- 1
- So Iob proceeded and went foorth in his parable, saying:
- 2
- O that I were as I was in the monethes by past, and in the daies when God preserued me:
- 3
- When his light shined vpon my head, when I went after the same light and shining, euen through the darknesse:
- 4
- As it stoode with me when I was young, when God prospered my house:
- 5
- When the almightie was yet with me, when my children stoode about me:
- 6
- When my wayes ranne ouer with butter, and when the stonie rockes gaue me riuers of oyle:
- 7
- When I went out to the gate, euen to the iudgement seate, and when I prepared my seate in the streete:
- 8
- The young men saw me and hid them selues, and the aged arose, and stoode vp.
- 9
- The princes left of their talking, and layed their hand to their mouth:
- 10
- The mightie kept still their voyce, and their tongue cleaued to the roofe of their mouth.
- 11
- When the eare heard me, it blessed me: & when the eye sawe me, it gaue witnesse to me:
- 12
- For I deliuered the poore when he cryed, and the fatherlesse, and hym that had none to helpe hym.
- 13
- The blessing of him that was redy to perishe came vpon me, and I caused the widowes heart to reioyce.
- 14
- And why?
I put vpon me righteousnesse, which couered me as a garment, and equitie was my crowne.
- 15
- I was an eye to the blinde, and a foote to the lame.
- 16
- I was a father to the poore: and when I knewe not the cause, I sought it out diligently.
- 17
- I brake the iawes of the vnrighteous man, and pluckt the spoyle out of his teeth.
- 18
- Then I sayde, I shall die in my nest: and I shall multiplie my dayes as the sande.
- 19
- For my roote was spread out by the waterside: and the deawe lay vpon my corne.
- 20
- Myne honour encreased more and more, & my bow was euer the stronger in my hande.
- 21
- Unto me men gaue eare, me they regarded, and with scilence they taried for my counsell.
- 22
- After my woordes they replied not, and my talke dropped vpon them.
- 23
- They wayted for me as for the raine: and gaped vpon me, as [the grounde doeth to receaue] the latter shoure.
- 24
- When I laughed, they beleued it not, & the light of my countenaunce would they not put out.
- 25
- When I agreed vnto their way, I was the chiefe, and sate as a king with his armie about him: and when they were in heauinesse, I was their comfortour.
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