Textus Receptus Bibles
Matthew's Bible 1537
| 31:1 | I made a couenaunt with mine eyes, that I woulde not loke vpon a damosell. |
| 31:2 | For how great a porcion shal I haue of God from aboue? & what enheritaunce from the almyghty on hye? |
| 31:3 | As for the vngodly & he that ioyneth hym selfe to the company of wycked doers shall not destruccion & misery come vpon him? |
| 31:4 | Doeth not he se my wayes, and tell all my goynges. |
| 31:5 | Yf I haue cleaued vnto vanitie or yf my fete haue runne to disceyue: |
| 31:6 | let me be weyed in an euen balaunce that God may se my innocency. |
| 31:7 | Yf so be that I haue with drawne my fote out of the right waye, yf my herte hath folowed myne eye syght, yf I haue stayned or defyled my handes. |
| 31:8 | O then it is reason that I sowe, and another eate, yea that my generacion & posterite be cleane roted oute. |
| 31:9 | Yf my hert hath lusted after my neyghboures wyfe, or yf I haue layd wayte at his dore. |
| 31:10 | O then let my wyfe be another mans harlot, and let other lye wt her. |
| 31:11 | For this is a wickeduesse and synne, that is worthy to be punished, |
| 31:12 | yea a fyre that vtterly shoulde consume, and rote oute all my substaunce. |
| 31:13 | Dyd I euer thinke scorne to do right vnto my seruauntes and maydens, when they had any matter against me. |
| 31:14 | But seynge that God will syt in iudgement what shall I do? And for so muche as he will nedes vpset me, what answere shall I geue hym? |
| 31:15 | He that fashioned me in my mothers womb, made he not him also? were we not bothe shapen alyke in oure mothers bodyes? |
| 31:16 | When the poore desyreth any thinge at me, haue I denyed it them? Haue I caused the wyddowe stande wayting for me in vayne? |
| 31:17 | Haue I eaten my porcyon alone, that the fatherlesse hath had no parte wyth me? |
| 31:18 | for mercy grewe vp with me from my youth, and compassion from my mothers wombe. |
| 31:19 | Haue I sene any man perysh thorow nakednesse and want of clothinge? Or any poore man for lack of rayment, |
| 31:20 | whose sydes thancked me not, because he was warmed wt the wolle of my shepe? |
| 31:21 | Dyd I euer lyfce vp my hande to hurte the fatherlesse? yea in the gate where I sawe my selfe to be in auctoryte: |
| 31:22 | then let myne arme fall from my shoulder, and myne arme holes be broken from the yoyutes. |
| 31:23 | For I haue euer feared the vengeaunce & punishement of God, & knew very wel, that I was no able to beare his burthen. |
| 31:24 | Haue I put my truste in goulde? Or haue I sayde to the fynest gould of all: thou art my confidence? |
| 31:25 | Haue I reioysed because my substaunce was great, and because my hande gat so muche? |
| 31:26 | Dyd I euer greatly regard the rysynge of the sunne? or had I the goyng doune of the mone in greate reputacyon? |
| 31:27 | Hath my hert medled priuely wt any disceyte? Or dyd I euer kisse mine owne hande? |
| 31:28 | that were a wyckednesse worthy to be punished, for then I shoulde haue denyed the God that is aboue. |
| 31:29 | Haue I euer reioysed at the hurte of myne enemy? Or whas I euer glad, that any harme happened vnto hym? Oh no. |
| 31:30 | I neuer suffred my mouth to do such a synne, as to wyshe hym euyll. |
| 31:31 | Yet they of mine owne housholde saye: who shall let vs to haue oure belly full of hys fleshe? |
| 31:32 | I haue not suffred a straunger to lye withoute, but opened my dores vnto him. |
| 31:33 | Haue I euer done any wicked dede where thorow I shamed my selfe before men: or any abhominacion, that I was fayne to hyde it? |
| 31:34 | For yf I had feared any greate multitude of people, or yf I had bene dispysed of the symple, O then shoulde I haue bene afrayed. Thus haue I quyetly spent my life, and not gone oute at the dore. |
| 31:35 | O that I had one whiche woulde heare me. Lo, this is my cause. Let the almighty geue me answere: and let hym that is my contrary party, sue me with a lybell. |
| 31:36 | Then shal I take it vpon my shoulder, & as a garlande about my heade. |
| 31:37 | I haue tolde the nombre of my goynges & delyuered them vnto hym as to a Prynce. |
| 31:38 | But yf case be that my lande crye againste me, or that the forowes therof make any complainte: |
| 31:39 | yf I haue eaten the frutes therof vnpaied for, yea yf I haue greued any of the plow men: |
| 31:40 | then let thystles growe in steade of my wheate, and thornes for my barleye. Here ende the wordes of Iob. |
Matthew's Bible 1537
The Matthew Bible, also known as Matthew's Version, was first published in 1537 by John Rogers, under the pseudonym "Thomas Matthew". It combined the New Testament of William Tyndale, and as much of the Old Testament as he had been able to translate before being captured and put to death, with the translations of Myles Coverdale as to the balance of the Old Testament and the Apocrypha, except the Apocryphal Prayer of Manasses. It is thus a vital link in the main sequence of English Bible translations.