The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XXI.

[verse 1] Forsothe [Sothely IS.] Joob answeride, and seide, [verse 2] Y preye [preye ȝou IS.] , here ȝe my wordis, and do ȝe pe|naunce [penaunce for ȝoure erringe S.] . [verse 3] Suffre ȝe me, that Y speke; and leiȝe ȝe aftir my wordis, if it schal seme [seme to ȝou S.] worthi [worthi to do so S.] . [verse 4] Whether my disputyng is aȝens man, that skilfuli Y owe not to be sori? [verse 5] Perseyue ȝe me, and be ȝe astonyed; and sette ȝe [the BCDEKLMPQRUWf.] fyngur [ȝoure fyngur IS.] on [upon IS.] ȝoure mouth. [verse 6] And whanne Y bithenke [bithenke me IS.] , Y drede, and trem|blyng schakith my fleisch. [verse 7] Whi therfor lyuen wickid men? Thei ben enhaunsid, and [or S.] coumfortid with richessis. [verse 8] Her seed dwellith bifor hem; the cumpeny of [of her IS.] kynes|men, and of [Om. I.] sones [the sones plures.] of [of her S.] sones dwellith [lyuen I.] in her siȝt. [verse 9] Her housis ben sikur, and pesi|ble; and the ȝerde [ȝerde or skourge I. ȝerde or the chastisynge S.] of God is not on [upon IS.] hem. [verse 10] The cow of hem conseyuede [hath conceyued IS.] , and caluede not a deed calf [calf, but a quyk S.] ; the [her IS.] cow caluyde, and [and sche IS.] is not [now S.] priued [maad calflees I. calflees S.] of hir calf. [verse 11] Her [The IS.] litle chil|dren [children of hem I. children of wickid men S.] goen out as flockis; and her ȝonge children `maken fulli ioye [ful outioyen IS.] with pleies [pleynges S.] .

[verse 12] Thei holden tympan [the tympan S.] , and [and an S.] harpe [harpe in here hondis IS.] ; and ioien [thei ioien IS.] at the soun of [of the I. of an S.] orgun. [verse 13] Thei leden [ledden S.] in [heere in I.] goodis [gode thingis or lustis I. goodis thingis heere S.] her daies; and in a point [point or sodeynly IS.] thei goen doun to hellis [to hellis; that is, to biriels, so that bitwixe pros|perite and her sepulcre, noon aduersite com|eth bitwixe to hem. Lire here. C.] . [verse 14] Whiche [The whiche I.] men seiden to God [God in here daies I.] , Go thou awei fro us; we nylen [woln not I.] the kunnyng of thi weies. [verse 15] Who is Almiȝti God, that we serue him? and what pro|fitith it [it myche S.] to vs, if we preien [schul preie myche to IS.] him? [verse 16] Nethe|les for [for thi that IS.] her goodis [her goodis, etc.; temporal goodis, whiche wickid men han, ben seid to be not in her hond, that is, power, for tho moun be takun awey fro hem bi vio|lence; but goostly goodis, that ben in vir|tuouse men, moun not be takun awey fro hem bi vio|lence, therfor tho goodis ben propirly in her power. Lire here. C.] ben not in her hond [hoondis S.] , `that is [or I. that is, in her S.] , power, the [now the I.] counsel of wickid men be [be it S.] fer fro me. [verse 17] Hou ofte schal the lan|terne of wickid men be quenchid, and flowing schal come on [upon IS.] hem, and God schal departe [departe with hem IS.] the sorewis of his stronge veniaunce? [verse 18] Thei schulen be as chaffis [chaff I.] bi|for the face of the wynd; and as a deed sparcle, whiche [that S.] the whirlewynd scaterith abrood. [verse 19] God schal kepe the sorewe of the [a wickid S.] fadir [of the fadir, etc.; in pu|nyschinge his sones, he schal make the fadir to haue sorewe. schal wite; that hise sones ben punyschid for his synne, for temporal peyne is ȝouun iustly to the sones, for the synne of the fadir. Lire here. C.] to hise sones; and whanne he hath ȝoldun [ȝoldun to him veniaunce IS.] , thanne he schal wite [wite it I. wite or knowe the Lord S.] . [verse 20] Hise iȝen schulen se her [the IS.] sleyng [sleyng of hem I. sleyng of his sonys S.] ; and he schal drynke of the stronge veniaunce of Almyȝti God. [verse 21] For whi what perteyneth it to hym of his hows [houshold I. hous or meynee left S.] aftir hym, thouȝ the noumbre of his monethis be half takun awey? [verse 22] Whether ony man schal teche God kunnyng, which [that I.] demeth hem that ben hiȝe? [verse 23] This yuel man dieth strong and hool, riche and bles|ful [blesful to the world IS.] , `that is, myrie [Om. IS.] . [verse 24] Hise entrails ben ful of fatnesse; and hise boonys ben moistid with merowis [merowe I.] . [verse 25] Sotheli [And IS.] anothir wickid [Om. I.] man dieth in the [Om. IS.] bittirnesse of his soule, and with outen ony [Om. IS.] richessis. [verse 26] And [Om. S.] ne|theles thei schulen slepe togidere in dust, and wormes schulen hile hem. [verse 27] Certis Y knowe ȝoure wickid thouȝtis, and [and eke ȝoure I. and ȝoure S.] sen|tensis [sentence S.] aȝens me. [verse 28] For ȝe seien, Where is the hows of the prince [prince; that is, Joob; and wickid men, that is, hise sones. Lire here. C.] ? and where ben the tabernaclis of wickid men? [verse 29] Axe ȝe ech [Om. I. this S.] of `the weie goeris [ech weygoer IS.] ; and ȝe schulen knowe, that he vndurstondith [knowith IS.] these same

[verse 30] thingis, that [that is, that S.] an yuel man schal be kept in to the dai of perdicioun, and [and he IS.] schal be led to the dai of woodnesse. [verse 31] Who schal repreue hise weies bifor hym? and who schal ȝelde to hym tho thingis, whiche he hath doon? [verse 32] He schal be led to the [Om. IS.] sepul|cris; and he schal wake [walke IS.] in the heep of deed men. [verse 33] He was swete [swete; that is, he was amy|able and fa|uorable to wickid men. Lire here. C. ech man aftir him; that is, aftir his deth, of ech staat of men, summe goen doun to helle. and vn|noumbrable bifor him; that is, bifor his deth ful many men hadden go doun; this is seid to encreess|ing of his peyne, for as the blis of ech man in blis is en|creessid bi the felouschipe of othere that ben in blis, so and the peyne of ech dampned man is en|creessid bi the felouschipe of othere dampned men, and most whanne he was her fautour in synne. Lire here. C.] to the `stoonys, ether filthis, of helle [filthi erthe, and to the stones of helle IS.] ; and [and he IS.] drawith ech man aftir hym, and vnnoumbrable men [men ȝiden S.] bifor him. [verse 34] Hou therfor coumforten ȝe me in veyn, sithen ȝoure answeris ben schewid to [the S.] `repugne to [contrarie the IS.] treuthe?