Job: God Will Punish the Wicked

1Iob aunswered, and saide:

2O heare diligently my wordes, and that shalbe in steede of your consolations,

3Suffer me that I may speake, and when I haue spoken mocke on.

4Is it for mans sake that I make this disputation? Which if it were so, shoulde not my spirite then be in sore trouble?

5Marke me well and be abashed, and lay your hande vpon your mouth.

6For when I consider my selfe I am afrayde, and my fleshe is smitten with feare.

7Wherefore do wicked men liue, come to their olde age, and increase in richesse?

8Their children lyue in their sight, and their generation before their eyes.

9Their houses are safe from all feare, and the rod of God is not vpon them.

10Their bullocke gendreth and that not out of time, their cowe calueth and is not vnfruitfull.

11They sende foorth their children by flockes, & their sonnes leade the daunce.

12They beare with them tabrets and harpes, and reioyce in the sounde of the organs.

13They spend their dayes in wealthines, but sodainely they go downe to the graue.

14They say also vnto God: Go from vs, we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes.

15Who is the almightie that we should serue him? And what profite should we haue if we should pray vnto him?

16Lo, there is vtterly no goodnesse in their hande, therefore wyll I not haue to do with the counsaile of the vngodly.

17How oft shall the candell of the wicked be put out, and their destruction come vpon them? O what sorowe shall God geue them for their part in his wrath?

18Yea, they shalbe euen as hay before the winde, and as chaffe that the storme carieth away.

19God wyll lay vp the sorowe of the father for his children: & when he rewardeth him, he shall know it.

20Their owne miserie shal they see with their eyes, and drinke of the fearefull wrath of the almightie.

21For what careth he for his house after his death, when the number of his monethes is cut short?

22Seeing God hath the highest power of all, who can teache him any knowledge?

23One dyeth in his full strength, being in all ease and prosperitie,

24His breastes are full of milke, and his bones runne full of marowe.

25Another dyeth in the bitternes of his soule, and neuer eateth with pleasure.

26They shall sleepe both alyke in the earth, and the wormes shall couer them.

27Beholde, I know what ye thinke, yea and the subtiltie that ye imagine against me.

28For ye say where is the princes palace? and where is the dwelling of the vngodly?

29Haue ye not asked them that go by the way? Doubtlesse ye cannot denie their tokens,

30That the wicked is kept vnto the day of destruction, and the vngodly shalbe brought foorth to the day of wrath.

31Who dare declare his way to his face? who wil rewarde him for that he doth?

32Yet shall he be brought to his graue, and dwell among the heape of the dead.

33Then shal the slymie valley be sweet vnto him, all men also must folowe him, as there are innumerable gone before him.

34Howe vayne then is the comfort that ye geue me, seyng falshood remayneth in all your aunsweres?