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.
In the land of Uz lived a man whose name was Job. He was an upright and good man, fearing God and departing from 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.
His substance was seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred she-asses, and a great number of servants; so that he was the greatest of all the inhabitants 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 it was the custom of his sons to make a feast in their houses, each on his day, and to send and invite 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 when the days of their feasting had gone round, Job used to send for them and sanctify them, and to rise up early in the morning and offer burnt-offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and have renounced God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
6 Forsothe in sum day, whanne the sones of God `weren comun to be present bifor the Lord, also Sathan cam among hem.
Now on a certain day the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, and Satan also came among 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.
And Jehovah said to Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From wandering over the earth, and walking up and down in 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 said to Satan, Hast thou observed my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, an upright and good man, fearing God and departing from evil?
9 To whom Sathan answeride, Whether Joob dredith God veynli?
Then Satan answered Jehovah, Is it for nought that Job feareth 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 thou not placed a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all his possessions? Thou hast prospered the work of his hands, and his herds are greatly increased 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 only put forth thy hand, and touch whatever he possesseth, and to thy face will he renounce 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 said to Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; but upon him lay not thy hand. So Satan went forth 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,
Now on a certain day the sons and daughters of Job 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;
when a messenger came to Job, and said, The oxen were ploughing, 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.
and the Sabaeans fell upon them, and took them away; the servants also they slew with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to 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.
While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God hath fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped 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.
While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldaeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and carried them away; the servants also they slew with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped 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,
While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house;
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! there came a great wind from the desert, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped 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 mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, 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 my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither. Jehovah gave, and Jehovah hath taken away; blessed be the name of Jehovah!
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 uttered vain words against God.
