Job · Chapter 2

[ edit] It is do forſoþe, whan on a dai hadden comen þe ſones of God, and ſtoden before þe Lord, and Saþan hadde comen among hem, and ſtod in his ſiȝt, þat þe Lord ſeide to Saþan, Whennes comeſt þou? Þe whiche anſwerende ſeiþ, I haue gon aboute þe erþe, and þurȝ paſſid it. And þe Lord ſeide to Saþan, Wheþer haſt þou beholde my ſeruaunt Job, þat þer be not to hym lic in þe erþe, a man ſimple, and riȝt, and dredende God, and goende awei fro euel, and ȝit wiþholdende innocence? Þou forſoþe haſt ſtirid me aȝen hym, þat I ſcourge hym in vein.

To whom anſwerde Saþan, and ſeiþ, Fel for fel, and alle þingus þat a man haþ he ſhulde ȝiue for his ſoule; ellis put þin hond, and touche his bon and fleſh, and þanne þou ſhalt ſee, þat in to þe face he bliſſe to þee. Þanne þe Lord ſeide to Saþan, Lo! in þin hond he is; nerþelater his lif kep. Þanne Saþan, gon out fro þe face of þe Lord, he ſmot Job wiþ þe werſte ſtinkende bleyne fro þe ſole of þe fot vnto þe nol; þe whiche wiþ a ſherd ſcrapide awei þe quyture, ſittende in þe dunghil. His wif forſoþe ſeide to hym, Ȝit forſoþe þou abidiſt ſtille in þi ſymplete. Bliſſe to God, and die.

Þe whiche ſeiþ to hir, As oon of þe fool wymmen þou ſpeeke; if goodis wee han taken of þe hond of þe Lord, euelis forſoþe why ſhulde wee not ſuffre? In alle þeſe þingis Job ſynnede not wiþ his lippis. Þanne þre frendus of Job, herende al þe euel þat hadde fallen to hym, alle camen fro þer place, Elifaþ Themanites, and Baldach Suytes, and Sofar Naamatites; forſoþe þei hadden ſeid togidere to þemſelf, þat comende togidere þei ſhulden viſiten hym, and coumforten. And whan þei hadden rerid up aferr þer eȝen, þei knewen hym not; and criende out þei wepten, and, þe cloþis kitt, þei ſprengden poudre vpon þer hed in to heuene.

And þei ſeten wiþ hym in þe erþe ſeuen daȝis and ſeuen nyȝt, and no man ſpac to hym woord; forſoþe þei ſeȝen þe ſorewe to ben hydous.