Job 16
1 Then Job answered:
Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Y `herde ofte siche thingis;
2 “I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all.
alle ye ben heuy coumfortouris.
3 Is there no end to your long-winded speeches? What provokes you to continue testifying?
Whether wordis ful of wynd schulen haue an ende? ether ony thing is diseseful to thee, if thou spekist?
4 I could also speak like you if you were in my place; I could heap up words against you and shake my head at you.
Also Y myyte speke thingis lijk to you, and `Y wolde, that youre soule were for my soule; and Y wolde coumfort you by wordis, and Y wolde moue myn heed on you;
5 But I would encourage you with my mouth, and the consolation of my lips would bring relief.
Y wolde make you stronge bi my mouth, and Y wolde moue lippis as sparynge you.
6 Even if I speak, my pain is not relieved, and if I hold back, how will it go away?
But what schal Y do? If Y speke, my sorewe restith not; and if Y am stille, it goith not awei fro me.
7 Surely He has now exhausted me; You have devastated all my family.
But now my sorewe hath oppressid me, and alle my lymes ben dryuun in to nouyt.
8 You have bound me, and it has become a witness; my frailty rises up and testifies against me.
My ryuelyngis seien witnessyng ayens me, and a fals spekere is reisid ayens my face, and ayenseith me.
9 His anger has torn me and opposed me; He gnashes His teeth at me. My adversary pierces me with His eyes.
He gaderide togidere his woodnesse in me, and he manaasside me, and gnastide ayens me with his teeth; myn enemye bihelde me with ferdful iyen.
10 They open their mouths against me and strike my cheeks with contempt; they join together against me.
Thei openyden her mouthis on me, and thei seiden schenschip, and smytiden my cheke; and thei ben fillid with my peynes.
11 God has delivered me to unjust men; He has thrown me to the clutches of the wicked.
God hath closid me togidere at the wickid, and hath youe me to the hondis of wickid men.
12 I was at ease, but He shattered me; He seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has set me up as His target;
Y thilke riche man and famouse sum tyme, am al to brokun sudeynli; `he helde my nol; he hath broke me, and hath set me as in to a signe.
13 His archers surround me. He pierces my kidneys without mercy and spills my gall on the ground.
He hath cumpasside me with hise speris, he woundide togidere my leendis; he sparide not, and schedde out myn entrails in to the erthe.
14 He breaks me with wound upon wound; He rushes me like a mighty warrior.
He beet me with wounde on wounde; he as a giaunt felde in on me.
15 I have sewn sackcloth over my skin; I have buried my horn in the dust.
Y sewide togidere a sak on my skyn; and Y hilide my fleisch with aische.
16 My face is red with weeping, and deep shadows ring my eyes;
My face bolnyde of wepynge, and myn iyeliddis wexiden derke.
17 yet my hands are free of violence and my prayer is pure.
Y suffride these thingis with out wickidnesse of myn hond, `that is, werk, whanne Y hadde cleene preieris to God.
18 O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry for help never be laid to rest.
Erthe, hile thou not my blood, and my cry fynde not in thee a place of hidyng.
19 Even now my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high.
`For, lo! my witnesse is in heuene; and the knowere of my consience is in hiye places.
20 My friends are my scoffers as my eyes pour out tears to God.
A! my frendis, ful of wordis, myn iye droppith to God.
21 Oh, that a man might plead with God as he pleads with his neighbor!
And `Y wolde, that a man were demed so with God, as the sone of man is demed with his felowe.
22 For when only a few years are past I will go the way of no return.
`For lo! schorte yeeris passen, and Y go a path, bi which Y schal not turne ayen.
