Job 15
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
2 “Does a wise man answer with empty counsel or fill his belly with the hot east wind?
Whether a wise man schal answere, as spekynge ayens the wynd, and schal fille his stomac with brennyng, `that is, ire?
3 Should he argue with useless words or speeches that serve no purpose?
For thou repreuest hym bi wordis, which is not lijk thee, and thou spekist that, that spedith not to thee.
4 But you even undermine the fear of God and hinder meditation before Him.
As myche as is in thee, thou hast avoidid drede; and thou hast take awey preyeris bifor God.
5 For your iniquity instructs your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
For wickidnesse hath tauyt thi mouth, and thou suest the tunge of blasfemeris.
6 Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you; your own lips testify against you.
Thi tunge, and not Y, schal condempne thee, and thi lippis schulen answere thee.
7 Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills?
Whether thou art borun the firste man, and art formed bifor alle little hillis?
8 Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself?
Whether thou herdist the counsel of God, and his wisdom is lower than thou?
9 What do you know that we do not? What do you understand that is not clear to us?
What thing knowist thou, whiche we knowen not? What thing vndurstondist thou, whiche we witen not?
10 Both the gray-haired and the aged are on our side— men much older than your father.
Bothe wise men and elde, myche eldre than thi fadris, ben among vs.
11 Are the consolations of God not enough for you, even words spoken gently to you?
Whether it is greet, that God coumforte thee? But thi schrewid wordis forbeden this.
12 Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash,
What reisith thin herte thee, and thou as thenkynge grete thingis hast iyen astonyed?
13 as you turn your spirit against God and pour such words from your mouth?
What bolneth thi spirit ayens God, that thou brynge forth of thi mouth siche wordis?
14 What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
What is a man, that he be with out wem, and that he borun of a womman appere iust?
15 If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes,
Lo! noon among hise seyntis is vnchaungable, and heuenes ben not cleene in his siyt.
16 how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water?
How myche more a man abhomynable and vnprofitable, that drynkith wickidnesse as water?
17 Listen to me and I will inform you. I will describe what I have seen,
I schal schewe to thee, here thou me; Y schal telle to thee that, that Y siy.
18 what was declared by wise men and was not concealed from their fathers,
Wise men knoulechen, and hiden not her fadris.
19 to whom alone the land was given when no foreigner passed among them.
To whiche aloone the erthe is youun, and an alien schal not passe bi hem.
20 A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; only a few years are reserved for the ruthless.
A wickid man is proud in alle hise daies; and the noumbre of hise yeeris and of his tirauntrie is vncerteyn.
21 Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.
The sown of drede is euere in hise eeris, and whanne pees is, he supposith euere tresouns.
22 He despairs of his return from darkness; he is marked for the sword.
He bileueth not that he may turne ayen fro derknessis to liyt; and biholdith aboute on ech side a swerd.
23 He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand.
Whanne he stirith hym to seke breed, he woot, that the dai of derknessis is maad redi in his hond.
24 Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack.
Tribulacioun schal make hym aferd, and angwisch schal cumpas hym, as a kyng which is maad redi to batel.
25 For he has stretched out his hand against God and has vaunted himself against the Almighty,
For he helde forth his hond ayens God, and he was maad strong ayens Almyyti God.
26 rushing headlong at Him with a thick, studded shield.
He ran with neck reisid ayens God, and he was armed with fat nol.
27 Though his face is covered with fat and his waistline bulges with flesh,
Fatnesse, that is, pride `comyng forth of temporal aboundaunce, hilide his face, `that is, the knowyng of vndurstondyng, and outward fatnesse hangith doun of his sidis.
28 he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become rubble.
He schal dwelle in desolat citees, and in deseert, `ethir forsakun, housis, that ben turned in to biriels.
29 He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land.
He schal not be maad riche, nether his catel schal dwelle stidefastli; nether he schal sende his roote in the erthe,
30 He will not escape from the darkness; the flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God’s mouth will carry him away.
nether he schal go awei fro derknessis. Flawme schal make drie hise braunchis, and he schal be takun a wey bi the spirit of his mouth.
31 Let him not deceive himself with trust in emptiness, for emptiness will be his reward.
Bileue he not veynli disseyued bi errour, that he schal be ayenbouyt bi ony prijs.
32 It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not flourish.
Bifor that hise daies ben fillid, he schal perische, and hise hondis schulen wexe drye;
33 He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.
he schal be hirt as a vyne in the firste flour of his grape, and as an olyue tre castinge awei his flour.
34 For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
For the gaderyng togidere of an ipocrite is bareyn, and fier schal deuoure the tabernaclis of hem, that taken yiftis wilfuli.
35 They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb is pregnant with deceit.”
He conseyuede sorewe, and childide wickidnesse, and his wombe makith redi tretcheries.
