< Job 2 >
1 Again it happened on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, that Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
Forsothe it was doon, whanne in sum dai the sones of God `weren comun, and stoden bifor the Lord, and Sathan `was comun among hem, and stood in his siyt,
2 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, and said, "From going back and forth on the earth, and from walking up and down on it."
that the Lord seide to Sathan, Fro whennus comest thou? Which answeride, and seide, Y haue cumpassid the erthe, `and Y haue go thury it.
3 The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? For there is none like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil. And he still holds firmly to his integrity, although you incited me against him, to ruin him without cause."
And the Lord seide to Sathan, Whethir thou hast biholde my seruaunt Joob, that noon in erthe is lijk hym; he is a symple man, and riytful, and dredynge God, and goynge awei fro yuel, and yit holdynge innocence? `But thou hast moued me ayens him, that `Y schulde turmente hym in veyn.
4 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, "Skin for skin. Indeed, all that a man has he will give for his life.
To whom Sathan answeride, and seide, `A man schal yyue skyn for skyn, and alle thingis that he hath for his lijf;
5 But put forth your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face."
`ellis sende thin hond, and touche his boon and fleisch, and thanne thou schalt se, that he schal curse thee in the face.
6 The LORD said to Satan, "Look, he is in your power. Only preserve his life."
Therfor the Lord seide to Sathan, Lo! he is in `thin hond; netheles kepe thou his lijf.
7 So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head.
Therfor Sathan yede out fro the face of the Lord, and smoot Joob with `a ful wickid botche fro the sole of the foot `til to his top;
8 And he took for himself a potsherd to scrape himself with while he sat among the ashes.
which Joob schauyde the quytere with a schelle, `and sat in the dunghil.
9 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold firmly to your integrity? Curse God, and die."
Forsothe his wijf seide to hym, Dwellist thou yit in thi symplenesse? Curse thou God, and die.
10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we indeed accept good at the hand of God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
And Joob seide, Thou hast spoke as oon of the fonned wymmen; if we han take goodis of the hond of the Lord, whi forsothe suffren we not yuels? In alle these thingis Joob synnede not in hise lippis.
11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come on him, they each came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him.
Therfor thre frendis of Joob herden al the yuel, that hadde bifelde to hym, and camen ech man fro his place, Eliphath Temanytes, and Baldach Suythes, and Sophar Naamathites; for thei `hadden seide togidere to hem silf, that thei wolden come togidere, and visite hym, and coumforte.
12 When they lifted up their eyes from a distance, and did not recognize him, they raised their voices, and wept; and they each tore his robe, and threw dust in the air over their heads.
And whanne thei hadden reisid afer `her iyen, thei knewen not hym; and thei crieden, and wepten, and to-renten her clothis, and spreynten dust on her heed `in to heuene.
13 So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.
And thei saten with hym in the erthe seuene daies and seuene nyytis, and no man spak a word to hym; for thei sien, that his sorewe was greet.