he should soon forsake thee.  Thou hast blest the work of his hands, and his possession is increased much in the earth, but stretch out thy hand a little, and touch all that he hath in possession, and he shall soon grudge and not bless thee.  Then said our Lord to Satan:  Lo! all that which he owneth and hath in possession, I will it be in thy hand and power, but on his person ne body set not thy hand.  Satan departed and went from the face of our Lord.  On a day as his sons and daughters ate, and drank wine, in the house of the oldest brother, there came a messenger to Job which said:  The oxen eared in the plough and the ass pastured in the pasture by them, and the men of Sabea ran on them, and smote thy servants, and slew them with sword, and I only escaped for to come and to show it to thee.  And whiles he spake came another and said:  The fire of God fell down from heaven and hath burned thy sheep and servants and consumed them, and I only escaped for to come and show it to thee.  And yet whiles he spake came another and said:  The Chaldees made three hosts and have enveigled thy camels and taken them, and have slain thy servants with sword, and I only escaped for to bring thee word.  And yet he speaking another entered in and said:  Thy sons and daughters, drinking wine in the house of thy first begotten son, suddenly came a vehement wind from the region of desert and smote the four corners of the house, which falling oppressed thy children, and they be all dead, and I only fled for to tell it to thee.  Then Job arose, and cut his coat, and did do shave his head, and falling down to the ground, worshipped and adored God, saying:  I am come out naked from the womb of my mother and naked shall return again thereto.  Our Lord hath given and our Lord hath taken away, as it hath pleased our Lord, so it is done, the name of our Lord be blessed.  In all these things Job sinned not with his lips, ne spake nothing follily against our Lord, but took it all patiently.

After this it was so that on a certain day when the children of God stood tofore our Lord, Satan came and stood among them, and God said to him:  Whence comest thou?  To whom Satan answered:  I have gone round the earth, and walked through it.  And God said to Satan, Hast thou not considered my servant Job that there is no man like him in the earth, a man simple, rightful, dreading God, and going from evil, and yet retaining his innocency?  Thou hast moved me against him that I should put him to affliction without cause.  To whom Satan said:  Skin for skin, and all that ever a man hath he shall give for his soul.  Nevertheless, stretch thine hand and touch his mouth and his flesh, and thou shalt see that he shall not bless thee.  Then said God to Satan:  I will well that his body be in thine hand, but save his soul and his life.  Then Satan departed from the face of our Lord and smote Job with the worst blotches and blains from the plant of his foot, unto the top of his head, which was made like