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¹ I made a couenaunt with myne eyes: why then should I loke vpon a mayden?² For how great a portion shall I haue of God? and what inheritaunce from the almightie on hye?³ Is not destruction to the wicked? and straunge punishement to the workers of iniquitie?⁴ Doth not he see my wayes, and tell all my goynges?⁵ If I haue walked in vanitie, or if my feete haue runne to disceaue:⁶ Let me be wayed in an euen balaunce, that God may see myne innocencie.⁷ If my steppe hath turned out of the way, & myne heart walked after myne eyes, and if any blot haue cleaued to my handes:⁸ Then shall I sowe, and an other eate: yea my posteritie shalbe cleane rooted out.

⁹ If my heart haue ben deceaued by a woman, or if I haue layde wayte at my neyghbours doore:¹⁰ Then let my wife grinde vnto an other man, and let other men lye with her.¹¹ For this is a wickednesse, and sinne that is worthy to be punished:¹² Yea a fire that vtterly should consume and roote out all my increase.¹³ If I euer thought scorne to do right vnto my seruauntes & maydens, when they had any matter against me:¹⁴ When God will sit in iudgement, what shall I do? & when he will visite me, what aunswere shal I geue him?¹⁵ He that fashioned me in my mothers wombe, made he not him also? were we not both shapen a like in our mothers bodies?

¹⁶ If I denied the poore of their desire, or haue caused the eyes of the wydow to wayte in vayne:¹⁷ If I haue eaten my morsell alone, that ye fatherlesse hath not eaten therof:¹⁸ (For from my youth it hath growen vp with me as with a father, and from my mothers wombe I haue ben guyde to the [wydowe])¹⁹ If I haue seene any perishe for want of clothing, or any poore for lake of rayment:²⁰ If his loynes haue not blessed me, because he was warmed with the fleece of my sheepe:²¹ If I haue lift vp mine hand against the fatherlesse, when I sawe that I might helpe him in the gate:²² Then let myne arme fall fro my shoulder, and myne arme holes be broken from the bone.²³ For I haue euer feared the vengeaunce and punishment of God, and [knewe very well that] I was not able to beare his burthen.

²⁴ Haue I put my trust in golde? or haue I sayde to the wedge of golde, thou art my confidence?²⁵ Haue I reioyced because my power was great, and because my hande gat so much?²⁶ Dyd I euer greatly regarde the rysing of the sunne? or had I the goyng downe of the moone in great reputation?²⁷ Hath my heart medled priuyly with any disceite? or did I euer kisse myne owne hande?²⁸ (That were a wickednesse worthy to be punished: for then shoulde I haue denyed the God that is aboue.)²⁹ Haue I euer reioyced at the hurt of myne enemie? or was I euer glad that any harme happened vnto him? [Oh, no.]³⁰ I neuer suffred my mouth to sinne, by wishing a curse to his soule.³¹ Dyd not the men of myne owne housholde say, Who shall let vs to haue our belly full of his fleshe?³² The straunger dyd not lodge in the streete, but I opened my doores vnto him that went by the way.

³³ Haue I kept secrete my sinne, and hyd myne iniquitie, as Adam dyd?³⁴ Though I coulde haue made afeard a great multitude, yet the most contemptible of the families dyd feare me: so I kept scilence, and went not out of the doore.³⁵ O that I had one which woulde heare me: beholde my signe in the whiche the almightie shal aunswere for me, though he that is my contrarie partie hath written a booke against me.³⁶ Yet will I take it vpon my shoulder, & as a garlande binde it about my head.³⁷ I will tell hym the number of my goinges, & go vnto him as to a prince.³⁸ But if case be that my lande crye against me, or that the forowes thereof make any complaynt:³⁹ If I haue eaten the fruites therof vnpayed for, yea if I haue greeued the soules of the maisters therof:⁴⁰ Then let thystles growe in steede of my wheate, and cockle for my barlye.