¹ Then Iob answered, and sayd,

² I knowe verily that it is so: for howe should man compared vnto God, be iustified?

³ If I would dispute with him, hee could not answere him one thing of a thousand.

⁴ He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath bene fierce against him and hath prospered?

⁵ He remoueth the mountaines, and they feele not when he ouerthroweth them in his wrath.

⁶ Hee remooueth the earth out of her place, that the pillars thereof doe shake.

⁷ He commandeth the sunne, and it riseth not: hee closeth vp the starres, as vnder a signet.

⁸ Hee himselfe alone spreadeth out the heauens, and walketh vpon the height of the sea.

⁹ He maketh the starres Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the climates of the South.

¹⁰ He doeth great things, and vnsearcheable: yea, marueilous things without nomber.

¹¹ Lo, when he goeth by me, I see him not: and when he passeth by, I perceiue him not.

¹² Behold, when he taketh a pray, who can make him to restore it? who shall say vnto him, What doest thou?

¹³ God will not withdrawe his anger, and the most mightie helpes doe stoupe vnder him.

¹⁴ Howe much lesse shall I answere him? or howe should I finde out my words with him?

¹⁵ For though I were iust, yet could I not answere, but I would make supplication to my Iudge.

¹⁶ If I cry, and he answere me, yet woulde I not beleeue, that he heard my voyce.

¹⁷ For he destroyeth mee with a tempest, and woundeth me without cause.

¹⁸ He wil not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitternesse.

¹⁹ If we speake of strength, behold, he is strog: if we speake of iudgement, who shall bring me in to pleade?

²⁰ If I woulde iustifie my selfe, mine owne mouth shall condemne mee: if I would be perfite, he shall iudge me wicked.

²¹ Though I were perfite, yet I knowe not my soule: therefore abhorre I my life.

²² This is one point: therefore I said, Hee destroyeth the perfite and the wicked.

²³ If the scourge should suddenly slay, should God laugh at the punishment of the innocent?

²⁴ The earth is giuen into the hand of ye wicked: he couereth the faces of the iudges therof: if not, where is he? or who is he?

²⁵ My dayes haue bene more swift then a post: they haue fled, and haue seene no good thing.

²⁶ They are passed as with the most swift ships, and as the eagle that flyeth to the pray.

²⁷ If I say, I wil forget my complaynt, I will cease from my wrath, and comfort mee,

²⁸ Then I am afrayd of all my sorowes, knowing that thou wilt not iudge me innocent.

²⁹ If I be wicked, why labour I thus in vaine?

³⁰ If I wash my selfe with snowe water, and purge mine hands most cleane,

³¹ Yet shalt thou plunge mee in the pit, and mine owne clothes shall make me filthie.

³² For he is not a man as I am, that I shoulde answere him, if we come together to iudgement.

³³ Neyther is there any vmpire that might lay his hand vpon vs both.

³⁴ Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his feare astonish me:

³⁵ Then will I speake, and feare him not: but because I am not so, I holde me still.