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- Wherefore heare my wordes O Iob, and hearken vnto all that I will say:
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- Behold, I haue now opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my throte.
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- My heart doth order my wordes aright, and my lippes talke of pure wysedome.
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- The spirite of God hath made me, and the breath of the almightie hath geuen me my lyfe.
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- If thou canst then geue me aunswere, prepare thy selfe and stande before me face to face.
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- Beholde, before God I am euen as thou: for I am fashioned & made euen of the same molde.
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- Beholde, my terrour shall not feare thee, neither shall my hande be heauy vpon thee.
- 8
- Now hast thou spoken in myne eares, & I haue heard the voyce of thy wordes:
- 9
- I am cleane without any fault, I am innocent, & there is no wickednesse in me.
- 10
- But lo, he hath piked a quarell against me, and taketh me for his enemie.
- 11
- He hath put my foote in the stockes, and looketh narowlye vnto all my pathes.
- 12
- Behold, in this hast thou not done right, I wil make aunswere vnto thee, that God is greater then man.
- 13
- And why doest thou then striue against him?
for he shall not geue the accomptes of all his wordes.
- 14
- For God speaketh once or twise, and yet man vnderstandeth it not.
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- In dreames and visions of the night, when slumbring commeth vpon men that they fall asleepe in their beddes,
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- He roundeth them in the eares, and sealeth their correction:
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- That he may withdrawe man from euyll enterprises, and deliuer hym from pride,
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- And kepe his soule from the graue, and his life from the sworde.
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- He chasteneth hym with sickenesse vpon his bedde, he layeth sore punishement vpon his bones:
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- So that his lyfe may away with no bread, and his soule abhorreth to eate any dayntie meate:
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- In so much that his body is cleane consumed away, and his bones appeare which before were not seene.
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- His soule draweth vnto the graue, and his lyfe to death.
- 23
- Now yf there be a messenger, one among a thousande, sent for to speake vnto man, and to shew him the right way:
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- Then the Lord is mercifull vnto him, and sayth, He shalbe deliuered, that he fall not downe to the graue: for I am sufficiently reconciled.
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- Then shal his fleshe be as freshe as a childes, and shal returne as in the dayes of his youth.
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- He shall pray vnto God, and he will be fauorable vnto him, and he shall see his face with ioy, for he will render vnto man his righteousnesse.
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- A respect hath he vnto men, let man then say, I haue offended, I did vnrighteously, & it hath done me no good:
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- Yea he hath deliuered my soule from destruction, and my lyfe shall see the light.
- 29
- Lo all these worketh God alway with man:
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- That he bring backe his soule from the graue to the light, yea the light of the lyuing.
- 31
- Marke wel O Iob, and heare me: hold thee still, and I will speake.
- 32
- But if thou hast any thing to say, then aunswere me, and speake: for I desire to iustifie thee.
- 33
- If thou hast nothing, then heare me, and hold thy tongue, and I shall teache thee wysdome.
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