< Job 1 >

1 In the land named Uz, there was a man named Job. He was a very godly/righteous [DOU] man, who greatly respected/revered God and always avoided doing evil things.
`A man, Joob bi name, was in the lond of Hus; and thilke man was symple, and riytful, and dredynge God, and goynge awey fro yuel.
2 He had seven sons and three daughters.
And seuene sones and thre douytris weren borun to hym;
3 He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 1,000 oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was the richest man in all the area east [of the Jordan River].
and his possessioun was seuene thousynde of scheep, and thre thousynde of camels, and fyue hundrid yockis of oxis, and fyue hundrid of femal assis, and ful myche meynee; and `thilke man was grete among alle men of the eest.
4 Each year, Job’s sons made feasts [in their houses] to celebrate their birthdays. Whenever each one made a feast, he would invite [all his brothers and] his three sisters to come and eat together.
And hise sones yeden, and maden feestis bi housis, ech man in his day; and thei senten, and clepiden her thre sistris, `that thei schulden ete, and drynke wiyn with hem.
5 When each celebration ended, Job would summon them. He would get up early in the morning and kill animals and burn them on the altar as sacrifices, one for each of his children. He said to himself, “Perhaps [one of] my sons has sinned and said something evil about God in his heart.”
And whanne the daies of feeste hadden passid in to the world, Joob sente to hem, and halewide hem, and he roos eerli, and offride brent sacrifices `bi alle. For he seide, Lest perauenture my sones do synne, and curse God in her hertis. Joob dide so in alle daies.
6 One day, the angels came and gathered together in front of Yahweh, and Satan came too.
Forsothe in sum day, whanne the sones of God `weren comun to be present bifor the Lord, also Sathan cam among hem.
7 Yahweh asked Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan replied, “I have come from the earth, where I been traveling back and forth, seeing what is happening.”
To whom the Lord seide, Fro whennus comest thou? Which answeride, and seide, Y haue cumpassid the erthe, and Y haue walkid thorouy it.
8 Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you (noticed/thought about) my [faithful] servant Job? He is very godly/righteous [DOU], he greatly respects/reveres me, and he always avoids doing evil things. There is no one else on the earth like him.”
And the Lord seide to hym, Whether thou hast biholde my seruaunt Joob, that noon in erthe is lyik hym; he is a symple man, and riytful, and dredynge God, and goynge awei fro yuel?
9 Satan replied to Yahweh, “[What you say is true], but Job greatly respects you [only] because of what [you have done for him] [RHQ].
To whom Sathan answeride, Whether Joob dredith God veynli?
10 You have always [RHQ] protected [MET] him and his family and everything that he owns. You have made him very prosperous/rich. He has livestock all over this land.
Whethir thou hast not cumpassid hym, and his hows, and al his catel bi cumpas? Thou hast blessid the werkis of hise hondis, and hise possessioun encreesside in erthe.
11 But if you take away [MTY] everything that he has, he will curse you openly. [IDM]”
But stretche forth thin hond a litil, and touche thou alle thingis whiche he hath in possessioun; if he cursith not thee `in the face, `bileue not to me.
12 Yahweh replied to Satan, “(All right/Okay), I will permit you to take away everything that he has. But do not harm him.” Then Satan left, [and he prepared to cause many disastrous things to happen to Job].
Therfor the Lord seide to Sathan, Lo! alle thingis, whiche he hath, ben in thin hond; oneli stretche thou not forth thin hond in to hym. And Sathan yede out fro the face of the Lord.
13 One day [after that], Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the home of their oldest brother.
Sotheli whanne in sum dai `hise sones and douytris eeten, and drunken wiyn in the hows of her firste gendrid brothir,
14 While they were doing that, a messenger arrived at Job’s home and said to him, “While your oxen were plowing [the fields] and the donkeys were grazing nearby,
a messanger cam to Job, `whiche messanger seide, Oxis eriden, and femal assis `weren lesewid bisidis tho;
15 a group of men from [the] Sheba [area] came and attacked us. They killed all your servants [who were working in the fields] and took away all the oxen and donkeys! I am the only one who escaped to [come and] tell you what happened.”
and Sabeis felden yn, and token awey alle thingis, and `smytiden the children with swerd; and Y aloone ascapide for to telle to thee.
16 While he was still talking to Job, another messenger arrived. He said to Job, “Lightning from the sky [MTY] struck and killed all the sheep and all the men who were taking care of the sheep! I am the only one who escaped to [come and] tell you [what happened].”
And whanne he spak yit, anothir cam, and seide, Fier of God cam doun fro heuene, and wastide scheep, and `children touchid; and Y aloone ascapide for to telle `to thee.
17 While he was still talking to Job, another messenger arrived. He said to Job, “Three groups [of robbers/bandits] from Chaldea [land] came and attacked us. They stole all the camels and killed all the men who were taking care of them. I am the only one who escaped to [come and] tell you [what happened].”
But yit the while he spak, also anothir cam, and seide, Caldeis maden thre cumpenyes, and assailiden the camels, and token tho awei, and thei smytiden `also the children with swerd; and Y aloone ascapide to telle to thee.
18 While he was still talking to Job, another messenger arrived and reported this to Job: “Your sons and daughters were feasting in the home of their oldest brother.
And yit he spak, and, lo! anothir entride, and seide, While thi sones and douytris eeten, and drunken wiyn in the hows of her firste gendrid brothir,
19 Suddenly a (very strong wind/tornado) came from the desert and struck the house. The house collapsed on your sons and daughters and killed them all! I am the only one who escaped to [come and] tell you [what happened].”
a greet wynde felde yn sudenli fro the coost of desert, and schook foure corneris of the hows, `which felde doun, and oppresside thi children, and thei ben deed; and Y aloone fledde to telle to thee.
20 Job stood up, and tore his robe and shaved his head [because he was very sad/grieved]. Then he prostrated himself on the ground [to worship God].
Thanne Joob roos, and to-rente hise clothis, and `with pollid heed he felde doun on the erthe, and worschipide God,
21 He said, “When I was born, I had no clothes on. When I die, I will not take any clothes with me. Yahweh gave me [everything that I possessed], and [now] he has taken it all away. But (we should/I will) always praise Yahweh [anyway]! [MTY]”
and seide, Y yede nakid out of the wombe of my modir, Y schal turne ayen nakid thidur; the Lord yaf, the Lord took awei; as it pleside the Lord, so `it is doon; the name of the Lord be blessid.
22 In spite of all these [things that happened to] Job, [he] did not sin by saying that what God had done was wrong.
In alle these thingis Joob synnede not in hise lippis, nether spak ony fonned thing ayens God.

< Job 1 >