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¹ But Iob aunswered, and sayde:² O that my complaynt were truely wayed, and my punishment layde in the balaunces together:³ For nowe it woulde be heauier then the sande of the sea: and this is the cause, that my wordes fayle me.⁴ For the arrowes of the almightie are vpon me, the poyson therof hath drunke vp my spirite, and the terrible feares of God are set against me.⁵ Doth the wild asse rore when he hath grasse? or loweth the oxe when he hath fodder [inough]⁶ That which is vnsauerie, shall it be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the whyte of an egge?⁷ The thinges that sometime I might not away withel, are nowe my meate for very sorowe.

⁸ O that I might haue my desire, and that God woulde graunt me the thing that I long for:⁹ O that God would begin and smite me, that he would let his hand go and take me cleane away:¹⁰ Then shoulde I haue some comfort, yea I woulde desire him in my payne that he would not spare, for I wil not be against the wordes of the holy one.¹¹ For what powre haue I to endure? And what is myne end, that my soule might be patient?¹² Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my fleshe of brasse?¹³ Is it not so that there is in me no helpe? & that my substaunce is taken from me?

¹⁴ He that is in tribulation, ought to be comforted of his neyghbour: but the feare of the almightie is cleane away.¹⁵ Myne owne brethren passe ouer by me as the water brooke, & as the ouerflowing of waters, whiche do hastly go away,¹⁶ Whiche are blackish be reason of the ice, and wherin the snowe is hyd.¹⁷ Which when they haue passed by do vanishe, and when the heate commeth they fayle out of their place.¹⁸ They depart from the course of their wonted chanell to other places, they runne in vayne and perishe.¹⁹ They that went to The man considered them, and they that went to Saba wayted for them.²⁰ But they were confounded in their hope, they came thyther and were ashamed.²¹ Euen such truely are ye, nowe that ye see my miserie ye are afrayde.

²² Did I desire you to bring vnto me, or to geue me any of your substaunce?²³ To deliuer me from the enemies hand, or to saue me from the hande of the tyrauntes?²⁴ Teache me, and I will hold my tong: and wherin I haue erred; cause me to vnderstande.²⁵ How strong are the wordes of trueth? and which of you can rebuke or reproue them?²⁶ Do ye imagine to reproue wordes, that the talke of the afflicted shoulde be as the winde?²⁷ Ye fall vpon the fatherlesse, and digge a pit to ouerthrowe your owne frende.²⁸ And therfore be content, & loke now vpon me, and I will not lye before your face.²⁹ Turne I pray you, be indifferent iudges: turne agayne, and ye shall see myne vngiltinesse, ³⁰ whether there be any vnrighteousnes in my tongue, or vayne wordes in my mouth.