< Job 2 >

1 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,
And on a day the children of God came and stood before the Lord, and Satan came also among them, and stoode before the Lord.
2 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.
Then the Lord sayde vnto Satan, Whence commest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and sayd, From compassing the earth to and from, and from walking in it.
3 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.
And the Lord sayd vnto Satan, Hast thou not considered my seruant Iob, how none is like him in the earth? an vpright and iust man, one that feareth God, and escheweth euill? for yet he continueth in his vprightnesse, although thou mouedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
4 To whom Sathan answeride, and seide, `A man schal yyue skyn for skyn, and alle thingis that he hath for his lijf;
And Satan answered the Lord, and sayde, Skin for skin, and all that euer a man hath, will he giue for his life.
5 `ellis sende thin hond, and touche his boon and fleisch, and thanne thou schalt se, that he schal curse thee in the face.
But stretch now out thine hand, and touch his bones and his flesh, to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face.
6 Therfor the Lord seide to Sathan, Lo! he is in `thin hond; netheles kepe thou his lijf.
Then the Lord said vnto Satan, Lo, he is in thine hand, but saue his life.
7 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;
So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord, and smote Iob with sore boyles, from the sole of his foote vnto his crowne.
8 which Joob schauyde the quytere with a schelle, `and sat in the dunghil.
And he tooke a potsharde to scrape him, and he sate downe among the ashes.
9 Forsothe his wijf seide to hym, Dwellist thou yit in thi symplenesse? Curse thou God, and die.
Then said his wife vnto him, Doest thou continue yet in thine vprightnes? Blaspheme God, and dye.
10 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.
But he said vnto her, Thou speakest like a foolish woman: what? shall we receiue good at the hande of God, and not receiue euill? In all this did not Iob sinne with his lippes.
11 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.
Nowe when Iobs three friends heard of all this euill that was come vpon him, they came euery one from his owne place, to wit, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they were agreed together to come to lament with him, and to comfort him.
12 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.
So when they lift vp their eyes a farre off, they knewe him not: therefore they lift vp their voyces and wept, and euery one of them rent his garment, and sprinkled dust vpon their heads toward the heauen.
13 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.
So they sate by him vpon the ground seuen dayes, and seuen nights, and none spake a worde vnto him: for they sawe, that the griefe was very great.

< Job 2 >