Job 14
1 “Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble.
A man is borun of a womman, and lyueth schort tyme, and is fillid with many wretchidnessis.
2 Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.
Which goith out, and is defoulid as a flour; and fleeth as schadewe, and dwellith neuere perfitli in the same staat.
3 Do You open Your eyes to one like this? Will You bring him into judgment before You?
And gessist thou it worthi to opene thin iyen on siche a man; and to brynge hym in to doom with thee?
4 Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one!
Who may make a man clene conseyued of vnclene seed? Whether not thou, which art aloone?
5 Since his days are determined and the number of his months is with You, and since You have set limits that he cannot exceed,
The daies of man ben schorte, the noumbre of his monethis is at thee; thou hast set, ethir ordeyned, hise termes, whiche moun not be passid.
6 look away from him and let him rest, so he can enjoy his day as a hired hand.
Therfor go thou awey fro hym a litil, `that is, bi withdrawyng of bodili lijf, that he haue reste; til the meede coueitid come, and his dai is as the dai of an hirid man.
7 For there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender shoots will not fail.
A tree hath hope, if it is kit doun; and eft it wexith greene, and hise braunches spreden forth.
8 If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the soil,
If the roote therof is eeld in the erthe, and the stok therof is nyy deed in dust;
9 at the scent of water it will bud and put forth twigs like a sapling.
it schal buriowne at the odour of watir, and it schal make heer, as whanne it was plauntid first.
10 But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?
But whanne a man is deed, and maad nakid, and wastid; Y preye, where is he?
11 As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry,
As if watris goen awei fro the see, and a ryuer maad voide wexe drie,
12 so a man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no more, he will not be awakened or roused from sleep.
so a man, whanne he hath slept, `that is, deed, he schal not rise ayen, til heuene be brokun, `that is, be maad newe; he schal not wake, nether he schal ryse togidere fro his sleep.
13 If only You would hide me in Sheol and conceal me until Your anger has passed! If only You would appoint a time for me and then remember me! (Sheol h7585)
Who yiueth this to me, that thou defende me in helle, and that thou hide me, til thi greet veniaunce passe; and thou sette to me a tyme, in which thou haue mynde on me? (Sheol h7585)
14 When a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, until my renewal comes.
Gessist thou, whethir a deed man schal lyue ayen? In alle the daies, in whiche Y holde knyythod, now Y abide, til my chaungyng come.
15 You will call, and I will answer; You will desire the work of Your hands.
Thou schalt clepe me, and Y schal answere thee; thou schalt dresse the riyt half, `that is, blis, to the werk of thin hondis.
16 For then You would count my steps, but would not keep track of my sin.
Sotheli thou hast noumbrid my steppis; but spare thou my synnes.
17 My transgression would be sealed in a bag, and You would cover over my iniquity.
Thou hast seelid as in a bagge my trespassis, but thou hast curid my wickidnesse.
18 But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and a rock is dislodged from its place,
An hil fallynge droppith doun; and a rooche of stoon is borun ouer fro his place.
19 as water wears away the stones and torrents wash away the soil, so You destroy a man’s hope.
Watris maken stoonys holowe, and the erthe is wastid litil and litil bi waischyng a wey of watir; and therfor thou schalt leese men in lijk maner.
20 You forever overpower him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away.
Thou madist a man strong a litil, that he schulde passe with outen ende; thou schalt chaunge his face, and schalt sende hym out.
21 If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware.
Whether hise sones ben noble, ether vnnoble, he schal not vndurstonde.
22 He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself.”
Netheles his fleisch, while he lyueth, schal haue sorewe, and his soule schal morne on hym silf.
