Job 1
1 `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.
A man, there was—in the land of Uz, Job, his name, —and that man was blameless and upright, and one who revered God, and avoided evil.
2 And seuene sones and thre douytris weren borun to hym;
And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
3 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.
And his substance was—seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a body of servants exceeding large, —thus was that man the greatest of all the sons of the East.
4 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.
Now his sons were wont to go, and make a banquet, at the house of each one upon his day, —and to send and call their three sisters, to eat and to drink with them.
5 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.
And so it was, when the days of the banquet came round, that Job sent and hallowed them, and rising early in the morning offered ascending-sacrifices according to the number of them all; for Job said, Peradventure my sons have sinned, and have cursed God in their hearts. Thus and thus, was Job wont to do all the days.
6 Forsothe in sum day, whanne the sones of God `weren comun to be present bifor the Lord, also Sathan cam among hem.
Now there came a certain day, when the sons of God entered in to present themselves unto Yahweh, —so the accuser also entered, in their midst.
7 To whom the Lord seide, Fro whennus comest thou? Which answeride, and seide, Y haue cumpassid the erthe, and Y haue walkid thorouy it.
And Yahweh said unto the accuser, Whence comest thou? And the accuser answered Yahweh, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and wandering about therein.
8 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?
And Yahweh said unto the accuser, Hast thou applied thy heart unto my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a man blameless and upright, one revering God and avoiding evil?
9 To whom Sathan answeride, Whether Joob dredith God veynli?
And the accuser answered Yahweh, and said, Is it, for nought, that Job revereth God?
10 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.
Hast not, thou thyself, made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? The work of his hands, thou hast blessed, and, his substance, hath broken forth in the land.
11 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.
But, in very deed, put forth, I pray thee, thy hand, and smite all that he hath, —verily, unto thy face, will he curse thee.
12 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.
And Yahweh said unto the accuser, Lo! all that he hath, is in thy hand, only, against himself, do not put forth thy hand. So the accuser went forth from the presence of Yahweh.
13 Sotheli whanne in sum dai `hise sones and douytris eeten, and drunken wiyn in the hows of her firste gendrid brothir,
And there came a certain day, —when his sons and his daughters were eating, and drinking wine, in the house of their eldest brother.
14 a messanger cam to Job, `whiche messanger seide, Oxis eriden, and femal assis `weren lesewid bisidis tho;
And, a messenger, came in unto Job, and said, —The oxen, were plowing, and, the asses, feeding beside them;
15 and Sabeis felden yn, and token awey alle thingis, and `smytiden the children with swerd; and Y aloone ascapide for to telle to thee.
when the Sabeans swooped down, and took them, and, the young men, smote they with the edge of the sword, —and escaped am, only I alone, too tell thee.
16 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.
Yet was this one speaking, when, another, came in and said, —A fire of God, fell out of the heavens, and burned up the sheep and the young men, and consumed them; and escaped am, only I alone, to tell thee.
17 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.
Yet was this one speaking, when, another, came in and said, The Chaldeans, appointed three chiefs, and spread out against the camels, and took them, and, the young men, smote they with the edge of the sword; and escaped am, only I alone, to tell thee.
18 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,
Yet was this one speaking, when, another, came in and said, —Thy sons and thy daughters, were eating, and drinking wine, in the house of their eldest brother;
19 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.
when lo! a great wind, came from over the desert, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they died, —and escaped am, only I alone, to tell thee.
20 Thanne Joob roos, and to-rente hise clothis, and `with pollid heed he felde doun on the erthe, and worschipide God,
Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell to the earth and worshipped;
21 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.
and said—Naked came I forth from the womb of my mother, and naked must I return thither, Yahweh, gave, and, Yahweh, hath taken away, —The name of Yahweh be blessed!
22 In alle these thingis Joob synnede not in hise lippis, nether spak ony fonned thing ayens God.
In all this, Job sinned not, nor imputed folly unto God.
