¶ Iob is plag••d of God by the losse of his goodes and chyldren.
CAPI I.
[ A] IN the land of Hus, was a man called Iob: a perfect and vpryght man, suche one as feared God, and eschewed euell. This man hadde seuen sonnes, and three daughters. His substaunce was seuen thousand shepe .iij. thousand camels fyue hundred yoke of oxen, fyue hundred Asses, and a verye greate hous∣holde: so that he was one of the myghtyest men amonge all them of the east countrey. And his sonnes went and made bākett••s: one daye in one house, and an other daye in an o∣ther, and sent for them .iij. sisters, to eate and drincke with them. So when they had passed ouer the tyme of their bankettinge rounde a∣bout, Iob sent for them, and clensed them a∣gayne, and gat vp early, and offered for euery one a sacrifice. For Iob thought thus: perad∣uenture my sonnes haue done some offence, & haue bene vnthankefull to God in their her∣tes. [ B] And thus dyd Iob euery daye. Now vpō a tyme, when the seruauntes of God came & stode before the Lorde, Satan came also a∣monge them. And the Lorde sayd vnto Satā: whence commest thou? Satan answered the Lorde, and sayde: I haue compased the lande and walked thorow it. Then sayde the Lorde vnto Satan: hast thou not consydered my ser¦uaunt Iob, howe that he is a perfecte and vp∣ryght man: suche one as feareth God, and es¦••••ueth euyll, and that there is none lyke him in the lande? Satan answered, and sayd vnto the Lorde: Doth Iob feare God for nought? hast ••••••u not preserued him, his house, and al his substaūce on euery syde? hast thou not bles¦sed the workes of his handes? Is not his pos∣session encreased in the lande? But lay thyne hande vpon him a lytle, and touche ones all yt he hart, and yf he curse the not to thy face, I meruayle. And the Lorde sayde vnto Satan: lo al that he hath, be in thy power: only vpō him selfe se thou laye not thyne hande. Then went Satan sorth frome the Lorde.
So vpon a certayne daye when his sonnes [ C] and doughters were ea••••••ge, and drynkynge wyne in their eldest brothers house, there cam a messenger vnto Iob, and sayde: Whyle the oxen were plowynge, and the Asses goyng in the p••sture besyde them: the Sabees came in with force, and toke them al away: yea they haue slayne thy seruauntes with the swerde, & I onely haue escaped, to tell the.
And whyle he w••s yet speakyng, there cam an other, and sayde: The fyre of God is fal∣len frome heauen, it hath consumed, & brent vp all thy shepe and s••ruauntes: and I onely 〈◊〉〈◊〉 my waye, to brynge the tyding••s In the meane season whyle he was yet speakynge, th••••e came an other, and sayde: The g al de∣••••s m••••e thre armyes, and russhed vpon thy camels, which they haue caryed awaye, yea & slayne thy seruauntes with the swerde: and I onely am gotten awaye, to brynge tydinges. Whyle he was speakynge, there came yet an [ D] other, and sayde: Thy sonnes and doughters were eatynge and drynkynge wyne in their el¦dest brothe••s house, and sodenly there came a myghty great wynde out of the South, and smote the .iiij .corners of the house: whiche fell vpon thy children, so that they are deed: and I am gotten awaye alone, to bringe ty∣dinges.
Then Iob stode vp, and rente his clothes shaued his head, fell downe vpon the ground, worshipped, and sayd: Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, and naked shal I turne thyther agayne. The Lorde gaue, & the Lord hath taken awaye* 1.1 now blessed be the name of the Lorde. In all these thinges, dyd Iob not offende, ne murmured folysshely againste God.