Job 7
1 “Is not a man forced to labor on earth? Are not his days like the days of a hired hand?
Knyythod is lijf of man on erthe, and his daies ben as the daies of an hired man.
2 As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, as a hireling who looks for his wages,
As an hert desireth schadowe, and as an hirede man abideth the ende of his werk;
3 so I am made to possess months of misery, wearisome nights are appointed to me.
so and Y hadde voide monethis, and Y noumbrede trauailous niytes to me.
4 When I lie down, I say, ‘When will I arise, and the night be gone?’ I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.
If Y schal slepe, Y schal seie, Whanne schal Y rise? and eft Y schal abide the euentid, and Y schal be fillid with sorewis `til to derknessis.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.
Mi fleisch is clothid with rot, and filthis of dust; my skyn driede vp, and is drawun togidere.
6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.
My daies passiden swiftliere thanne a web is kit doun `of a webstere; and tho daies ben wastid with outen ony hope.
7 Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye will no more see good.
God, haue thou mynde, for my lijf is wynde, and myn iye schal not turne ayen, that it se goodis.
8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no more. Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.
Nethir the siyt of man schal biholde me; but thin iyen ben in me, and Y schal not `be in deedli lijf.
9 As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol (Sheol h7585) will come up no more.
As a cloude is wastid, and passith, so he that goith doun to helle, schal not stie; (Sheol h7585)
10 He will return no more to his house, neither will his place know him any more.
nether schal turne ayen more in to his hows, and his place schal no more knowe hym.
11 “Therefore I will not keep silent. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
Wherfor and Y schal not spare my mouth; Y schal speke in the tribulacioun of my spirit, Y schal talke togidere with the bitternesse of my soule.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you put a guard over me?
Whether Y am the see, ethir a whal, for thou hast cumpassid me with prisoun?
13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me. My couch will ease my complaint,’
If Y seie, My bed schal coumfort me, and Y schal be releeuyd, spekynge with me in my bed;
14 then you scare me with dreams and terrify me through visions,
thou schalt make me aferd bi dremys, and thou schalt schake me with `orrour, ethir hidousnesse, `bi siytis.
15 so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones.
Wherfor my soule `chees hangyng, and my boonys cheesiden deth.
16 I loathe my life. I do not want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
`Y dispeiride, now Y schal no more lyue; Lord, spare thou me, for my daies ben nouyt.
17 What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him,
What is a man, for thou `magnifiest hym? ether what settist thou thin herte toward hym?
18 that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?
Thou visitist hym eerly, and sudeynli thou preuest hym.
19 How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?
Hou long sparist thou not me, nether suffrist me, that Y swolowe my spotele?
20 If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark for you, so that I am a burden to myself?
Y haue synned; A! thou kepere of men, what schal Y do to thee? Whi hast thou set me contrarie to thee, and Y am maad greuouse to my silf?
21 Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity? For now will I lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I will not be.”
Whi doist thou not awei my sinne, and whi takist thou not awei my wickidnesse? Lo! now Y schal slepe in dust, and if thou sekist me eerli, Y schal not abide.
