< 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 hath been in the land of Uz — Job his name — and that man hath been perfect and upright — both fearing God, and turning aside from evil.
2 And seuene sones and thre douytris weren borun to hym;
And there are borne to 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 is seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred pairs of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a service very abundant; and that man is greater than any of 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.
And his sons have gone and made a banquet — the house of each [in] his day — and have sent and called to 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 it cometh to pass, when they have gone round the days of the banquet, that Job doth send and sanctify them, and hath risen early in the morning, and caused to ascend burnt-offerings — the number of them all — for Job said, 'Perhaps my sons have sinned, yet blessed God in their heart.' Thus doth Job 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.
And the day is, that sons of God come in to station themselves by Jehovah, and there doth come also the Adversary 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 Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, 'Whence comest thou?' And the Adversary answereth Jehovah and saith, 'From going to and fro in the land, and from walking up and down on it.'
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 Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, 'Hast thou set thy heart against My servant Job because there is none like him in the land, a man perfect and upright, fearing God, and turning aside from evil?'
9 To whom Sathan answeride, Whether Joob dredith God veynli?
And the Adversary answereth Jehovah and saith, 'For nought is Job fearing 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 made a hedge for him, and for his house, and for all that he hath — round about?
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.
The work of his hands Thou hast blessed, and his substance hath spread in the land, and yet, put forth, I pray Thee, Thy hand, and strike against anything that he hath — if not: to Thy face he doth bless 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 Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, 'Lo, all that he hath [is] in thy hand, only unto him put not forth thy hand.' And the Adversary goeth out from the presence of Jehovah.
13 Sotheli whanne in sum dai `hise sones and douytris eeten, and drunken wiyn in the hows of her firste gendrid brothir,
And the day is, that his sons and his daughters are eating, and drinking wine, in the house of their brother, the first-born.
14 a messanger cam to Job, `whiche messanger seide, Oxis eriden, and femal assis `weren lesewid bisidis tho;
And a messenger hath come in unto Job and saith, 'The oxen have been plowing, and the she-asses feeding by their sides,
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.
and Sheba doth fall, and take them, and the young men they have smitten by the mouth of the sword, and I am escaped — only I alone — to declare [it] to 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.
While this [one] is speaking another also hath come and saith, 'Fire of God hath fallen from the heavens, and burneth among the flock, and among the young men, and consumeth them, and I am escaped — only I alone — to declare [it] to 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.
While this [one] is speaking another also hath come and saith, 'Chaldeans made three heads, and rush on the camels, and take them, and the young men they have smitten by the mouth of the sword, and I am escaped — only I alone — to declare [it] to 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,
While this [one] is speaking another also hath come and saith, 'Thy sons and thy daughters are eating, and drinking wine, in the house of their brother, the first-born.
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.
And lo, a great wind hath come from over the wilderness, and striketh against the four corners of the house, and it falleth on the young men, and they are dead, and I am escaped — only I alone — to declare [it] to thee.'
20 Thanne Joob roos, and to-rente hise clothis, and `with pollid heed he felde doun on the erthe, and worschipide God,
And Job riseth, and rendeth his robe, and shaveth his head, and falleth to the earth, and doth obeisance,
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 he saith, 'Naked came I forth from the womb of my mother, and naked I turn back thither: Jehovah hath given and Jehovah hath taken: let the name of Jehovah be blessed.'
22 In alle these thingis Joob synnede not in hise lippis, nether spak ony fonned thing ayens God.
In all this Job hath not sinned, nor given folly to God.

< Job 1 >