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¹ Iob answered, and sayde:² O that my misery weere weyed, and my punyshment layed in the balaunces:³ for then shulde it be heuyer, then the sonde of the see. This is the cause, that my wordes are so soroufull.⁴ For the allmighty hath shott at me with his arowes, whose indignacion hath droncke vp my sprete, and ye terrible feares of God fight agaysnt me.⁵ Doth the wilde asse roare when he hath grasse? Or crieth the oxe, whe he hath fodder ynough?⁶ Maye a thynge be eaten vnseasoned, or without salt? What taist hath ye whyte within the yoke an egg?⁷ The thinges that sometyme I might not awaye withall, are now my meate for very sorow.

⁸ O that I might haue my desyre: O yt God wolde graunte me the thynge, that I longe for:⁹ That he wolde begynne and smyte me: that he wolde let his honde go, & hew me downe.¹⁰ The shulde I haue some coforte: yee I wolde desyre him in my payne, that he shulde not spare, for I will not be agaynst ye wordes of the holy one.¹¹ What power haue I to endure? Or? what is myne ende, that my soule might be paciet?¹² Is my strength the strength of stones? Or, is my flesh made of brasse?¹³ Am I able to helpe my self? Is not my strength gone fro me,

¹⁴ like as yf one withdrewe a good dede from his frende, and forsoke the feare of God?¹⁵ Myne owne brethren passe ouer by me as the waterbroke, that hastely runneth thorow ye valleys.¹⁶ But they that feare the horefrost, the snowe shal fall vpon them.¹⁷ When their tyme cometh, they shalbe destroyed and perishe: and when they be set on fyre, they shalbe remoued out of their place,¹⁸ for the pathes yt they go in, are croked: they haist after vayne thinges, and shal perish.¹⁹ Considre the pathes off Theman, & the wayes off Saba, wherin they haue put their trust.²⁰ Confounded are they, that put eny cofidence in them: For whe they came to opteyne the thynges that they loked for, they were brought to confucion.²¹ Eue so are ye also come vnto me: but now that ye se my mysery, ye are afrayed.

²² Dyd I desyre you, to come hyther? Or, to geue me eny off youre substaunce?²³ To delyuer me me from the enemies honde, or to saue me from the powers off the mightie?²⁴ Teach me and I will holde my tonge: and yf I do erre, shewe me wherin.²⁵ Wherfore blame ye then the wordes, that are well and truly spoken?²⁶ which of you can reproue them? Sauynge only that ye are sotyll to check mens sayenges, and can speake many wordes in the wynde.²⁷ Ye fall vpon the fatherlesse, ad go aboute to ouerthrowe youre owne frende.²⁸ Wherfore loke not only vpon me, but vpon youre selues: whether I lye, or no.²⁹ Turne into youre owne selues (I praye you) be indifferent iudges, and considre myne vngyltinesse:³⁰ whether there be eny vnrightuousnesse in my tonge, or vayne wordes in my mouth.