng of my lippes. ⁶ For all my wordes, my sorow wyll ceasse: and though I holde my tonge, yet wyll it not departe from me. ⁷ But now that God hath sente me aduersytie, thou hast troubled all my congregacyon. ⁸ And that thou hast fylled me wyth wrynckles, my fleshe is recorde, and my leanesse ryseth vp agaynst me, and beareth wytnesse agaynst me. ⁹ He is angrye at me, he hateth me and gnassheth vpon me wyth hys teth. Myne enemye skouleth vpon me wyth hys eyes. ¹⁰ They haue opened their mouthes wyde vpon me & smytten me vpon the cheke despitefully, they gather them selues together agaynst me. ¹¹ God hath put me in prease with the vngodly, & delyuered me into the handes of the wycked. ¹² I was in wealth, but he hath brought me to naught. He hath taken me by the neck, he hath rent me, and sett me as a marck for him selfe. ¹³ His archers compasse me rounde aboute: he wounded my loynes, and doth not spare. My bowels hath he poured vpon the ground. ¹⁴ He hath geuen me one wound vpon another, and is fallen vpon me lyke a giaunte. ¹⁵ I haue sowed a sack cloth vpon my skynne, & lye with my heare in the dust. ¹⁶ My face is swollen with wepynge, and in myne eyes is the shadow of death. ¹⁷ Howbeit, there is no wyckednesse in my handes, but my prayer is cleane. ¹⁸ O earth couer not thou my bloude, and let my cryenge fynde no rowme. ¹⁹ For lo, my witnesse is in heauen: & he that knoweth me, is aboue in the heygth: ²⁰ My frendes geue me many wordes, to scorne, and myne eye poureth out teares vnto God. ²¹ O that a body might pleate with God, as one man doth with another, ²² yet the nombre of my yeares is come, and the waye that I must go is at hande, from whence I shall not turne agayne.