Textus Receptus Bibles
The Great Bible 1539
| 31:1 | I Made a couenaunt wt myne eyes that I wolde not loke vpon a damsell. |
| 31:2 | For how great a porcion shall I haue of God? & what enheritaunce from the almightie on hie? |
| 31:3 | As for the vngodly and he that ioyneth him selfe to the company of wycked doers, shall not destruccion and misery come vpon him? |
| 31:4 | Doth not he se my wayes, and tell all my goinges? |
| 31:5 | If I haue walked in vanite, or yf my fete haue runne to disceaue: |
| 31:6 | let me be weyed in an euen balaunce, that God may se my innocency. |
| 31:7 | If so be that I haue withdrawne my fote out of the right waye, and yf my hert hath folowed mine eye sight? If I haue stained or defiled my handes? |
| 31:8 | then shal I sowe, and another eate, yee, my generacion and posterite shall be cleane roted out. |
| 31:9 | If my hert hath lusted after my neghboures wyffe, or yf I haue layde wayte at his dore? |
| 31:10 | O then let my wiffe grinde vnto another man and let other men lie with her. |
| 31:11 | For this is a wickednesse and synne, that is worthy to be punisshed, |
| 31:12 | yee, a fyre that vtterly shulde consume, and rote out all my substaunce. |
| 31:13 | Did I euer thinke scorne to do right vnto my seruauntes and maydens, when they had eny mater agaynst me? |
| 31:14 | But seinge that God will sytt in iudgment, what shall I do? And for so moch as he will nedes visett me, what answere shall I geue him? |
| 31:15 | He that fashioned me in my mothers wombe, made he not him also? were we not both shapena like in oure mothers bodies? |
| 31:16 | When the poore desired any thinge at me, haue I denied it them? Haue I caused the widdowe to stande waytinge for me in vayne? |
| 31:17 | Haue I eaten my porcion alone, that the fatherlesse hath had no parte with me? |
| 31:18 | for mercy grewe vp with me fro my youth, and compassion fro my mothers wombe. |
| 31:19 | Haue I sene any man perishe 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 with the wolle of my shepe? |
| 31:21 | Dyd I euer lyfte vp my hande to hurte the fatherlesse? yee, in the gate where I sawe my selfe to be in auctorite: |
| 31:22 | then let myne arme fall fro my shulder, and myne arme holes be broken from the ioyntes. |
| 31:23 | For I haue euer feared the vengeaunce and punyshement of God, and knewe very well, that I was not able to beare hys burthen. |
| 31:24 | Haue I put my trust in golde? Or haue I sayde to the fynest golde of all: thou arte my confidence? |
| 31:25 | Haue I reioysed because my power was great, and because my hande gat so moche? |
| 31:26 | Dyd I euer greatly regarde the rysynge of the sonne? or had I the goinge downe of the moone in greate reputacyon? |
| 31:27 | Hath my hert medled priuely with any disceate? Or, dyd I euer kysse myne awne hande? |
| 31:28 | that were a wyckednesse worthy to be punished, for then shulde I haue denyed the God that is aboue. |
| 31:29 | Haue I euer reioysed at the hurte of myne enemy? Or was I euer glad, that any harme happened vnto him? Oh no. |
| 31:30 | I neuer suffred my mouth to do soch a synne, as to wish him euell. |
| 31:31 | Dyd not the men of myne awne houshold saye: who shall let vs to haue oure belly full of his fleshe? |
| 31:32 | I haue not suffred a straunger to lye without, but I opened my dores vnto him, that went by the waye. |
| 31:33 | Haue I kepte secrete my synne and hyd myne iniquite, as Adam dyd? |
| 31:34 | Haue I feared any great multitude of people: or yf I had bene dispysed of the symple, O then shulde I haue bene afrayed. Thus haue I quyetly spent my lyfe, and not gone out at the dore. |
| 31:35 | O that I had one which wolde heare me. Lo, this is my cause. In the which the almyghty shall answere for me: though he that is my contrary party, hath written a boke agaynst me. |
| 31:36 | Yet wyll I take him vpon my shulder, and as a garlande about my head. |
| 31:37 | I wyll tell him, the nomber of my goinges, and go vnto him as to a Prince. |
| 31:38 | But yf case be that my lande crye agaynst me, or that the forowes therof make any complaynte: |
| 31:39 | yf I haue eaten the frutes therof vnpayed for, yee yf I haue greued any of the plowmen: |
| 31:40 | then let thystles growe in steade of my wheate, & cockle for my barleye. Here ende the wordes of Iob: |
The Great Bible 1539
The Great Bible of 1539 was the first authorized edition of the Bible in English, authorized by King Henry VIII of England to be read aloud in the church services of the Church of England. The Great Bible was prepared by Myles Coverdale, working under commission of Thomas, Lord Cromwell, Secretary to Henry VIII and Vicar General. In 1538, Cromwell directed the clergy to provide "one book of the bible of the largest volume in English, and the same set up in some convenient place within the said church that ye have care of, whereas your parishioners may most commodiously resort to the same and read it."