Great(i)
1 Wherfore, heare my wordes (O Iob) and herken vnto me all that I will saye:
2 Beholde, I haue now opened my mouth, my tonge hath spoken in my throte.
3 My hert doth ordre my wordes a ryght, and my lyppes talke of pure wysdome.
4 The spryte of God hath made me, and the breth of the Almyghtye hath geuen me my lyfe.
5 If thou canst, then geue me answere: prepare thy selfe to stande before me face to face,
6 Beholde, before God am I euen as thou, for I am fashyoned and made euen of the same mould.
7 Therfore, thou nedest not to be afrayed of me, nether nedest thou to feare, that my auctoryte shalbe to heuy for the.
8 Now hast thou spoken in myne eares, and I haue herde the voyce of thy wordes:
9 I am cleane wythout any faute, I am innocent, and there is no wyckednes in me.
10 But lo, he hath picked a quarell agaynst me, and taketh me for hys enemy:
11 he hath put my fote in the stockes, and loketh narowly vnto all my pathes.
12 Beholde, in thys hast thou not done ryght. I wyll make answere vnto the, that God is more then man.
13 And why doest thou then stryue agaynst him: for he shall not geue the accomptes of all hys wordes.
14 For when God doth once commaunde a thynge, there shulde no man be curyous, to searche whether it be ryght.
15 In dreames and visyons of the nyght (when slombring commeth vpon men, that they fall a slepe in their beddes)
16 he roundeth them in the eares, he infourmeth them, and sheweth them playnely,
17 that it is he, whych withdraweth man from euyll, delyuereth hym from pryde,
18 kepeth hym from the graue, and hys lyfe from the swearde.
19 He chasteneth hym wyth sycknesse, and bryngeth hym to his bed: he layeth sore punyshement vpon hys bones,
20 so that hys lyfe maye awaye wyth no bred, and his soule abhorreth to eat any dayntie meat:
21 In so moch that hys body is cleane consumed awaye, and his bones appeare no more.
22 Hys lyfe draweth on to the graue, and hys lyfe to death.
23 Now, yf there be a messenger (one amonge a thousande) sent for to speake vnto man, and to shewe him the ryght waye:
24 then the Lorde is mercyfull vnto hym, and sayeth: He shalbe delyuered, that he fall not downe to the graue, for I am sufficiently reconcyled.
25 Than shall hys flesh be as well lykyng as it was afore, and shalbe as it was in hys youth.
26 For yf he submytte hym selfe vnto God, he shalbe gracious vnto him, and shewe him his countenaunce ioyfully, & rewardeth man for his ryghteousnes.
27 Soch a respecte hath he vnto men. Therfore, let a man confesse (and saye) I haue offended: I dyd vnryghteously, and it hath done me no good.
28 Yee, he hath delyuered my soule from destruccyon, and my lyfe shall se the lyght.
29 Lo, thus worcketh God allwaye with man,
30 that he kepeth hys soule from perishing, and letteth hym enioye the lyght of the lyuynge.
31 Marcke well (O Iob) and heare me: holde the styll, and I will speake.
32 But yf thou hast any thynge to saye, then answere me, and speake, for thy answere pleaseth me.
33 If thou hast nothinge, then heare me, and holde thy tonge, so shall I teach the wisdome.