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.
Once there was a man called Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was a man of integrity who did what was right. He respected God and avoided evil.
2 And seuene sones and thre douytris weren borun to hym;
He had 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.
He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, as well as many servants. He was more wealthy than anyone else in 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.
Job's sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes on their specific day, also inviting their sisters to come and eat and 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.
When the days of feasting were over, Job would send for them and purify them by getting up early in the morning to offer a burnt offering for each of them. He was concerned, thinking to himself, “Maybe my children have sinned in some way and have unintentionally offended God.” This is what Job always did.
6 Forsothe in sum day, whanne the sones of God `weren comun to be present bifor the Lord, also Sathan cam among hem.
One day the angels came to present themselves to the Lord, and Satan came with them.
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.
The Lord asked Satan, “What have you been doing?” “Traveling around on earth, going here and there,” Satan replied.
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?
“Have you paid attention to Job, my servant?” asked the Lord. “There's no one like him on earth, a man of integrity who does what is right, who respects God and avoids evil.”
9 To whom Sathan answeride, Whether Joob dredith God veynli?
“Is it for nothing that Job respects God?” Satan answered. “You've placed a protective fence around him and his family—in fact around everything he has.
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.
You have blessed everything he does. His flocks and herds have increased so much they fill the whole 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 if you reach out and take everything he has, he will definitely curse you to your face.”
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.
The Lord told Satan, “Very well, you have the power to do whatever you want to everything he has, but don't hurt him physically.” Then Satan left the Lord's presence.
13 Sotheli whanne in sum dai `hise sones and douytris eeten, and drunken wiyn in the hows of her firste gendrid brothir,
The day came when while Job's sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house,
14 a messanger cam to Job, `whiche messanger seide, Oxis eriden, and femal assis `weren lesewid bisidis tho;
a messenger came to Job and told him, “As the oxen were plowing and female donkeys were grazing nearby,
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.
the Sabeans attacked and took them, killing the herdsmen. Only I escaped to bring you this news.”
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 he was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and set the sheep and shepherds on fire and burned them up. Only I escaped to bring you this news.”
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 he was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “Three armed companies of Chaldeans attacked the camels and took them, killing the herdsmen. Only I escaped to bring you this news.”
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 he was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “Your sons and 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 all of a sudden a tremendous wind came in from the desert. It hit the house on all four sides so that it collapsed on them and they died. Only I escaped to bring you this news.”
20 Thanne Joob roos, and to-rente hise clothis, and `with pollid heed he felde doun on the erthe, and worschipide God,
Then Job stood up and tore his robe. Then cut off his hair and fell to the ground in worship.
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.
“I was naked when I came out of my mother's womb, and I shall be naked when I leave,” he said. “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. May the Lord's name be honored.”
22 In alle these thingis Joob synnede not in hise lippis, nether spak ony fonned thing ayens God.
In all of this Job did not sin, nor blame God.
