Study Desk

Hast thou not made an hedge about him and about his house, & about all that he hath on euery side? thou hast blessed the worke of his hands, & his substance is increased in the land.

And on a day, when his sonnes and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house,

Then Iob arose, and rent his garment, and shaued his head, and fel downe vpon the ground, and worshipped,

And the Lord sayd vnto Satan, Hast thou not considered my seruant Iob, how none is like him in the earth? an vpright and iust man, one that feareth God, and escheweth euill? for yet he continueth in his vprightnesse, although thou mouedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

And Satan answered the Lorde, and sayde, Skin for skin, and all that euer a man hath, will he giue for his life.

But stretch now out thine hand, and touch his bones and his flesh, to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face.

Then the Lorde said vnto Satan, Lo, he is in thine hand, but saue his life.

So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord, and smote Iob with sore boyles, from the sole of his foote vnto his crowne.

Then said his wife vnto him, Doest thou continue yet in thine vprightnes? Blaspheme God, and dye.

But he said vnto her, Thou speakest like a foolish woman: what? shall we receiue good at the hande of God, and not receiue euill? In all this did not Iob sinne with his lippes.

Nowe when Iobs three friends heard of all this euill that was come vpon him, they came euery one from his owne place, to wit, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they were agreed together to come to lament with him, and to comfort him.

So when they lift vp their eyes a farre off, they knewe him not: therefore they lift vp their voyces and wept, and euery one of them rent his garment, and sprinkled dust vpon their heads toward the heauen.

Afterward Iob opened his mouth, and cursed his day.

There are small and great, and the seruant is free from his master.

With the blast of God they perish, and with the breath of his nostrels are they cosumed.

Then stoode one, and I knewe not his face: an image was before mine eyes, and in silence heard I a voyce, saying,

Shall man be more iust then God? or shall a man be more pure then his maker?

Beholde, he founde no stedfastnesse in his Seruants, and laid follie vpon his Angels.

I haue seene the foolish well rooted, and suddenly I cursed his habitation, saying,

His children shalbe farre from saluation, and they shall be destroyed in the gate, & none shall deliuer them.