Job 38
1 Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Forsothe the Lord answeride fro the whirlewynd to Joob,
2 Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
and seide, Who is this man, wlappynge sentences with vnwise wordis?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man, for I will demand of thee, and declare thou to me.
Girde thou as a man thi leendis; Y schal axe thee, and answere thou to me.
4 Where were thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou have understanding.
Where were thou, whanne Y settide the foundementis of erthe? schewe thou to me, if thou hast vndurstondyng.
5 Who determined the measures of it, if thou know? Or who stretched the line upon it?
Who settide mesures therof, if thou knowist? ethir who stretchide forth a lyne theronne?
6 Upon what were the foundations of it fastened? Or who laid the cornerstone of it
On what thing ben the foundementis therof maad fast? ether who sente doun the corner stoon therof,
7 when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
whanne the morew sterris herieden me togidere, and alle the sones of God sungun ioyfuli?
8 Or who shut up the sea with doors when it broke forth, like it had issued out of the womb,
Who closide togidere the see with doris, whanne it brak out comynge forth as of the wombe?
9 when I made clouds the garment of it, and thick darkness a swaddling-band for it,
Whanne Y settide a cloude the hilyng therof, and Y wlappide it with derknesse, as with clothis of yong childhed.
10 and marked out for it my bound, and set bars and doors,
Y cumpasside it with my termes, and Y settide a barre, and doris;
11 and said, This far thou shall come, but no farther, and here thy proud waves shall be stayed?
and Y seide, `Til hidur thou schalt come, and thou schalt not go forth ferthere; and here thou schalt breke togidere thi bolnynge wawis.
12 Have thou commanded the morning since thy days began, and caused the dayspring to know its place
Whethir aftir thi birthe thou comaundist to the bigynnyng of dai, and schewidist to the morewtid his place?
13 that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it?
Whethir thou heldist schakynge togidere the laste partis of erthe, and schakedist awei wickid men therfro?
14 It is changed as clay under the seal, and all things stand forth as a garment.
A seeling schal be restorid as cley, and it schal stonde as a cloth.
15 And from the wicked their light is withheld, and the high arm is broken.
The liyt of wickid men schal be takun awey fro hem, and an hiy arm schal be brokun.
16 Have thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or have thou walked in the recesses of the deep?
Whethir thou entridist in to the depthe of the see, and walkidist in the laste partis of the occian?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to thee? Or have thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?
Whether the yatis of deeth ben openyd to thee, and `siest thou the derk doris?
18 Have thou comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if thou know it all.
Whethir thou hast biholde the brede of erthe? Schewe thou to me, if thou knowist alle thingis,
19 Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And as for darkness, where is the place of it
in what weie the liyt dwellith, and which is the place of derknesse;
20 that thou should take it to the bound of it, and that thou should discern the paths to the house of it?
that thou lede ech thing to hise termes, and thou vndurstonde the weies of his hows.
21 Thou know, for thou were born then, and the number of thy days is great!
Wistist thou thanne, that thou schuldist be borun, and knew thou the noumbre of thi daies?
22 Have thou entered the treasuries of the snow, or have thou seen the treasures of the hail,
Whethir thou entridist in to the tresours of snow, ether biheldist thou the tresours of hail?
23 which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
whiche thingis Y made redy in to the tyme of an enemy, in to the dai of fiytyng and of batel.
24 By what way is the light divided, or the east wind scattered upon the earth?
Bi what weie is the liyt spred abrood, heete is departid on erthe?
25 Who has cleft a channel for the water flood, or the way for the lightning of the thunder,
Who yaf cours to the strongeste reyn,
26 to cause it to rain on a land where no man is, on the wilderness, in which there is no man,
and weie of the thundur sownynge? That it schulde reyne on the erthe with out man in desert, where noon of deedli men dwellith?
27 to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, and to cause the tender grass to spring forth?
That it schulde fille a lond with out weie and desolat, and schulde brynge forth greene eerbis?
28 Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
Who is fadir of reyn, ether who gendride the dropis of deew?
29 Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoary frost of heaven, who has engendered it?
Of whos wombe yede out iys, and who gendride frost fro heuene?
30 The waters hide themselves and become like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
Watris ben maad hard in the licnesse of stoon, and the ouer part of occian is streyned togidere.
31 Can thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
Whether thou schalt mowe ioyne togidere schynynge sterris Pliades, ethir thou schalt mowe distrie the cumpas of Arturis?
32 Can thou lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? Or can thou guide the Bear with her train?
Whether thou bryngist forth Lucifer, `that is, dai sterre, in his tyme, and makist euene sterre to rise on the sones of erthe?
33 Do thou know the ordinances of the heavens? Can thou establish the dominion of it on the earth?
Whether thou knowist the ordre of heuene, and schalt sette the resoun therof in erthe?
34 Can thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
Whethir thou schalt reise thi vois in to a cloude, and the fersnesse of watris schal hile thee?
35 Can thou send forth lightnings, that they may go, and say to thee, Here we are?
Whethir thou schalt sende leitis, and tho schulen go, and tho schulen turne ayen, and schulen seie to thee, We ben present?
36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind?
Who puttide wisdoom in the entrailis of man, ethir who yaf vndurstondyng to the cok?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven
Who schal telle out the resoun of heuenes, and who schal make acordyng of heuene to sleep?
38 when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods cleave fast together?
Whanne dust was foundid in the erthe, and clottis weren ioyned togidere?
39 Can thou hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions
Whether thou schalt take prey to the lionesse, and schalt fille the soulis of hir whelpis,
40 when they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
whanne tho liggen in caues, and aspien in dennes?
41 Who provides for the raven his prey when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food?
Who makith redi for the crowe his mete, whanne hise briddis crien to God, and wandren aboute, for tho han not meetis?
