The. holie. Bible. conteynyng the olde Testament and the newe.

The .xvj. Chapter.

1 Iob moued by the importunacie of his friendes, 7 counteth in what extremitie he is, 19 and taketh God witnes of his innocencie.

[unspec A] 1 IOb aunswered, & saide:

2 I haue oft times heard such thinges: (a) 1.1 miserable ge∣uers of comfort are ye all the sort of you.

3 * 1.2Shall not vaine wordes come yet to an ende? Or what maketh thee bolde so to aunswere?

4 I coulde speake as ye do also: but would God that your * 1.3 soule were in my soules steade, then could I frame wordes for you, and shake my head at you:

5 I shoulde comfort you with my mouth, & releasse your paine with the talking of my lippes.

6 For all my wordes my sorowe wyll not ceasse: And (c) 1.4 though I holde my tongue, what am I eased?

7 But now that [God] hath sent me ad∣uersitie, thou hast troubled al(d) 1.5 my con∣gregation.

8 And that thou (e) 1.6 hast filled me with wrinckles my fleshe is recorde, and my leanenesse ryseth vp against me and beareth witnes thereof in my face.

9 His wrath hath torne [me] he hateth me, & gnasheth vpon me with his teeth: myne enemie loketh fiercely vpon me with his eyes.

10 They haue opened their mouthes wide vpon me, and (f) 1.7 smitten me vpon the cheeke dispitefully, they gather thē selues together against me.

11 God hath shut me vp with the vngod∣ly, and deliuered me g 1.8 into the handes of the wicked.

12 I was in wealth, but he hath ••••ught me to nought: he hath taken 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by the necke, he hath all to shaken me and set me as a marke for him selfe.

13 His * 1.9 archers compasse me rounde a∣bout, he woundeth my raines, and doth not spare, my bowels hath he powred vpon the grounde.

14 He hath geuen me one wounde vpon an other, and is fallen vpon me lyke a giaunt.

15 I haue sowed a sackecloth vpon my skinne, and wallowed my head in the dust.

16 My face is withered with weeping, & in myne eyes is the shadowe of death.

17 Howbeit there is no * 1.10 wickednesse in my handes, but * 1.11 my prayer is cleane.

18 O earth couer not thou my blood, and let * 1.12 my crying finde no roome.

19 For lo, * 1.13 my witnesse is in heauen, and he that knoweth me, is in the height.

20 My friendes geue me many wordes to scorne, and myne eye powreth out teares vnto God.

21 O that a body might pleate with God, as one man doth with an other:

22 Yet the number of my yeres is come, and the way that I must go is at hand, from whence I shall not turne againe.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  For they more bite him with cruell wordes, then comfort him.
• * 1.2

  Or, words of winde.
• * 1.3

  Would ye suffred that which I suf∣fer?
• (c) 1.4

  For God wyll haue his pleasure ouer me.
• (d) 1.5

  my house∣holde, childrē, and substaūce.
• (e) 1.6

  Not by reasō of yeres, but by reason of my greefe, shewing his extreme paines.
• (f) 1.7

  That is, dispitefully handeled me, which stri∣king on the cheeke signi∣fieth.
• g 1.8

  To 〈◊〉〈◊〉 him, & not to destroy 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.9

  His ••••gues m•• ••fflictions wherewith he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 me.
• * 1.10

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.11

  That is with 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.12

  No place to 〈…〉〈…〉 be knowen to all men.
• * 1.13

  I take God to record that I am in∣noc••t, though man blame me.