Study Desk

As for the other Iewes in the kyuges lodes, they came together, & stode for their lyues, & gatt rest fro their enemies: and slewe of their enemies fyue and seuentye thousande, howbeit they layed no hondes on their goodes.

how that Aman the sonne of Amadathai all ye Iewes enemye, had deuysed to destroye all the Iewes, and caused the lot to be cast for to put them in feare, and to brynge them to naughte:

For the which cause they called this daye Purim after the name of the lot, acordynge to all ye wordes of this wrytinge: and what they the selues had sene, and what had happened vnto them.

As for all ye worke of his power and auctoryte, and ye greate worshippe of Mardocheus, which the kynge gaue him, beholde, it is wrytten in the Cronicles of the kynges of Media & Persia,

For Mardocheus the Iewe was the seconde nexte vnto kynge Ahasuerus, and greate amonge ye Iewes, and accepted amonge the multitude of his brethren, as one yt seketh the welth of his people, and speaketh the best for all his sede.

His sonnes now wente on euery man, and made banckettes: one daye in one house, another daye in another, and sent for their iij. sisters, to eate & drinke with them.

So when they had passed ouer the tyme of their banckettinge rounde aboute, Iob sent for them, and clensed them agayne, stode vp early, and offred for euery one a bretofferinge. For Iob thought thus: peraduenture my sonnes haue done some offence, and haue bene vnthankfull to God in their hertes. And thus dyd Iob euery daye.

Sathan answered, and sayde vnto the LORDE: Doth Iob feare God for naught?

Then sayde the LORDE vnto Sathan: Hast thou not considered my seruaunt Iob, how that he is an innocent & vertuous man soch one as feareth God, and eschueth euell, and that there is none like him in the londe? But thou mouedest me agaynst him, to punysh him: yet is it in vayne, for he contynueth still in his godlynesse.

Sathan answered the LORDE, and sayde: Skynne for skynne? yee a man will geue all yt euer he hath, for his life.

Now when Iobs frendes herde of all ye trouble, that happened vnto him, there came thre off them, euery one from his owne place: namely, Eliphas the Themanite, Baldad the Suhite, and Sophar the Naamathite. For they were agreed together to come, to shewe their compassion vpon him, and to comforte him.

They sat them downe by him also vpon the grounde, vij. dayes and vij. nightes. Nether was there eny of them that spake one worde vnto him, for they sawe that his payne was very greate.

Let the starres be dymme thorow darcknesse of it. Let it loke for light, but let it se none, nether the rysynge vp of the fayre mornynge:

(Which longe for death, and it commeth not: for yf they might fynde their graue,

For the thynge that I feared, is come vpon me: and the thynge that I was afrayed of, is happened vnto me.

As for those that plowe wickednesse (as I haue sene myself) and sowe myschefe, they reape ye same.

For whe God bloweth vpon them, they perysh, and are destroyed thorow the blast of his wrath.

As for the foolish man displeasure kylleth him, and anger slayeth ye ignoraunt.

but it is man, that is borne vnto mysery, like as the byrde for to fle.

For though he make a wounde, he geueth a medicyne agayne: though he smyte, his honde maketh whole agayne.