Job’s Former Blessings

1So Iob proceaded and wete forth in his communicacion, sayenge:

2O yt I were as I was in the monethes by past, & in the dayes whe God preserued me:

3when his light shyned vpon my heade: whe I wente after the same light & shyne eue thorow the darcknesse.

4As it stode wt me, whe I was welthy & had ynough: whe God prospered my house:

5when the allmightie was with me: when my housholde folkes stode aboute me:

6whe my wayes ranne ouer wt butter, & when the stony rockes gaue me ryuers of oyle:

7when I wente thorow the cite vnto the gate, & whe they set me a chayre in ye strete:

8whe the yonge me (as soone as they sawe me) hyd the selues, & when the aged arose, & stode vp vnto me:

9whe the princes left of their talkinge, & laied their hade to their mouth:

10whe the mightie kepte still their voyce, and whe their tonges cleued to the rofe of their mouthes.

11When all they yt herde me, called me happie: & when all they yt sawe me, wysshed me good.

12For I delyuered ye poore whe he cried, & the fatherlesse yt wanted helpe.

13He yt shulde haue bene lost, gaue me a good worde, & ye widdowes hert praised me.

14And why? I put vpon me rightuousnes, which couered me as a garmet, & equite was my crowne.

15I was an eye vnto the blynde, & a fote to the lame.

16I was a father vnto the poore, & whe I knew not their cause, I sought it out diligetly.

17I brake the chaftes of ye vnrightuous, & plucte the spoyle out of their teth.

18Therfore, I thought verely, yt I shulde haue dyed in my nest: & yt my dayes shulde haue bene as many as the sondes of the see.

19For my rote was spred out by the waters syde, & the dew laye vpo my corne.

20My honor encreased more & more, and my bowe was euer the stronger in my hande.

21Vnto me men gaue eare, me they regarded, & wt sylence they taried for my coucell.

22Yf I had spoken, they wolde haue it none other wayes, my wordes were so well taken amonge the.

23They wayted for me, as the earth doth for the rayne: & gaped vpon me, as the groude doth to receaue the latter shower.

24When I laughed, they knew well it was not earnest: & this testimony of my coutenaunce pleased the nothinge at all.

25When I agreed vnto their waye, I was the chefe, & sat as a kynge amonge his seruauntes: Or as one that comforteth soch as be in heuynesse.