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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.