there is not the like to him in the earth, a man simple, and right, and fearing God, and departing from euil? 9To whom Satan answering, said: Why, doth Iob feare God in vayne? 10hast not thou sensed him, and his house, and al his substance round about, blessed the works of his handes, and his possession hath increased on the earth? 11But stretch forth thy hand a litle, and touch al thinges that he possesseth, vnlesse he blesse thee in the face. 12Our Lord therfore sayd to Satan: [1] behold, al things that he hath, are in thy hand, onlie vpon him extend not thy hand. And Satan went forth from the face of our Lord. 13And when vpon a certaine day his sonnes and daughters did eate, and drinke wine in the house of their eldest brother, 14there came a messenger to Iob, which sayd: The oxen plowghed, and the she-asses fed beside them, 15and the Sabeians came in violently, and haue taken al things, and haue strucken the seruants with the sword, and I onlie haue escaped to tel thee. 16And when he yet spake, an other came, and sayd: The fire of God fel from heauen, and striking the sheep and the seruants hath consumed them, and I only haue escaped to tel thee. 17But whiles he also was yet speaking, there came an other and said: The Chaldees made three troupes, and haue inuaded the camels, and taken them, moreouer the seruantes also they haue strucken with the sword, and I alone am fled to tel thee. 18He yet spake, and behold an other came in, and said: Thy sonnes and daughters eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother, 19sodainly a vehement winde came violently from the countrie of the desert, and shooke the foure corners of the house, which falling oppressed thy children and they are dead, and I alone haue escaped to tel thee. 20Then Iob rose vp, and rent his garments, & with powled head falling on the ground, adored, 21and said: [2] Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, and naked shal I returne thither: Our Lord gaue, and our Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased our Lord, so is it done: the name of our Lord be blessed. 22In al these things Iob sinned not with his lippes, neither spake he anie foolish thing against God.
ANNOTATIONS.
CHAP. I.
As wel Iob as other Prophets writ their owne actes and prayses.
Good works are both Gods works & mens works.1. Simple, right, and fearing God.) Moyses, Samuel, Esdras, and other Prophets writ there owne actes among others, also their owne prayses, speaking of themselues in the third person, and so did holie Iob, humbly, truly, and simply, without vayne glorie, or arrogancie, as S. Gregorie noteth, saying: Præfat in Iob.Blessed Iob, inspired with the Holie Ghost, might wel write his owne actes, which were the guifts of supernal inspiration. God being the principal cause efficient of al good mens workes, and men the secondarie cause of the same.
