Job’s Final Appeal

1I made a couenaunt wt myne eyes, yt I wolde not loke vpo a dasell.

2For how greate a porcio shal I haue of God fro aboue? & what enheritauce fro ye Almightie on hie?

3As for the vngodly & he yt ioyneth himself to ye copani of wicked doers shal not destruccion & misery came vpon him?

4Doth not he se my wayes, & tell all my goinges?

5Yf I haue cleued vnto vanite, or yf my fete haue runne to disceaue:

6let me be weyed in an eauen balaunce, that God maye se my innocency.

7Yf so be that I haue withdrawen my fote out of the right waye, yf my hert hath folowed myne eyesight, yf I haue stayned or defyled my hodes:

8O then is it reason that I sowe, and another eate: yee that my generacion and posterite be clene roted out.

9Yf my hert hath lusted after my neghbours wife, or yf I haue layed wayte at his dore:

10O then let my wife be another mans harlot, and let other lye with her.

11For this is a wickednesse and synne, that is worthy to be punyshed,

12yee a fyre that vtterly shulde consume, & rote out all my substaunce.

13Dyd I euer thynke scorne to do right vnto my seruautes and maydens, when they had eny matter agaynst me?

14But seynge that God wil sytt in iudgment, what shal I do? And for so moch as he wil nedes vyset me, what answere shal I geue him?

15He that fashioned me in my mothers wombe, made he not him also? were we not both shappen alyke in oure mothers bodies?

16When the poore desyred enythinge at me, haue I denyed it them? Haue I caused ye wyddowe stonde waytinge for me in vayne?

17Haue I eaten my porcion alone, that the fatherles hath had no parte with me?

18(for mercy grewe vp with me fro my youth, & compassion fro my mothers wombe.)

19Haue I sene eny man perish thorow nakednes & want of clothinge? Or, eny poore man for lack of rayment,

20whose sydes thanked me not, because he was warmed wt ye woll of my shepe?

21Dyd I euer lyft vp my honde to hurte the fatherlesse? Yee in the gate where I sawe my self to be in auctorite:

22The let myne arme fall fro my shulder, & myne arme holes be broken from the ioyntes.

23For I haue euer feared ye vengeaunce & punyshmet of God, & knew very well, yt I was not able to beare his burthe.

24Haue I put my trust in golde? Or, haue I sayde to the fynest golde of all: thou art my cofidence?

25Haue I reioysed because my substaunce was greate, and because my honde gat so moch?

26Dyd I euer greatly regarde the rysinge of the Sonne? Or, had I the goinge downe of ye Moone in greate reputacion?

27Hath my hert medled priuely wt eny disceate? Or, dyd I euer kysse myne owne honde

28(that were a wickednesse worthy to be punyshed, for then shulde I haue denyed the God that is aboue.)

29Haue I euer reioysed at the hurte of myne enemy? Or, was I euer glad, yt eny harme happened vnto him? Oh no,

30I neuer suffred my mouth to do soch a sinne, as to wysh him euell.

31Yet they of myne owne housholde saye: who shal let vs, to haue oure bely ful of his flesh?

32I haue not suffred a straunger to lye wt out, but opened my dores vnto him.

33Haue I euer done eny wicked dede where thorow I shamed my self before men: Or eny abhominacion, yt I was fayne to hyde it?

34For yf I had feared eny greate multitude of people: Or yf I had bene dispysed of ye symple, Oh then shulde I haue bene afrayed. Thus haue I quyetly spent my lyfe, and not gone out at ye dore.

35O that I had one which wolde heare me. Lo, this is my cause. Let ye Allmightie geue me answere: & let him that is my cotrary party, sue me with a lybell.

36Then shall I take it vpon my shulder, & as a garlade aboute my heade.

37I haue tolde the nombre of my goinges, and delyuered them vnto him as to a prynce.

38But yf case be that my londe crie agaynst me, or yt the forowes therof make eny complaynte:

39yf I haue eaten the frutes therof vnpayed for, yee yf I haue greued eny of the plow men:

40Than, let thistles growe in steade of my wheate, & thornes for my barlye.Here ende the wordes of Iob.