Study Desk

that is, dressing, of trees in tymes ordeyned, and in the firste fruytis. My God, haue mynde of me in to good.

`A man, Joob bi name, was in the lond of Hus; and thilke man was symple, and riytful, and dredynge God, and goynge awey fro yuel.

And whanne the daies of feeste hadden passid in to the world, Joob sente to hem, and halewide hem, and he roos eerli, and offride brent sacrifices `bi alle. For he seide, Lest perauenture my sones do synne, and curse God in her hertis. Joob dide so in alle daies.

Forsothe in sum day, whanne the sones of God `weren comun to be present bifor the Lord, also Sathan cam among hem.

And the Lord seide to hym, Whether thou hast biholde my seruaunt Joob, that noon in erthe is lyik hym; he is a symple man, and riytful, and dredynge God, and goynge awei fro yuel?

To whom Sathan answeride, Whether Joob dredith God veynli?

And whanne he spak yit, anothir cam, and seide, Fier of God cam doun fro heuene, and wastide scheep, and `children touchid; and Y aloone ascapide for to telle `to thee.

Thanne Joob roos, and to-rente hise clothis, and `with pollid heed he felde doun on the erthe, and worschipide God,

In alle these thingis Joob synnede not in hise lippis, nether spak ony fonned thing ayens God.

Forsothe it was doon, whanne in sum dai the sones of God `weren comun, and stoden bifor the Lord, and Sathan `was comun among hem, and stood in his siyt,

And the Lord seide to Sathan, Whethir thou hast biholde my seruaunt Joob, that noon in erthe is lijk hym; he is a symple man, and riytful, and dredynge God, and goynge awei fro yuel, and yit holdynge innocence? `But thou hast moued me ayens him, that `Y schulde turmente hym in veyn.

Forsothe his wijf seide to hym, Dwellist thou yit in thi symplenesse? Curse thou God, and die.

Thilke dai be turnede in to derknessis; God seke not it aboue, and be it not in mynde, nethir be it liytned with liyt.

Whi is liyt youun to a man, whos weie is hid, and God hath cumpassid hym with derknessis?

and repen tho, to haue perischid bi God blowynge, and to be wastid bi the spirit of his ire.

Whether a man schal be maad iust in comparisoun of God? ethir whethir a man schal be clennere than his Makere?

Wherfor Y schal biseche the Lord, and Y schal sette my speche to my God.

Certis God schal make saaf a nedi man fro the swerd of her mouth, and a pore man fro the hond of the violent, `ethir rauynour.

Who yyueth, that myn axyng come; and that God yyue to me that, that Y abide?

God, haue thou mynde, for my lijf is wynde, and myn iye schal not turne ayen, that it se goodis.