Job 31

Great^{(i) 1} I Made a couenaunt wt myne eyes that I wolde not loke vpon a damsell. ² For how great a porcion shall I haue of God? & what enheritaunce from the almightie on hie? ³ As for the vngodly and he that ioyneth him selfe to the company of wycked doers, shall not destruccion and misery come vpon him? ⁴ Doth not he se my wayes, and tell all my goinges? ⁵ If I haue walked in vanite, or yf my fete haue runne to disceaue: ⁶ let me be weyed in an euen balaunce, that God may se my innocency. ⁷ If so be that I haue withdrawne my fote out of the right waye, and yf my hert hath folowed mine eye sight? If I haue stained or defiled my handes? ⁸ then shal I sowe, and another eate, yee, my generacion and posterite shall be cleane roted out. ⁹ If my hert hath lusted after my neghboures wyffe, or yf I haue layde wayte at his dore? ¹⁰ O then let my wiffe grinde vnto another man and let other men lie with her. ¹¹ For this is a wickednesse and synne, that is worthy to be punisshed, ¹² yee, a fyre that vtterly shulde consume, and rote out all my substaunce. ¹³ Did I euer thinke scorne to do right vnto my seruauntes and maydens, when they had eny mater agaynst me? ¹⁴ But seinge that God will sytt in iudgment, what shall I do? And for so moch as he will nedes visett me, what answere shall I geue him? ¹⁵ He that fashioned me in my mothers wombe, made he not him also? were we not both shapena like in oure mothers bodies? ¹⁶ When the poore desired any thinge at me, haue I denied it them? Haue I caused the widdowe to stande waytinge for me in vayne? ¹⁷ Haue I eaten my porcion alone, that the fatherlesse hath had no parte with me? ¹⁸ for mercy grewe vp with me fro my youth, and compassion fro my mothers wombe. ¹⁹ Haue I sene any man perishe thorow nakednesse and want of clothinge? Or any poore man for lack of rayment, ²⁰ whose sydes thancked me not, because he was warmed with the wolle of my shepe? ²¹ Dyd I euer lyfte vp my hande to hurte the fatherlesse? yee, in the gate where I sawe my selfe to be in auctorite: ²² then let myne arme fall fro my shulder, and myne arme holes be broken from the ioyntes. ²³ For I haue euer feared the vengeaunce and punyshement of God, and knewe very well, that I was not able to beare hys burthen. ²⁴ Haue I put my trust in golde? Or haue I sayde to the fynest golde of all: thou arte my confidence? ²⁵ Haue I reioysed because my power was great, and because my hande gat so moche? ²⁶ Dyd I euer greatly regarde the rysynge of the sonne? or had I the goinge downe of the moone in greate reputacyon? ²⁷ Hath my hert medled priuely with any disceate? Or, dyd I euer kysse myne awne hande? ²⁸ that were a wyckednesse worthy to be punished, for then shulde I haue denyed the God that is aboue. ²⁹ Haue I euer reioysed at the hurte of myne enemy? Or was I euer glad, that any harme happened vnto him? Oh no. ³⁰ I neuer suffred my mouth to do soch a synne, as to wish him euell. ³¹ Dyd not the men of myne awne houshold saye: who shall let vs to haue oure belly full of his fleshe? ³² I haue not suffred a straunger to lye without, but I opened my dores vnto him, that went by the waye. ³³ Haue I kepte secrete my synne and hyd myne iniquite, as Adam dyd? ³⁴ Haue I feared any great multitude of people: or yf I had bene dispysed of the symple, O then shulde I haue bene afrayed. Thus haue I quyetly spent my lyfe, and not gone out at the dore. ³⁵ O that I had one which wolde heare me. Lo, this is my cause. In the which the almyghty shall answere for me: though he that is my contrary party, hath written a boke agaynst me. ³⁶ Yet wyll I take him vpon my shulder, and as a garlande about my head. ³⁷ I wyll tell him, the nomber of my goinges, and go vnto him as to a Prince. ³⁸ But yf case be that my lande crye agaynst me, or that the forowes therof make any complaynte: ³⁹ yf I haue eaten the frutes therof vnpayed for, yee yf I haue greued any of the plowmen: ⁴⁰ then let thystles growe in steade of my wheate, & cockle for my barleye. Here ende the wordes of Iob: