Matthew(i)
1 Eliu proceadynge forth in his communicacyon, sayde:
2 Heare my wordes (O ye wyse men) herken vnto me, ye that haue vnderstandynge.
3 For lyke as the mouthe tasteth the meates, so the eare proueth and discerneth the wordes.
4 As for the iudgement, let vs seke it oute among our selues, that we may knowe what is ryghte.
5 And why? Iob hath sayde: I am ryghtuous, but GOD doth me wronge.
6 I muste nedes be a lyar, thoughe my cause be ryghte, and vyolently I am plaged where as I made no faut:
7 where is there such one as Iob, that drincketh vp scornefulnes lyke water?
8 which goeth in the company of wicked doars, & walketh with vngodly men?
9 For he sayeth: Thoughe a man be good, yet is he naughte before God.
10 Therfore herken vnto me, ye that haue vnderstandynge. Farre be it from God, that he shulde medle with wyckednesse: and farre be it from the almyghtye, that he shuld medle wyth vnryghtuous dealynge:
11 but he rewardeth the worckes of man, and causeth euerye man to fynde accordynge to hys wayes.
12 For sure it is, that God condemneth no man wrongouslye, and the iudgemente of the Almyghtye is not vnrightuous.
13 Who ruleth the earth in his stead? Or, whome hath he set to gouerne the whole worlde?
14 To whome hath he geuen hys herte, for to drawe hys spryte and breth vnto hym?
15 All flesh shall come together vnto naught, & all men shall turne agayne vnto earthe.
16 If thou nowe haue vnderstandynge, heare what I say, and herken to the voyce of my wordes.
17 Maye he be made whole, that loueth no ryghte? If thou were a verye innocente man, shuldest thou then be punysheth:
18 For he is euen the same, that knoweth the rebellyous kynges, and sayth to Princes:
19 Vngodly men are ye. He hath none respecte vnto the personnes of the lordlye, and regardeth not the ryche more then pore. For they be al the worcke of hys handes.
20 In the twynckelynge of an eye shal they be slayne: and at midnight, when the people and the tyrauntes rage, then shall they peryshe, and be taken awaye withoute handes.
21 And why? hys eyes loke vpon the wayes of man, and he seith all hys goynges.
22 There is no darcknes nor thicke shadow, that can hyde the wycked doers from hym.
23 For no man shalbe suffered to go into iudgemente wyth God.
24 Manye one, yea innumerable doth he punyshe, and setteth other in theyr steades.
25 For he knoweth theyr euyll and darcke worckes, therfore shall they be destroyed.
26 They that were in the steade of Sears, dealte lyke vngodly men.
27 Therfore turned they backe trayterously and vnfaythfully from hym, & wolde not receyue hys wayes.
28 In so muche that they haue caused the voyce of the poore to come vnto hym, and nowe he heareth the complaynte of suche as are in necessite.
29 If he delyuer and graunte pardon, who wil iudge or condemne? But yf he hyde away hys countenaunce, who wyll turne it aboute agayne, whether it be to the people or to anye man?
30 For the wyckednesse and synne of the people, he maketh an ypocryte to raygne ouer them.
31 For so muche then as I haue begonne to talke of GOD, I wyll not hyndre the.
32 If I haue gone a mysse, enfourme me: yf I haue done wronge, I wyl leaue of.
33 Wylte thou not geue a reasonable aunswere? Art thou afrayed of anye thynge, seynge thou begannest fyrste to speake, & not I?
34 For els the men of vnderstandyng & wysdome, that haue heard me, myght say: What canste thou speake?
35 As for Iob he hath nether spoken to the purpose nor wyselye.
36 O father, let Iob be well tryed, because he hath turned hym self to the wycked:
37 yea aboue hys synnes he hath blasphemed, whiche offence he hath done euen before vs, in that he stryueth against God with his wordes.